Facts about Ekoi Ethnic Group

Ekoi is a tribe of people who live in extreme southeastern Nigeria and expand eastward into Cameroon. Many ethnic groups speak Ekoid Bantu languages, including the Atam, Boki, Mbembe, Ufia, and Yako.

The Ekoi live near the Efiks in southeastern Nigeria, where they claim to have come from the north. The people of Kwa, near Calabar, claim to have been the first Ekoi to move from the north.

The Ekoi believe that the land belongs to the heirs of the first settler; while newcomers are not permitted to purchase property, they are permitted to purchase settlement rights.

Traditionally, Ekoi males hunted, while women worked in agriculture, cultivating yams, plantains, and corn (maize). Both men and women fish and both men and women weave.

Obassi Osaw, the sky deity, and Obassi Nsi, the soil god, are the two main traditional Ekoi deities. Ekoi worship also emphasizes ancestors and natural forces.