Anam, Nigeria

Anam Community is a mega community of eight villages strategically located in Anambra West Local Government Area, Anambra State, bounded by three Historic Rivers-River Anambra (Ọmambala), River Niger and River Ezichi. The famous Anambra River has its root from Ojor in Uzouwani Local Gov. of Enugu state. Umuoba Anam is the only village in Anam located in Anambra East Local Government Area.

The people of Anam are known for their hospitality, honesty, resilience, and hard work. |6°10'49.6"|N|6°46'38.1" |E| 6°25'18.7"N 6°47'34.1"E

Anam

Anam, a community of 8 cape towns on the Anam peninsula, rich in oil and gas reserve; with ivite-Anam on the eastern part of the peninsula and ezi-Anam on the western part of the peninsula. Anam is actually an ancient community with great cultural heritage and history deep in agriculture, animism, arts, oratory, philosophy, masquerades, wars, gods & goddesses. Today, Anam is the largest and most populous community in the Omambala region. Geographically situated across River Omambala (from where the name ‘Anambra’ was derived), North of famous Onitsha city (gate way to the east, Onitsha is also the third largest commercial center in Nigeria and one of the largest in West Africa): west of Otuocha, the Headquarters of Anambra East LGA: and East of Asaba, the Delta State capital: across the famous River Niger. Anam is bounded on the West by River Niger, on the east by river Omambala, on the northeast by River Ezichi and Eziagulu Otu Aguleri in Anambra East LGA, and on land by Echeno, Ika and Omabo, both in Ibaji LGA of Kogi State, as well as Inoma and Nzam both are Igala speaking area of Anambra-West LGA. Diachronic and toponomical studies have shown that, though geographically circumscribe by these rivers; Anam has cultural, economic and biological ties that extends beyond Anambra state, in places like Delta, Edo, Kogi, Enugu, Benue, Imo, Abia, Ebonyi, plateau, states even as far as Cameroun, Equatorial Guinea, Niger, etc. The entire landmass of Anam is estimated to be in the region of 240 square kilometers.

Anam land, an ancient community in West Africa, lies within the tropics in the equatorial region of sub-Saharan Africa, with many streams & lakes, green vegetation of extensive thick forests, wild forest-animals like pythons, buffaloes, wild pigs, Tigers, leopards, Lions, Elephants, chimpanzees, deer, etc.; many of these rivers, lakes and streams within Anam land has various species of aquatic creatures like fishes, crocodile, hippopotamus, etc. local ancient ‘lore has it that many of these lakes and streams that empty into the three Rivers(Omambala, Niger & Ezichi) are visited and possessed by some gods or goddesses who traveled all the way from kingdoms in the Atlantic ocean to participate in the war of rivers or the war of the gods.

Anam land has very moderate temperature and friendly weather most of the year. Seasonal experiences in Anam include Udu-mmili (rainy season), Iji (Flood season), Ugulu (harmattan season), Okochi (dry season). A home to various species of medicinal and economic plants, animals, beautiful birds, insects and butterflies original to Anam land.

Anam land is a beautiful evergreen peninsula to behold, from the Akpaka Hill, Nsugbe, Otuocha, Asaba, Anwai & Illah Hills. Surrounded by Rivers Omambala, Niger and Ezichi the topography is flat in nature, a table landmass, which makes the entire area, prone to experience 3months of intense flood every year when the three rivers surrounding the Anam land overflow their banks. There is speculations about the authentic history of Anam. It is well established,

History said that Ogbe begot Anam, Anaku, Olosi, Odiala, Okpanam, Nzam, and Umunankwo. Even though Anam descended from ogbe , some parts of Anam migrated from other places as follows:

Umuikwu Anam came from Nsugbe.
Umuem Anam came from Umuatulu Village, Umuleri.
Umudeze of Mmiata Anam came from Eziagulu, Aguleri.
Umuoke Quarter of Umuoba Anam: from Umudiani, Umuleri.
Umueze Anam from Umuazu Nteje, Oyi Local Government Area.
Umunnebisi including (Umunta, Umuagu, Umuene, Obinetiti Quarters) of Umudora Anam came from Nteje.
Umualor Quarter of Umudora Anam came from Onicha Oluna.

