-->
Home

About Nzema



The Nzema Language

The Nzema People were not at their present location. The Oral Tradition states that the people who are now referred to as NZEMAS were with the ASHANTI and other Ethnic Groups in a vast Desert then known as the SAHARA DESERT in the Northern part of Africa. The Nzemas and the others lived peacefully together on the Desert.
The oral tradition has it that, in 2000 B.C, some misfortunes started to happen in the desert; a typical example was lack of rains which hitherto was not a problem to them and that made it very difficult for them to get even water to drink, not to mention food and that affected the people greatly. As a result, some of the ethnic groups began to relocate to the Savanna Plains so that they might get access to enough food and water. On the Savanna Plains, the ethnic groups got separated and founded three Empires. The very first to be founded was the Ghana Empire. The next was the Mali Empire and the Songhai Empire was the third or the last one. The Nzemas lived peacefully with the other groups for a fairly long time. In later years, some ARABS who also were looking for some fertile lands for the livestock mounted their camels and horses to attack the people including the Nzemas. Because the people (including the Nzemas) were not using camels and horses the Arabs overpowered them.
Because of the frequent disturbances by the Arabs the people left the Savanna Plains to settle in the Forest Zone to have their peace of mind. They left for the forest zone because the camels and horses being used by the Arabs were not as good in the forest as was on the Plains. The Nzemas amongst the other ethnic groups went on foot to settle further in the deep forest till they arrived in TECHIMAN in the BRONG STATE. They settled and founded another Empire by name BONO EMPIRE. The people were still troubled by several conflicts and some continue to rush to a land not occupied by any other group of people. Those who managed to settle at the current Nzema area were those who came to be known as Nzemas.
The oral tradition indicated that the one who became the first Nzema Chief was known as NANA KEMA KPANYINLI. By that period the Nzemas were not referred to as Nzemas, they were just a group of people. The oral tradition continued to have it that on their way from Techiman in the Brong State, they were moving together with the AHANTA, ANYINLI, EVALOE, AJOMORO and the GWIRA. As said earlier, the Nzemas were not known as such as Nzemas when they began their journey from Techiman (to be explain further).
It is said that the number of the people who began the journey from Techiman kept dwindling in the course of the journey from Techiman. The oral tradition indicated that one of the travelers, after seeing the dwindling nature of the group day after day asked from a colleague: “But the number of our group which started the journey from Techiman kept reducing day after day, what was the reason?” One of the people in the group gave an answer as, ‘Menze-ma.” The origin of the “Menze-ma” was an Anyinli language, meaning “Menze” in Nzema (I do not know). That answer from that person became the name of the group, NZEMA till date.
Another version of the oral tradition says those who are known as Nzemas today were coming from the Sahara Desert they encountered a lot of difficulties on the way. When they arrived at the Savanna Plains they were exhausted. On arrival at Techiman the Arabs attacked them on several occasions and that resulted in their scattering around. On their way from Techiman, whenever they were approached by any group of persons demanding their identity what they told them was simply. “Menze-ma.” They thought by revealing their background to them they would be troubled again. Their response – “Menze-ma” to those demanded their names became their permanent identity as NZEMA.
Another Version of the Story of Nzema



 Another Version of the Story of Nzema (as written by one KWAME AMPENE – ‘Founder of the Guan Historical Society’ ) shows that NZEMA (bounded on the south by the Gulf of Guinea, on the West by the international boundary with La Côte d’Ivoire, on the north by the States of Aowin and Wassa, on the east by Ahanta) forms the south-western corner of Ghana.

The Portuguese who landed on the Nzema coast on the feast-day of St. Apollonia gave the name APPOLLONIA, but in December, 1927, the indigenous name NZEMA was officially re-adopted as the Portuguese name meant little to the inhabitants. (An account provided by C.W Welman- “Native States of the Gold Coast,’ shows that Nzema have a very long history).

