Welcome, Guest: Register On Nairaland / LOGIN! / Trending / Recent / NewStats: 3,195,574 members, 7,958,779 topics. Date: Wednesday, 25 September 2024 at 11:54 PM |
Nairaland Forum / Nairaland / General / Politics / Definition Of Middle Belt (16795 Views)
Middle Belt Youths, Cleric Declare Support For Jonathan’s Re-election / We Will Vote Jonathan Despite Our Regrets In Voting Him In 2011 – Middle Belt / In The Event Of A Break War, How The Middle Belt Will Align/fare (2) (3) (4)
(1) (2) (3) (4) (Reply) (Go Down)
Definition Of Middle Belt by Abagworo(m): 9:38am On Nov 25, 2010 |
During my primary school days,we were taught that the rivers Niger and Benue split Nigeria into three unequal parts forming an imperfect Y on the Nigerian map.We were further taught that the area around the upper V line of the Y comprising of various ethnic groups is called "middle belt" taking its name from that V which seem to cut the country at the center.The area is often referred to as the zone of Northern minorities.This is a fallacy because further North still exists a handful of minorities.For example Bauchi State often referred to as core Hausa/Fulani State is not up to 40% Hausa/Fulani.I therefore wish to be clarified on the new definition of "Middle Belt" and know if IBB,Abdulsalami Abubakar,Yakubu Gowon,David Mark,Theophilus Danjuma and Atiku are from the "Middle Belt". 1 Like |
Re: Definition Of Middle Belt by PhysicsQED(m): 10:37am On Nov 25, 2010 |
Good question. I'm not in a position to answer that. Maybe someone like amingafar or danmasani (don't think I spelled that right, he used to post here) could clear this up. |
Re: Definition Of Middle Belt by DapoBear(m): 10:50am On Nov 25, 2010 |
Kaduna itself, isn't the entire south of it Christian? So do we consider it core north or also middle belt? Also, is Southern Kaduna demographically Hausa, or mostly Gwari, ? I know the area surrounding Abuja is supposed to be mostly Gwari in origin (correct me if I am wrong). I don't think they view themselves as core North (again, correct me if I'm wrong.) |
Re: Definition Of Middle Belt by Abagworo(m): 10:56am On Nov 25, 2010 |
DapoBear: This is exactly why the definition has to be made.I foresee a future where the "Middle belt" might look South for alliance but we need to define the exact area. |
Re: Definition Of Middle Belt by edoyad(m): 11:03am On Nov 25, 2010 |
http://www.dawodu.com/nnamani21.htm . . . . By the way, if we talk of a Middle Belt, we must take into account such definitional preferences of the promoters as well as the historical data made available by researchers. Historically, it is not so easy to fit the entire Middle Belt into any zone of original antecedent. According to legends of legend and legends of origin, what we have on the ground cannot present a definitive single antecedent or even a composite background. Yet, even against that background, the Langtang, Birom, Tiv, Chawai, Jaba, Jukun, among the other tens of such ethnic groups, have one thing in common. They have lived in the Niger-Benue Confluence over some millennia. And they have, together, claimed the Nok culture, reportedly originating from Nok Village in Jaba Local Government Area, Kaduna State. Besides the varied origins as claimed in the cases of peoples of the Nok Culture, the Middle Belt areas or the Niger-Benue Confluence region, were to gravitate to such western economic endeavours, of which the Tin Mining enterprises in Jos, our present host city, drew into it many of the people who were to realize their common heritage and political destiny. Such virtually natural concentric development, expanding in the sucking of peoples from deep Southern areas as well as far-flung North actually presented the zone as the glue that draws. Further to this were the clear marshal qualities of the peoples, as recognized by the colonial masters, who erected military institutions, which on their own opened more waves of migrations. In fact, it was in the discharge of the duty conferred by those marshal qualities that the Middle Belt excelled as the bastion of national unity and cohesion. One of such, most often repeated, was the price of human resources reportedly expended in the various wars from 1914. . . . . |
Re: Definition Of Middle Belt by Nobody: 11:08am On Nov 25, 2010 |