Villages

Anam has eight villages (formerly seven villages collectively known as Anam Ukpo Isaa). They are as follows: Umueze, Umuoba, Mmiata, Iyiora, Umuikwu, Umudora, Oroma-Etiti, and Umuewelum.

Subdivisions

Broadly Anam town is subdivided into two parts each made up of four villages. The subdivisions are Ivite Anam and Ezi Anam

Ivite Anam comprises the following villages: Umueze, Umuoba, Mmiata, and Iyiora.
Ezi Anam consists of Umuikwu, Umudora, Oroma-Etiti, and Umuem.

Agricultural prowess

Anam is well known for farming and fishing. Anam Land is fertile, its waters and rivers are replete with a teeming number of a great variety of fishes. The people are predominantly arable farmers who farm round the season producing up to 70% of the whole food stuff in Anambra State. Major crops produced in Anam in large quantities include yam, cassava, rice, corn, groundnut and potatoes. Anam Rice is well sought after as it contains little or no gravel. The cornucopia of yearly farm harvest of the Anam people is directly linked to the abundance mentality of the people that no matter what, food will always be available. This may also explain their being generous to a fault when showing hospitality to neighbours and strangers.

One factor that militates against sustainable production of food and its distribution to other parts of Anambra State and even beyond is the deplorable state of some roads in Anam and lack of link roads to the areas of farm produce. This was worse off when there was no bridge linking Anam to neighbouring towns, but thanks to the completion and commissioning of Anambra Bridge across the Anambra River, Anam is no longer cut off as it were and people from far and near can now to a great extent have access to the abundance of agricultural produce from the interior parts of Anam. More good road networks and means of encouraging these farmers would surely translate to a sustainable production, distribution and provision of food on the table of more people and help fight hunger in Anambra state and beyond.

Apart from being a fertile land for agricultural purposes, Anam soil is rich in mineral and other natural resources, including crude oil. Anam people are really blessed and well endowed.

People, Culture, tradition and language

There are many archeological-anthropological data that suggest that the ancestors of Ndi-Anam might be great philosophers; several Uko & Dibia (priests-priestesses, doctors & magicians); craftsmen & women; sailors; Fishers; hunters; farmers; warriors; mystical poets & musicians. All over Igboland and beyond, the ancestors of Ndi-Anam were known for these. There are abundant philosophical sayings & quotes; gods & goddesses; sacred songs and musical instruments, great works of arts; story of legends; ineffable traditions, sacred plants, animals, fishes and crops; mystical arts of cultivation, Anam ethnobotanical knowledge and skills that support this.

There abound lore about legendary battles on agidi-ji (the artistic maze & chess-like pattern of yam plantations) and the acrobatic wrestling maneuvers, sword, spear or nguh (multi-purpose spear-like farm tool) skills behind the yam plantations that appear like faceless masquerade or ghost in the dark.

Anamites engage in the art of deep and philosophical learning through ntughari uche (musing & reflective meditation) over daily occurrences about immediate and remote environments like lakes, ponds, rivers, iru-igwe (Anam word for sky, literarily meaning face of heaven) blowing wind-there are different Anam terms for this; abazu iji-obia(wind that brings flood), Abazu iji-ona (the wind the causes the flood to recede), oku ive & mkpa mkpa aju-lue-aju(the former meaning, a phenomenon that occurs in open spaces and associated with light while the later means phenomenon that wreaks havoc), plants, animals, birds, insects in fact, the entire spectrum & dynamism of eco communal interactions. Average Anamite is highly endowed with intuitive ability (capacity to perceive or know things beyond the senses) with which they perceives the outside world.

