One Adamawa, Many Tribes
The Adamawa Pulse Initiative
Adamawa State is home to many communities, each with their own unique identity, culture, and history. Through the “One Adamawa, Many Tribes” series, the Adamawa Pulse Initiative celebrates this diversity, ensuring that no voice is forgotten.
Today, we highlight the Hwana people, a community whose language and traditions form part of the rich Afro-Asiatic heritage of the state.
The Hwana People: Voices of the Afro-Asiatic Heritage
Location and Distribution
The Hwana people (also known as Hwona, Hona, Tuftera, or Fiterya) are located in Gombi Local Government Area of Adamawa State, Nigeria. Their settlements are mainly concentrated in rural communities around Gombi, where farming and herding form the backbone of daily life.
Language
The Hwana speak the Hwana language, an Afro-Asiatic language belonging to the Chadic branch. The language is part of the wider group of Chadic tongues spoken across northeastern Nigeria, Chad, and Cameroon.
Linguists classify Hwana into several dialects, reflecting the diversity within the community itself. Despite pressures from larger regional languages such as Fulfulde and Hausa, Hwana remains an important marker of identity for the people.
History and Identity
The Hwana people are one of the indigenous ethnic groups of northern Adamawa. Oral traditions trace their settlement in the Gombi area back many centuries, where they lived alongside other Chadic-speaking neighbors.
Over time, they have interacted with larger powers — including the Fulani emirates — yet they have preserved their language and community structures.
Culture and Livelihood
The Hwana are primarily farmers and herders, cultivating staple crops such as millet, sorghum, and groundnuts. Cattle and goats also form an important part of their economy and social life.
Culturally, the Hwana maintain traditional ceremonies tied to farming cycles, initiation, and marriage, though Christianity and Islam have also become widespread within the community.
Religion
Historically, the Hwana practiced traditional beliefs, centered on nature spirits and ancestral reverence. Today, both Christianity and Islam have spread among the people, but traditional practices continue to influence their worldview and communal life.
Conclusion: Guardians of Language and Tradition
The Hwana people of Gombi stand out for their place within the Afro-Asiatic (Chadic) language family, linking them to a wider history beyond Adamawa. Through their language, farming traditions, and resilience, they continue to play a vital role in the cultural mosaic of the state.
Because one Adamawa, many tribes — one pulse.
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