It's clear.the middle belt serves as a link between the forest region dominated by the yoruba and ibo and the north.the hausa have their states which they dominate since early period. |
Re: Definition Of Middle Belt by DapoBear(m): 11:14am On Nov 25, 2010 |
Perhaps we should instead define the core North, instead. That might be easier to define. Then by subtraction, we can define the middle belt. Sokoto, Kebbi, Zamfara, Katsina, Kano. Jigawa, Yobe, Borno, Gombe. Bauchi, Taraba and Adamawa, as candidates for the core North? What states (or parts of states) should be added to the above list, and which ones removed? |
Re: Definition Of Middle Belt by Nobody: 11:43am On Nov 25, 2010 |
DapoBear:the states occupied by hausa include:Gobir,Kano,Zaria,Katsina,Daura,Biram and Rano.they constitute the core hausa states in Nigeria. |
Re: Definition Of Middle Belt by Blazay(m): 11:49am On Nov 25, 2010 |
http://www.nasarawastate.org/newsday/news/culture/11129114540.html
I like this definition. So Atiku is not from the North, but the Middle Belt. Yippee! The North gets the 2015 ticket. No wonder. Those Adamawa peeps act somewhat more exposed than the typical Northerners. I agree. Zamfara is real North. |
Re: Definition Of Middle Belt by edoyad(m): 12:11pm On Nov 25, 2010 |
I like this definition. So Atiku is not from the North, but the Middle Belt. Yippee! The North gets the 2015 ticket. No wonder. Those Adamawa peeps act somewhat more exposed than the typical Northerners. I agree. Zamfara is real North. If you say Atiku is a Middlebeltan, what tribe is he then ? |
Re: Definition Of Middle Belt by DapoBear(m): 12:15pm On Nov 25, 2010 |
I thought Adamawa was mostly Fulani Muslim? A bit surprised it is considered middle belt. |
Re: Definition Of Middle Belt by Blazay(m): 12:27pm On Nov 25, 2010 |
edoyad: There are many tribes in Adamawa(part of the middle belt). Here goes: http://www.onlinenigeria.com/tribes/default2.asp Teme Adamawa One of these. Nigeria na wah. |
Re: Definition Of Middle Belt by DapoBear(m): 12:36pm On Nov 25, 2010 |
Atiku is Fulani. |
Re: Definition Of Middle Belt by edoyad(m): 12:45pm On Nov 25, 2010 |
Atiku is Fulani. Period ! |
Re: Definition Of Middle Belt by DapoBear(m): 12:59pm On Nov 25, 2010 |
These Fulani are quite impressive, I must say. Imagine, bending an entire other ethnic group (the Hausa), and a region of the country (the North) to your will. Almost every time a "Northern" candidate is selected, it is a Fulani man. Yet the Northerners never complain that for some reason, only Fulani are fit to lead them. Quite amazing. |
Re: Definition Of Middle Belt by edoyad(m): 1:29pm On Nov 25, 2010 |
Well there's a reason it's called "ethno/religious" conflict and not just ethnic conflict. Affiliations around these parts are ethno/religous and not just based on ethnicity. |
Re: Definition Of Middle Belt by Abagworo(m): 1:47pm On Nov 25, 2010 |
DapoBear: Hausa/Fulani is not up to 5% of Adamawa.Many Nigerians are not aware that Adamawa,Taraba and Crossriver States hold 50% of ethnic groups in Nigeria. |
Re: Definition Of Middle Belt by aljharem(m): 2:01pm On Nov 25, 2010 |
DapoBear: that is the reason we call ourselves one north, not am i kanuri, i am hausa, i am fulani no that way there will be less conflict unlike southerners that ikwerri, ogoni, wtc this small group are just jokers |
Re: Definition Of Middle Belt by DapoBear(m): 2:07pm On Nov 25, 2010 |
Abagworo: What then is the demographics of Adamawa? I wasn't able to find any information online about it. They have a Fulani Emir though, do they not? |
Re: Definition Of Middle Belt by benchwest: 2:16pm On Nov 25, 2010 |
i have been following your insight in diferent threads and u never proved my thoughts wrong,u are too tribalistic. alj hareen |
Re: Definition Of Middle Belt by Abagworo(m): 2:22pm On Nov 25, 2010 |
