Ngwo

Ngwo town is located in the south-eastern state of Enugu, Nigeria, with a population of about 50,000 people. The towns native population are of Igbo ethnicity.

History

Ngwo people descended from the man called Ngwu-Ako who lived at a place now called "Isi Okpoto" the present day St. Mary Catholic Church and its environs with his wife. Ngwu-Ako gave it the name "Okpotokpo" literally in English (large) because the fruits and trees that grew there were of very large sizes and shapes. That is, for him, they were "okpotokpo" (very large/huge). Living there with his wife, they begot their ten (10) male children who eventually metamorphosed into the ten villages of Ngwo, namely: Uboji, Amankwo, Ameke, Ukaka, Enugu, Etiti, Amachala, Amaebo, Okwojo, and Umuase. While the first three (3) got settled at a place now called Ngwo-uno, the last seven (7) settled at a place also now called Ngwo-asaa. That accounts for the two (2) big shades/components of Ngwo, namely: (Ngwo-uno) and Ngwo-asaa (Ngwo-agu). While Ngwo-uno is made up of three main villages, namely: Amankwo, Amaeke, and Uboji, Ngwo-asaa is composed of seven villages, viz: Enugu, Etiti, Amachala, Ukaka, Amaebo, Okwojo, and Umuase.

Ngwo language

The Ngwo speak a Southern Bantoid language of Cameroon. The Konda and Basa varieties are perhaps divergent enough to be considered distinct languages.

References