This dynamism of eco-communal interactions lack expression in scribal literature rather, its best expressed orally in proverbs, idioms, riddles, names, artworks, etc. the Igbo dialect of Anam can be best described as Omambaloid igbo the dialect spoken by the people inhabiting the Omambala region comprising over 80% of Anambra north senatorial constituency. Orthoepy of Omambaloid Igbo showed that in most cases pronounce F as V and H as R

‘amata e’kee & akanche’ philosophy are expressions of Anam economic mindset. Where a wealthy person will loan certain number of crops to another to cultivate and the yields would be shared among them. The two philosophical terms serves the same purpose; akanche is for animals. While amata e’kee is for crops.

Many of these vital skills that made the ancestors of Ndi-Anam great are secret heritages of their descendants sequentially inscribed in the DNA of every true indigent Anam person right from womb; Shielded in various cultural norms and religious practices of Anamites.

Anam philosophies: Because Anam people lack strong scribal tradition their philosophies find expressions orally and in artistic works. These can be studied in their daily jokes, quotes, sayings, riddles, idioms, words and names they use when identifying people, animals, plants, ideas, things, natural phenomenon or its constituent parts. Examples of such are:

Ngana is one philosophy with deep meaning in Anam
Ekpulu Avazie (reflexism )
Okpa gbali ani, aro erugharie
Akunuche (conscious and subconscious mind)
Aboh-ji (lifeless remains of reincarnated yam)
Agbo onye na chi ya
Uka-eke

Anam cosmology: Anam cosmological knowledge is based on intuitive perception of the imaginary sphere and activities. According to Anam mythology and cosmology, messengers from Chukwu Okike believed to be Ammon, Anubis and Abuke. Emerge from the great Atlantis to separate a conflict between the two rivers in war (Rivers Omambala & Niger) on Eke-day by causing myriads of very tiny soil particles to emerge from the deepest part of the Rivers unto the surface with great force separating the two Rivers forming the land known as Anam land and these god & goddesses are worshiped by some traditionalists.

An ancient myth has it that the ‘war of the rivers, which is also known as the ‘war of the gods’ tormented the communities around the banks of the two rivers before the emergence of Anam land. The communities of Aguleri, Umueri, Nsugbe, Onitsha, Oko, Okwe, Asaba, Anwai, Ugbolu and Illah and its adjoining towns and villages experienced the devastating effect of the wars of rivers or the war of the gods. Ancient myths has it that the war involved different mystical and hydrological forces involving animals, birds, plants, fishes, insects, that wreaked havoc on the inhabitants of the region.

There are several accounts in modern Anam of people who had encounter with the god Abuke; many of them say that Abuke appears sometimes as animals, insects, fishes, plants, and as phenomenons. A child, python, old woman, lion, hippopotamus, egbili, Usolo, Ikele, Odukuluba, olobulu, ajah, onono, etc.

In Anam mythology and mysticism the two rivers are referred to as Oke na Nwunye (male and female primordial creative principle of the universe, which in Chinese & Japanese philosophy is known as yin and yang), the words oke and Nwunye are two of the many words in Anam dialect with very deep philosophical and sacred significance.

Anam religious worship is fundamentally hinged on many beliefs and perceptions of deity manifestations and involves the use of many substances and process that substantiate their faith in the ultimate being. Substances such as kola nuts, white chalk, wine, sacred plants and animal, music and dances, incantations, various forms of veneration to the lesser gods, goddesses, personal chi or to the ultimate supreme God, Chineke or Chukwu Okike(God of creation). Which takes place in their different places of worship.

