The Efik people are located in the South-South Geopolitical Zone of Nigeria. They can be found in two states in particular; Akwa-Ibom and Cross River State, although a minority can be found in neighboring Cameroon.
The name “Efik” is said to be of Hebrew origin (Aphik or Hepik), meaning “oppressor”. They speak the Efik Ibibio language. This is a collection of languages that are very similar to each other but also very different. Some of the languages include; Efik, Ibibio, Annang, Oro, Ibeno and so on.
Efik people
descendants of Israel
Although some accounts indicate that the Efik people are of Bantu origin, the most accepted story is of their Hebrew origin.
It is believed that they came from the Orient, precisely from Palestine, from where they migrated to ancient Egypt. They are believed to have been part of the Falashas, some black Jews who left Egypt due to the Egyptians’ harsh treatment of the Israelites.
The movement is said to have happened until they reached ancient Ethiopia, where they settled for some time. The birth, death, and resurrection of Jesus Christ led to the introduction of Christianity, which they embraced. However, with the introduction of Islam and the attempt by the Arabs to conquer Ethiopia when they had conquered Egypt, another exodus of the Efik ancestors occurred.
Their language
The Efik language was one of the earliest languages in Nigerian with its original conventional spelling system developed by King Eyo Nsa Honesty in 1812. It was one of the first three Nigerian languages to be systematically encoded with its own spelling and grammar. Efik was also one of the first Nigerian languages into which the Bible was translated.
Efik culture
Despite being an ethnic minority in Nigeria, the Efiks are known for their popular cultural heritage. Some of them are:
mast room
In days gone by, the Efik people locked a prospective bride in a secluded room known as the mast room, where she would receive extensive exercise and beauty therapy for a period of time to prepare for womanhood and marriage.
During this time of seclusion, the girl is cared for by older women and is not allowed to have any contact with other people. Every day she eats six large portions, does not work at all, is massaged three times, put to sleep for many hours, drinks three liters of water three times to become the desired robust bride with a healthy waist.
In the mast room, the girl is taught how tocook and keep the house, take care of her children and respect her future husband and his family. As part of the cultural training, the girl also learns how to dance Ekombi, one of the Efik’s cultural dances, and other forms of entertainment and skills.
When the period of seclusion is over, a graduation ceremony is held in honor of the young girl and people are invited to witness the occasion, which usually includes many dances including the ekombi and other types of entertainment.
The Ekombi dance
A colorful dance, precise and said to derive from the rhythmic movements of the sea waves. It’s a graceful dance with great footwork. Ekombi is a dance that expresses peace and happiness. It shows the beauty and femininity of a woman. No wonder it is usually danced by brides as they come out of the mast room.
The Edikang Ikong and Afang soups
These are traditional Efik vegetable soups that are considered a delicacy by many Nigerians and are widely eaten nationwide. They are delicious, highly nutritious soups made with a generous amount of gourd leaves and water leaves (this is for Edikang Ikong soup), while the afang soup is made with a large amount of water leaves and the wild herb okazi -leaves is prepared. Unfortunately, these soups are expensive to prepare and are said to be eaten mainly by the wealthy.
Other cultural delicacies include ỌtỌñ soup, abak soup, fisherman’s soup, white soup and ekpañ Ñkukwọ.
their traditional clothing
The traditional clothing for Efik people consists of a few parts namely the traditional wrap and c ruler shirt for the men and the wrap and short sleeveless blouse for the women. Worn by both men and women, the wraps are an ankle-length piece of fabric wrapped to look like a skirt, usually with traditional ornaments on it.
The men’s shirt, usually of plain fabric, is always longer than the standard shirt, usually sewn to mid-hip, with notches on both sides. To complete this traditional look, a man must hold a cane, wear a traditional cap or hat, beads, and other types of necklaces.
For the women, there are a variety of textile materials that are used for blouses. The color of the blouses is usually selected to match the envelope, and then sewn according to the style preferred by the owner. In addition to wrapping, the blouse ensures that the entire attire looks elegant. To further embellish their clothing, women often wear neck beads, headgear, or other types of traditional headgear and ornaments.
DID YOU KNOW?
- The Efiks in Calabar practiced the inhuman ritual of killing twins until Mary Slessor, a Scottish missionary, intervened.
- The first photographic studio in West Africa was established in Calabar in 1876.
- The town of Efik, Calabar has a major festival every year and the Tinapa Resort which has been among the top tourism promoters in Nigeria.
- The city of Calabar was also the first capital of Nigeria.