Nzam

Nzam is a riverine Igbo town of eight villages in Anambra West, on the Niger; its own account is that its people are Igbo of the place, joined by Igbo migrants from the communities about it.

Nzam is a town in Anambra West local government area of Anambra State, on the Niger. Inoma Akator lies to its north, Mmiata Anam to its east, the river to its west and Umuenwelum Anam to its south. It is about sixteen kilometres from Otuocha and six from the Kogi State boundary.

The town is made up of eight villages: Etakolo, Odobo, Enekpa, Echa, Opkoliba, Urubi, Igeja and Uda. The land is riverine and most of the people farm and fish; yam, cassava, maize and rice are grown in quantity every year.

Its own account of itself is that the Igbo of Nzam descend from the Igbo who were already there and from those of the neighbouring communities: the land was held by earlier Igbo, and Igbo migrants came to outnumber them. Alongside Igbo the town also speaks Igala, because of the trade that has long run up and down the Niger past it; the second language is a matter of the market, not of descent.

Its villages are also said to come from Ayamelum, the Igbo clan of the Anambra valley upstream of it. The villages have separate origins and the town has no single political head over them. Its monarch is the Igwe of Nzam: Igwe John Nwachukwu Ogugua was followed by Igwe Charles Enemali Igwelo, chosen in 2021 after the customary three-year interval.