Incarnation is among the prime beliefs of the Igbo people and Anam people like other cultures believed in incarnation or Ogbanje, in fact, this belief is central to the rituals of the naming ceremony. There are different manifestations of Ogbanje. There are also beliefs in the existence of multitudes of benevolent and evil spirits inhabiting the spirit-world of waters, ani, air, fire, plants and animals that can be convoked to execute evil or just order through a medium that will divine-gba ava to ascertain means of summoning. Anamland has several lakes, plants, animals, places and phenomenon believed to be possessed by such spirits, there is a particular one of interest located in Onono, Umuikwu-Anam called iyi-ego literarily meaning lake of wealth, there are three (3) lakes believed to belong to a great goddesses of fruitfulness called Nne Ethele, Nwa Ethele and diokpala Ethele Ndi-Anam observe the Igbo lunar calendar and not the Gregorian calendar. In Anam, like other Igbo, four (4) traditional days; Eke, Orie, Afor & Nkwo makes one izu (one traditional week), seven (7) izus equals one full lunar revolution very phenomenal and a proof of the ingenuity of our ancestors who were able to maintain such biological and astronomic calendar that is very accurate and precise.

Masquerade Like Chinua Achebe wrote in his famous ‘there was a country; personal history of Biafra’ Igbo believe that art, religion, everything and the whole of life are embodied in the dynamic art of masquerade. In view of this, the study of igbo masquerades (masqueradology) should be infused into the study of African culture and arts. In Anam, as elsewhere in Igbo land masquerading is a revered traditional practice that forms part of the cultural heritage of our people. Masquerades are precious cultural heritage and identity of families and kins across Anam towns. Anamites use masquerades to celebrate activities of great importance, and commemorate different social, cultural, religious or prognosticational events. Different musicals and dances are fused into the arts of masquerade; popular among the dance steps is Okani war dance steps.

There are different categories of masquerades in Anam: Mmuo ogba egwu (dance masquerades) Mmuo otimkpala (wiper masquerades) Mmuo obuka (masquerades) Mmuo Odogwu (masquerades of warriors) Mmuo ita (mystical masquerades) Isaa Isato Izaga Ijele Akpali Akwunechenyi Odumodu, etc.

Anam culture Include such traditions as Nzireani, Inezi, marriage, naming, Ote, Oba, Ikpa unwu, Oniozu, Mgbaboku, Masquerades, Mgba, O’mugo, olu-oba, igbu, age grade, Ada festival, igbji isi, ikwo iyi, arts of farming, etc.

Nzireani festival: which literarily means ‘coming down’ but actually in the ancient time was known as Nzire’ume’ani (descent of earth's energy) is a great festival of repute when Anam elders invoke the fertility energy from Chukwu-Okike down to the earth for new farming season and beginning of new year for Anamites. And as well glorify Chukwu-okike for the success of previous farming season and for giving their ancestors victory over their invaders and over flood. Nzire-ume-ani in the ancient times take place once the flood begins to recede and dry land begins to appear; hence they saying ‘okpa gbali ani, aro erugharia this describes their believe that the recession of the flood marks the beginning of a new rotation or orbit signifying another year or season. Nzireani has undergone reformation in recent times; Anam Elders council have fixed every Eke market day closest to Christmas for the festival (this is to accommodate the Christians: showing the magnanimity and wisdom of our ancestors towards the cultures and religions of other people). Nzireani is marked by numerous young ‘war-masquerades’ entertaining and displaying arts of courage and bravery on the streets of Anam while the elders engage in religious feast at their respective ukpoo (alter-shrine).