DapoBear: Got this from a post on this page.It gives the list of ethnic groups in Adamawa. Teme Adamawa 162Ichen Adamawa 122 Ga'anda Adamawa 219 Kurdul Adamawa 42 Batta Adamawa 293 Pire Adamawa 50 Bille Adamawa 208 Kilba Adamawa 335 Tur Adamawa 135 Gira Adamawa 136 Gizigz Adamawa 331 Tigon Adamawa 25 Bachama Adamawa 194 Kambu Adamawa 231 Lakka Adamawa 143 Gude Adamawa 144 Gudu Adamawa 191 Kaka Adamawa 324 Sukur Adamawa 149 Gwa (Gurawa) Adamawa 150 Gwamba Adamawa 36 Banso (Panso) Adamawa 182 Jirai Adamawa 179 Jibu Adamawa 159 Hona Adamawa 139 Gombi Adamawa 83 Daba Adamawa 49 Bilei Adamawa 59 Botlere Adamawa 263 Mundang Adamawa 261 Muchaila Adamawa 273 Njayi Adamawa 365 Yungur Adamawa 66 Bura Adamawa 252 Mbula Adamawa 250 Mbol Adamawa 72 Bwatiye Adamawa 73 Bwazza Adamawa 248 Matakarn Adamawa 118 Palli Adamawa 243 Mambilla Adamawa 158 Holma Adamawa 354 Wurbo Adamawa 353 Wula Adamawa 85 Daka Adamawa 44 Baya Adamawa 236 Ubbo Adamawa 348 Wagga Adamawa 232 Lala Adamawa 346 Verre Adamawa 345 Vemgo Adamawa 239 Longuda (Lunguda) Adamawa, Bauchi 247 Margi (Marghi) Adamawa, Bomo 24 Babur Adamawa, Bomo, Taraba,Yobe 196 Kanakuru (Dera) Adamawa, Borno 270 Ngweshe (Ndhang.Ngoshe-Ndhang) Adamawa, Borno 320 Shuwa |
Re: Definition Of Middle Belt by hedoyad(m): 5:33pm On Nov 25, 2010 |
that is the reason we call ourselves one north, not am i kanuri, i am hausa, i am fulani no that way there will be less conflict unlike southerners that ikwerri, ogoni, wtc this small group are just jokers Who is the joker? You producing all the polio, cholera, vvf and illiteracy cases or the other person trying to advance ? |
Re: Definition Of Middle Belt by karfe(m): 9:14pm On Nov 25, 2010 |
Extract from Wiki which I can largely agree with: "Areas of Nigeria which are generally referred to as belonging to the Middle Belt are: Kwara State, Kogi State, Benue State,Plateau State, Nasarawa State, Niger State, Adamawa State and Taraba State. Also included are the southern parts of Kaduna State, Zuru area of Kebbi State, Tafawa Balewa and Bogoro areas of Bauchi State, Tangale and Waja areas of Gombe State and the southern parts of Borno State (Biu area). However, the definition of the Middle Belt areas are subject to great debate due to the presence of significant number of ethnic Hausa, Fulani and Kanuri groups. In addition, the Yoruba of Kwara and Kogi have a strong affinity with the larger Yoruba body and frequently prefer not to be associated with the Middle Belt identity." 1 Like |
Re: Definition Of Middle Belt by tpia5: 9:34pm On Nov 25, 2010 |
During my primary school days,we were taught that the rivers Niger and Benue split Nigeria into three unequal parts forming an imperfect Y on the Nigerian map has any map proved otherwise? |
Re: Definition Of Middle Belt by tpia5: 9:37pm On Nov 25, 2010 |
@topic middle belt is just that: middle. meaning geographical location which also corresponds with ethnicity. |
Re: Definition Of Middle Belt by DapoBear(m): 3:32pm On Nov 27, 2010 |
A book I purchased and have been reading (The Nigerian Civil War) has a demographic map on it. The middle belt is quite huge. The core north is pretty small. I would say at this point that the core North is only Kebbi, Sokoto, Zamfara, Katsina, Northern Kaduna, Kano, Jigawa, Yobe and Borno. Everything else is middle belt. Even Adamawa that I thought was Fulani is actually Bachama instead. EDIT: So I guess if you take the demographic figures listed publicly at face value and say give half of the population of the Kaduna to the core North, you get the following population estimate for the core North: octave:2> 3.2+3.7+3.2+5.7+1/2*6+9.4+4.4+2.3+4.1 ans = 39 So roughly 39 million. Of course, it is very likely that the number for some of these states are massively inflated. It seems implausible that Kano is 3 times more densely populated than Ondo state, for example. So to be quite honest, the population of the core North might be as little as 20 million. |
Re: Definition Of Middle Belt by Faeb: 3:55pm On Nov 27, 2010 |
DapoBear: I have always maintained that the core Northern population is less than 20 million. I disagree with you that Bornu is a core Northern state, they are used by the core North just like the Middle Belt is. You would be hard pressed to find a Bornu man rubbing shoulders with the Hausa or Fulani elite. My list of core Northern states is; Zamfara, Kebbi, Sokoto, Katsina, Kano, Jigawa and Yobe. |
Re: Definition Of Middle Belt by DapoBear(m): 4:23pm On Nov 27, 2010 |
