The ADARA People popularly called KADARA

The ADARA people are an ethnic group in southern kaduna state of Nigeria who speak the Adara language. They are one of the largest tribes in southern Kaduna and can be found in Kajuru and Kachia local Government areas of southern Kaduna.

With over 400,000 population their major religion is Christianity at 85%. Though a great number of them are found in the eastern part of Minna, Paikoro and Muya Local Governments of Niger State, and the northern part of Abuja, Nigeria’s Federal Capital Territory. Because of their wide spread distribution, the Adara people speak different dialects which include the Adara, Eneje, Ekhwa, Azuwa, Ada, Ajuwa, Azuah or Ajuah dialects.

One of the historical relevance about the Adara people was their architectural system. The Ugarurule and Ebo are huts used for ritual, and objects of ritual importance are stored there. The Ute (clans) always have both and their major segments sometimes have Ugarurule of their own; also the ante-room usually being of little depth and half open like a verandah. Clan Ugarurule are more elaborate and often have a walled ante-room, roughly rectangular in ground-plan with a stout pole supporting the roof in the inner circular room.

Close by the Ugarurule is found the Ekop, or tomb, in which clan members and their wives are buried. All clans have more than one Ekop but there is usually one Ekop close by the Ugarurule. The Adara Ekop is of a type similar to the “decanter-shaped graves” among certain more southerly tribes of Southern Kaduna, such as the Atyap and the Aegworok. It is of no wonder that the German expatriate chose to build the Kajuru Castle in Adara land in 1978.

Among the major occupations of the Adara people are the following:

Clan hunting known as Ehwa is a dry-season activity, undertaken by all initiated community males of a clan under clearly specified leaders;

Pot-making in the dry season is the great craft of women.