Qte Anam (Yam Festival) Yam is a very important crop, essential to Igbo mystical traditions which is best seen among Anam people who are known for their yam cultivation. The relevance of Anam people and their arts of yam cultivation came to climax during and immediately after the Biafran war; most of the yam supplied in Biafra at that time came from Anam because most part of Anam was not affected by the war. In addition, their arts of yam cultivation are a religion of sort to Anam people. E.g. Young person ready for marriage will be given ‘Nnu ji’ to cultivate on his own to prove that he can take care of woman and children. Anam men are extraordinary; right from birth to the age when they are initiated into the sacred tradition of masquerade, age grade and eventually ‘the arts of farm cultivation’. Ote is a very significant cultural festival to Anamites globally; Elders council of Anam fixed the first Uka-Eke in the month of August (onye-ive Isaa; seventh month in the Igbo traditional calendar, onye-ive is the igbo name for the moon which means extender of light) for this festival. (The festival sometimes last for 4days for some people who use that as opportunity to rejuvenate their health, social and religious life) Yam, the king of all crops is cultivated in other communities of Anambra, Benue, Kogi and beyond but in no other community is yam crop accorded such sacred significance as in Anam. Ote Anam marks the climax of the sacred arts of yam cultivation. The Ote Anam is a time of harvest and huge festival of thanksgiving, significant activity of these four days festival is that it is a time for children to visit their parents and buy them gifts. It also presents opportunity to give alms to the needy and the less privileged in the society such as widows and widowers, childless etc. to young Anamites it's their own Christmas. The elders and traditionalists pray and make offerings to their ancestors (ilo mmuo), while Christians may pray and offer thanks to GOD for bountiful harvests and prayed for more bountiful harvests in the next farming season.

Marriage Ceremony Marriage is a very sacred and cherished institution in Igboland and elsewhere. In Anam culture marriage is regarded as one of the greatest achievements in life; an institution of procreation. Once the bride and groom agree to marry themselves, the consent of the parents is sought. The parents of the bride will immediately conduct investigation on the family lineage of the groom. Such searchlights are beamed on the groom's behaviour and means of livelihood. Other areas include whether there is any trace of stealing, mental disability, or contagious disease (e.g. leprosy), in the family lineage of the groom- to-be. If, after the investigations the parents of the bride are satisfied, payment of dowry follows. After payment of dowry, traditional marriage rites referred to as "ili iyi and iba nwa" are performed usually in the house of the eldest man in the family lineage of the bride. This precedes the communal and formal unification or joining of the bride and groom as husband and wife.

Ine Ezi Ine ezi is a cultural practice of the Anam people, which is a festival where young boys and girls converge to display their courtship prowess. The dedication that goes into the moments, most of the time make young people promiscuous, indocile and tend to deny young men and women the opportunity for western education; this is what makes it obnoxious It is also, an extreme extension of very important social practice of Ndi-Anam called ‘Onodu-ezi’ and ‘Opu ama’ a time of socializing. Onodu-ezi is the nightlife of the Anam people. A peer or family practice when members of a family gather and sometimes joined by visitors, to share ita (folklore, a very powerful element of Anam traditional education) or ikpa ita (folklore craft) which is the exclusive reserve of the elders. It is moment elders use myths & folklore to influence and shape their culture and lives of young people by passing sacred, plants and animal lore directly or through legends; it usually take place during or after dinner. Opu-ama is a social practice that involves socialization, asili, aku-njakili, etc. It has no time and concrete definition, it's from opu-ama that the Anam term ikpa and ayege sprang forth (ikpaa and ayege both meaning prodigality or street life as it's known among youngsters)

