Enugu

Enugu takes its name from the Igbo words for the top of a hill, in the country of the Udi uplands. Communities of Enugwu-Ngwo occupied the high ground, while Ogui and other Nike villages lay toward the lower country. Their lands formed part of northern Igboland, where neighboring communities preserved distinct institutions and histories. Nike traditions also recall a prominent place in the trade in enslaved people before British rule, a commerce that linked this inland country with other parts of the region.