You are probably right, the Kanuri man isn't really that close to the Hausa-Fulani oligarchs. But they are probably closer interest-wise than any of the other groups, I suspect. My guess also is that the population of the Igbo states is massively under-counted. It would explain a lot about Nigeria if this were true. So I wonder, is the 150 million figure they bandy about as the total population of Nigeria accurate, but they are just shifting around population #s? Or is Nigeria much less populated than commonly believed? Really hard to know the truth without accurate figures, unfortunately. |
Re: Definition Of Middle Belt by Tsiya(m): 6:05pm On Nov 27, 2010 |
Middle belt means different things to different people. However, it is good to say that generally it refers to political aspiration of people who fairly identifiy themselves differently from the general Hausa people and have different culture and history. However, over the years it has metamophose to means Christain dominated areas. It is not about ethnic minorities or hausa or fulbe(fulani). In reality, other than Kano, Katsina, Zamfara and Sokoto, almost all northern states have ethnic minoraties. Bauchi, Gombe, Adamawa, Taraba, Nassarawa, Jigawa, Yobe, Niger, Kebbi, Borno, all have large chunk of small small ethnic group, either bonded by Islam, or Hausa as a common language of communication. Recently, I read somewhere where some people are trying to claim that some part of Borno should be Middle Belt. I mean how far North can the middle belt reach, untill it reach Niger. Middle Belt ideology will remain an illusion in the mind of academics, politicians and few elites, but to the larger population, political boundaries within Nigeria will mean little to them, Middlebelt or no middle belt, the people will do business together, inter marry and most importantly, will all speak HAUSA |
Re: Definition Of Middle Belt by Onlytruth(m): 7:44pm On Nov 27, 2010 |
Tsiya: I have always maintained that there is nothing like "Middlebelt" in terms of real Nigerian politics. There is a christian north though, and they are concentrated more to these "middlebelt" areas. However, they share a bond with other Northerners through HAUSA language. You cannot find anything like that in southern Nigeria. To me, the most convenient lie has been to blame a so called "core north" for all the crimes Northern Nigeria has committed against the rest of Nigeria. Having jointly enjoyed the political power over the years (in fact these middlebelters have ruled Nigeria more than the Hausa sef! ), they must therefore take a proportional blame for Nigeria's failures through the years. Middlebelt is a convenient lie to escape blame and mask history. |
Re: Definition Of Middle Belt by MShittu: 7:52pm On Nov 27, 2010 |
Onlytruth:I don't think that there's ever been a 'hausa' president of Nigeria as such. I mean all of those Northern presidents were either Fulani, Gowon was a middle-belter and Babangida was Gwari! |
Re: Definition Of Middle Belt by Onlytruth(m): 7:54pm On Nov 27, 2010 |
DapoBear: I came to the conclusion that Igbo population is uncounted in Nigeria during the last census under Obasanjo. I remember vividly that Ohanaeze Ndigbo tried its best to have ethnic information included in the census forms, Obasanjo stood his ground and rejected it! That was when I knew that Nigeria has something to hide about population distribution. Personally, I don't believe Nigeria's population is up to 150 million. I think it would be around 100 million, and they are concentrated in major cities of southern Nigeria, and a few like Kano and Kaduna in the north. Abuja is populated by ALL Nigerians. I also suspect that Jonathan must know something about Nigeria's real population, and that is why he is going forward with his plans to contest for presidency. If he thinks that northern Nigeria is as populated as we've been told, he would not have declared interest. One of these days, the truth will come out. |
Xmas Day Bombing: How Kabiru Sokoto Was Rearrested / Imo Deputy Governor Resigns / Videos: 15 New Rice Mills Open In Nigeria In Last 3 Years
(Go Up)
Sections: politics (1) business autos (1) jobs (1) career education (1) romance computers phones travel sports fashion health religion celebs tv-movies music-radio literature webmasters programming techmarket Links: (1) (2) (3) (4) (5) (6) (7) (8) (9) (10) Nairaland - Copyright © 2005 - 2024 Oluwaseun Osewa. All rights reserved. See How To Advertise. 70 |