Oba: Communities have value systems they cherish and attach great psychological, emotional, economic and social importance to. Everybody in that community feels sense of accomplishment which the community cherishes and conveys sense of class. Oba is a title of prestige and class in Anam comparable to Doctorate degree in the academic setting; knight in some Christian churches; Order of the British Empire (OBE), commander order of the Niger (CON) or its equivalent elsewhere. Most Oba titleholders are regarded as great sage for their wisdom and uprightness and when they die, they are traditionally canonized as saints. Requirements for Oba title include marriage and ability to lead own household, several Olu-oba seasons and involves ineffable cultural processes. Western civilization has brought reformation to the requirements for Oba title thereby monetizing most of the material requirements to cost millions of naira or dollar, that is why wealthy and industrious farmers prepare for Oba title taking for 3 to 4 consecutive Olu-oba seasons (harvest period) while some achieve that in one Olu-oba season. Oluoba represent many things to Anam people; it is a season of harvest that comes with great workload from which the people learn and develop different physical, mental psychological and emotional attitudes for service, dedication, perseverance, enthusiasm, tenacity and love. Oba title is the climax of the Anam traditional educational system. Oba is title for men honour, strength and wisdom while ive okpu is a title for women of honour, dedication and love-for-family. Olu-oba season is a very valuable and symbolic moments of intense work and enjoyment that represents so many things-social, cultural, educational & sacred to Anamites. The Anam people have very high standard educational system before the arrival of the white people with its own educational systems. The Anam educational system is deeply embedded in its customs and traditions, some of which ‘they’ view as informal, crude and primitive. This educational system begins from the sacred marriage rites called ili-iyi & iba nwa which is sets of doctrinal practices associated with baby conception and nurturing during and after pregnancy that is passed on to the would be mother and father when performing the sacred marriage ordinances. The performance of this sacred ordinance of ili-iyi and iba nwa is the exclusive prerogative of the di okpala and isi ada of the said kindred. In Anam tradition, every diokpala (1st male son) is a priest while the eldest among the entire first-born male child in a particular kindred and village is a high priest, the custodian of offor and a judge among his kindred. Diokpala is not inherited by any other means other than age-the eldest among particular kindred. Therefore, from the womb, the Anam child is tutored by the parents alone, until after the naming ceremony is performed. After that relatives and neighbors who have observations as to what the child could become can make suggestions to the parents. Mind you that naming a child is the prerogative of priests because Anamites believe that children come from another world beyond our physical world; therefore, the priest ought to consult with the spirits for appropriate name fit for the child's personality and destiny. But because adulteration of the Anam tradition, this practices has been forgotten, especially as more and more young Anamites become enlightened and aware of its religion and traditions and see no need to consult priest in the naming of their children. That is why Anam people philosophize with the naming of their children. This trend of philosophizing with child naming is encouraged by the fact that Anam has no strong scribal tradition: so, they resort to their oral tradition (one of the strongest in the world) hence the ancient Anamites are quoted as saying ‘njo ka njo bu ibulu ezigbo olu na uche na mmuo’ literarily meaning ‘greatest of all greed is hoarding good works & thoughts into the land of the dead’ The child remains under the tutelage of the parents who prepares the male child for the age grade and masquerade society by teaching him practically the mystic arts of farming, fishing, hunting and social ethics until he is admitted into the age grade social group and initiated into the masquerade society(when they are 14-16yrs old). If the parents are too young to adequately prepare their son for this, they will send him to go live with another elder parent of their choice willing to accept him as odigbo or odibo as its known today.

The girl child is under the tutelage of the parent who prepares her for Inezi and for the sacred institution of marriage (at the age of 6-12) by teaching her practically the sacred arts of child-care & nurturing, female-farming, female-fishing, household chores and manners (in Anam, mothers are referred as Agbala the same term use to referred to goddess in some parts of Igbo land). Again where the parent are too young to prepare their daughter for this they send to elder parent of their choice who are willing to accept her as nwa na ku nwa or nwa kunwa as its known today (she would live with them for four years). This ancient practice of Anamites is a noble tradition and educational system; but it has been bastardized today.

Some parents, after their son or daughter (mostly) son has returned, and has been admitted into the age grade and initiated to the masquerade society would send them to second Odigbo this time to learn some arts or trade or to serve a Dibia or priest. If that is not the case, a traditional practice known as idu-uno na ikwa ibu is performed for him, this is done by given to him a portion of their ancestral land dedicated by the diokpala for his own residence or uno-okolobia (if the ancestral land of the kindred has been exhausted, his father consults the Ndi Ome age grade who are the custodian of the communal land to give him portion of the communal land(inwuta ani) after meeting the requirements), four hundred yams, farmlands, fishing and hunting equipments to start his own life. Once this has been done for any Youngman (okolobia) he is expected to get married the following year. For the female folks they are expected to get their own idu-uno na ikwa ibu whenever they get married, household properties and wears are bought for them, they are not given portion of their ancestral or communal land. Her husband's portion is hers. This tradition is one of the casualties of western education and civilization; today it has been replaced with overseas travels, business startups and university education. Anam traditional education can be summarized into these periods: • Marriage consummation • Child conception, birth and nurturing (primary school) • Age grade admission (secondary school) • Masquerade initiation (diploma) • Idu-uno, ikwa ibu or 2nd Odigbo (first degree) • Marriage (master) • Oba (PhD) art

