Onojo Ogboni: Problems of Identification and Historicity in the Oral Traditions of the Igala and Northern Nsukka Igbo of Nigeria

Environmental determinant of religious names: A study of Úgwú and naming among the Nsukka-Igbo people of Nigeria

“…Perhaps the challenge posed by the dialectical pronunciation of the vowel between 'S' and 'K' in the original version of the word influenced the early missionaries and educators to add the vowel 'u', hence Nsukka. Oral history reveals that Nsukka, Obukpa, Eha Rumona and Okpuje were the sons of Asadu -the progenitor of the people (Shelton 1968). Nsukka was later known for his heroic deeds and power to clear a large expanse of land.…”

“…Nsukka is used in a generic sense to describe the various communities and towns that make up what is known as the Northern Igbo group (Abidogun 2007;Shelton 1968). In another usage, Nsukka being part of the towns that make up the aforementioned group is a distinct town of three quarters: Nkpunano, Nru and Ihe na Owerre.…”

“…Úgwú personal names with their meanings are tabulated in Table 1 to Table 4, while Studies on the interaction between Igala and the northern Igbo group -Nsukka -portray the socio-religious and political influences of the former on the later before British colonial rule in Nigeria (Shelton 1968;Umameh 2018). Warriors from the Igala ethnic group conquered the Nsukka northern Igbo group and dominated the region's political and cultural life.…”

“…Truly, the Southern Igbo had an advantage of early contact with the European missionaries (Ekechi 1972). This truncated the flourishing political dynasty and dominance of Igala which extended from Nsukka to parts of Anambra (Shelton 1968). The gains of this exercise, and the subsequent knowledge and exposure to European ideals, put many people from Anambra at an enviable advantage.…”