There is the problem of firmly establishing the ethnic identity of the nuclear Nzema, including the matter of determining the possible early presence in the area of people speaking Kwa-Akan or Kwa-Guan. However, entries from Provincial Commissioners File, Sekondi, dated 25th October, 1924 indicated that “the Nzema language has an affinity with Aowin dialect and with Gwira, Ajumoro (the dialect of the Apatem village) and Evalue (Axim).” Despite profound dissimilarities and a wide range of variation in their ancestral background, these heterogeneous groups still share a distinctive sub-stratum of cultural and linguistic identity with the Guan –speaking peoples of Ghana after their hiving off from the common ancestral society. Oral traditions among the Nzema are unanimous on the point that their founding ancestors originally lived somewhere along the N’Zi River which runs parallel to the Comoe River in north Côte d’Ivoire. As the autochthonous people along the Comoe River became known as the “Kumbu people” (later Akwamu people), the N’Zi dwellers were nicknamed the N’Zi people, hence Nzi-mba became corrupted into NZIMA.

During this period there were strife and unrest in the neighbouring regions of Kankyeabo and Bouna near the Kong Mountains. For the Mande, at an unknown date and for reasons no longer remembered, invaded the region. They were ferocious fighters who were said to hack their enemies into pieces. This single cataclysmic event, namely the invasion of the autochthonous inhabitants urged the Kumbu (Akwamu) people to migrate southwards to Heman, and were still wending their way through war-ridden territories till they arrived at the coast where they set up their first capital at Nyanawase. Shortly afterwards the Nzi-mba under their great leader called Annor Asaman moved unobtrusively in a south-westernly direction, subsequently settling on the west coast in order to avoid being caught in crossfire. For a time there was a struggle with the people of Krinjabo and others in Côte d’Ivoire for the land lying between the Tano lagoon and the sea, an area which the Nzema had since effectively occupied for the past years. Upon the arrival on the west coast at Ahumazo near the Tano lagoon, there were many shaded tress, so they moved to a place where they found a tall palm tree which didn’t bear fruits and decided to settle there permanently. The new site was accordingly named BEYIN, meaning “tall Palm-tree.” Certainly, the tribal history is dominated by one man who rose to an eminent position from the debris of internecine wars in the far north and finally settled his people at BEYIN. This man was Annor Asaman.

The first formative period of Nzema history really ended in his life-time. By then all the important settlements had been established. Annor Blay Acka might have succeeded the gallant leader, and reigned longer than his predecessor. When he died his brother, Annor Broma I succeeded him; he in turn was succeeded by Bua Panin who became a powerful paramount chief. The next person to rule was Amihere Panin in whose reign, the Fort Beyin was built in 1691 by the Royal African Company at the invitation of the Nzema people. (King Charles II and James, Duke of York, were members of the Company, successor to the defunct Company of Royal Adventures of England. Trading to Africa which promised to send 3,000 slaves a year to America). Before Amihere Panin came to the Stool, he was cultivating on a land where Atuani trees grew. His predecessor permitted him to build a new settlement at the site, and the place was named ATUABO. (“Atuani” is plural). He lived at ATUABO with his followers. After his death, his nephew, Birimponi Kwesi was enstooled (“Birimponi” means paramount chief in Nzema). The elevation apparently increased Beyin’s bitterness and made them more incensed against Atuabo. Tradition further asserts that the Nzema welcomed some refugees from Asante led by Ahini Nobia. After swearing the Oath of Allegiance to Birimponi Kwesi were settled at Abata. Through inter-marriages it came to light that Abini Nobia practiced human sacrifice secretly.