The Oba institution is a thing of class, prestige and honor, one of the remarkable things about the life of every Onye Oba is the daily prayer and communion utilizing kola nuts, alligator pepper and gin spirit; this puts him in high spirit as he goes about his daily activities knowing full well that one with the spirits of his ancestors is majority regardless of all odds. There are many things they abstain from especially acts capable of defiling and making an Oba unholy, it is a sacrilege for Oba to lie or engage in dishonest act: Their meals are revered and sacred. Oba title is one of the traditional requirements for becoming a king in Anam. According to Chief Emma Nnachor one of the founding fathers of old Anambra local council in his book Anam Clan: ‘The Oba title is the apex of attainment of social status above whatever prowess or prominence an Anam man attains in wrestling, bravery, oratory, and even God - given gifts. Oba Title had a very strong influence on the lives and times of an Anamites’. There is a suggestion that The nomenclature of ogbuevi be reformed to preserve this our good heritage more meaningfully so that Oba Anam will attract global recognition and respect by adding a new higher level of attainment with a new nomenclature like Oba chinyelugo, Oba Chinaemelu, Oba Ndukaku, Oba mmadukaku, etc.

The rich culture of Anam is well expressed by Anam language, a unique language that easily identifies them as coming from Anambra (Ndị Anambra). Some of the special characteristics of Anam language worthy of note:

Pronunciation preferences such as using "r" sound (thrilled like the Italians) where others may prefer "d." Thus, Anam people would call a human being "mmarụ", and not "mmadụ." Conversely Anam would use "l" sound instead of "r" in some other cases. For instance, "O nweli" instead of "O nwere", meaning "There is." Again, Anam people prefer "v" sound to "h" or "f", so soup in Anam is "ove" and not "ofe", etc.
Special idiomatic expression peculiar to Anam parlance can be found in situations where the meaning may not be easily guessed by a non-native, or may be totally understood the other way round in other Igbo languages. An example that readily comes to mind is: Ipụtago ụla: (literally meaning - "Have you woken from sleep", to mean Good morning, Good afternoon or Good evening, especially when qualified with the time of the day, i.e. Ipụtago ụla ụtụ for Good morning, etc.
Predilection for shortening of words and expressions. Words are swallowed, especially vowels, and merged with the others in a very fast breath! Funny, but that is how Anamites love expressing themselves.

Delicacies

During festivals Anam people take their time to prepare special soup, especially "ove isala" (ove nsala), a soup prepared with fresh catfish (ikele/aala) and gulped down with fresh pounded yam. Friends of Anam people never want to miss this delicious meal, particularly when they are invited to Otite Anam (Anam New Yam Festival), Nzurani and other festivities.

Tourism potential

Anam has many historic scenery. Anam now serves as the potential shortest link between Anambra and Kogi States through the Anambra Bridge. Developing this route will make the journey to and from Abuja the Federal Capital Territory a short smooth trip. A speedboat expedition along the Anambra River is a worthwhile venture for those who love the calming waves of the sea breeze.

A visit to Anam will surely afford one an opportunity to meet this unique people whose name has been indelibly imprinted on the sands of history on account of their peculiar geography and culture, and their contribution to a State they cherish proudly as their own, Anambra State.

References

Anam The Genesis of Anambra by Bishop Paul Ekweoba (2009)
The Anam Clan By Hon. Emmanuel Nnachor (2006)
Anam the food basket of the nation by Sunday Mmaduneme Chigbata (2019)

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