By Anna Funke
The Shuwa Arabs are commonly referred to as the “Baggara.” This name is derived from the Arabic word “bagar“, meaning “cow,” and refers to the Arab tribes in West Africa who are cattle herders. They are spread from the Lake Chad region eastward to the Nile River in the countries of Sudan, Niger, Chad, Cameroon, Nigeria, and the Central African Republic.
The Shuwa population in Nigeria is approximately 1million people and they amount to about 90% of the nomadic people in Borno. The Shuwa Arabs are of Arab descent and mainly speak the Shuwa dialect of the Arab language.
Marriages among the Shuwa Arab nomad could be very interesting because the parents usually choose spouses for their children. Parents start searching for a companion to their sons before they attain the age of maturity. The same applies to the females. Matches are made between relatives, particularly between cousins and social equals. There is a general belief among the Shuwa that the practice helps keep wealth (cattle) in the family and dowry is given in cows. They are predominantly Muslims, thereby following the Islamic rites for getting marriage.
The Shuwa Arabs are commonly referred to as the “Baggara.” This name is derived from the Arabic word “bagar“, meaning “cow,” and refers to the Arab tribes in West Africa who are cattle herders. They are spread from the Lake Chad region eastward to the Nile River in the countries of Sudan, Niger, Chad, Cameroon, Nigeria, and the Central African Republic.
The Shuwa population in Nigeria is approximately 1million people and they amount to about 90% of the nomadic people in Borno. The Shuwa Arabs are of Arab descent and mainly speak the Shuwa dialect of the Arab language.
Marriages among the Shuwa Arab nomad could be very interesting because the parents usually choose spouses for their children. Parents start searching for a companion to their sons before they attain the age of maturity. The same applies to the females. Matches are made between relatives, particularly between cousins and social equals. There is a general belief among the Shuwa that the practice helps keep wealth (cattle) in the family and dowry is given in cows. They are predominantly Muslims, thereby following the Islamic rites for getting marriage.
4 comments:
AM PROUD TO BE A SHUWA ARAB
Please kindly remove those pictures as it is not in our religion and CULTURE.
Those girls do not look like Shuwas one bit!
Looking for baggara or shuwa Arab girl
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