Therefore Abini Nobia was ejected forcibly together with his followers, and they escaped to Mowaso near Grand Basa – a settlement on St. John River in Liberia. Successive Paramount Chiefs were Ezu Ekyi (1700-1741), Annor Braman II (1746 – 1789). Mensah Ohie (1789 -1820), Kamma Panin was followed by his nephew Kweku Acka who preferred to stay at Atuabo where he had been nurtured by a respectable person on a farm land. It was soon detected that King Kweku Acka had tyrannical traits and perverted taste for blood , and therefore chose to stay at Atuabo in order to evade surveillance of the Factor at Fort Beyin. He himself visited the Fort in 1828, and was very popular with the youth who nicknamed him “Nguta” to which he responded “Omi-amenia-ba.” In 1835, a British man-of-war was dispatched to punish King Kweku Acka and his subjects for practising human sacrifices. He remained quiet for some time when Captain Maclean was appointed Judicial Assessor (1843 – 1847). He then resumed the executions whereby he acquired a perversive influence throughout the west coast. The new Governor, Commander Hill, appointed in 1843, threatened to punish him exemplarily for this act of brutality. But with sheer impudence Kweku Acka sent a message to the Governor saying “he would raze Cape Coast Castle to the ground and dine off the Governor’s liver!” There might be some exaggeration in this, but the Governor became enraged and immediately set up a task force against the recalcitrant king. He was captured and imprisoned for life where he died on December 28, 1851. The Governor’s prompt action ultimately restored peace and tranquility in the sub-region.

In appreciation of his services, the Governor made Baiyin who had been instrumental in capturing Kweku Acka, a chief of Atuabo while he was ruling at Atuabo as a sub-chief for the purpose of settling disputes, Kweku Acka’s successor, Amakye, had his seat at Beyin as the overall head of Nzema.

The Atuabo were resentful of this new dispensation since their chiefship had been subordinated to that of Beyin. In about 1867 by a convention between the British and the Dutch merchants Nzema became subjects to Dutch interim administration. As a result, Atuabo in Eastern Nzema decided to break away from the Dutch who sent messengers to ascertain the truth of this move from the Elders of Atuabo. Unfortunately, the messengers were murdered. Immediately a Dutch gun boat went and destroyed Atuabo. Soon afterwards, Avu of Atuabo hastened to Wassa where he managed to solicit the help of some men who accompanied him to fight Amakye at Beyin. When Amakye learnt of Avu’s advance, he also sought help from the Asante who had supported the Dutch move.

Then under the command of Pani Yanna Acka of Nuba, the Western Nzema army marched on, and defeated the Eastern Nzema, killing Avu in the process. Beyin, therefore, gained complete success in the Avu War, 1869. His death gave rise to a more severe and universal wave of persecution of opponents and forced many people to flee into exile to save their skins. In order to maintain peace and tranquility in the sub-region, Nzema was spilt into two separate states under different paramountcies, Beyin became the capital of Western Nzema Traditional Area, while Atuabo remained the capital of Eastern Nzema. The people of the two States who originated from one common stock entered a period of rehabilitation and reform, and have since shown remarkable stability and persistence down the centuries.

On the 29th October, 1969, a century after the Avu War, Count Vinigi Grottaneli, Professor of Ethnology in the university of Rome, Italy, gave a lecture on RESEARCH ON NZEMA TRADITIONAL CULTURE, under the distinguished chairmanship of Prof. J. H. Nketia as part of Museum Lectures. (Credit: KWAME AMPENE – Founder of the Guan Historical Society; publisher – ATETESEM, Waterville Publications, 1978).

Region or location

The Nzemas are found mainly on the Southwestern part of Ghana and on the Southeastern part of La Côte d’Ivoire.

People who speak the language

The Nzemas speak Nzema, but owing to migration in search of jobs many other Ghanaian citizens as well as some foreigners who have lived with the Nzemas for some time do speak Nzema.

The number of people who speak the language

The Nzema population is made up of 328,700 – 262,000 found in the Southwestern Ghana and (66,700 in the Southeast of La Côte d’Ivoire).
CREDIT: Kwame Ampene – Founder of the Guan Historical Society;
        Publisher – ATETESEM, Waterville Publications, 1978).

 Read More About Nzemas