The Buduma, who prefer to be called Yedina, are an ethnic group with a fascinating water-centric culture, particularly in the Lake Chad region which borders Nigeria.

Here are the key things to know about the Buduma tribe in Nigeria:

Location and Identity

• Geographic Home: The Buduma inhabit many of the islands of Lake Chad, a region that spans parts of Nigeria, Chad, and Cameroon. In Nigeria, a key base is the town of Doron Baga in the Kukawa local government area.
• Preferred Name: While their neighbors call them Buduma (meaning “people of the grass or reeds,” referring to their habitat), they prefer the name Yedina.
• Population in Nigeria: The Buduma population in Nigeria is relatively small compared to their total global population, estimated at about 5,300 to 6,100.

Culture and Lifestyle

• Primary Occupations: The Buduma are traditionally fishers and cattle-herders (livestock herders). They are often described as “water nomads.”
• Water-Adapted Cattle: They raise a unique breed of cattle with large, hollow horns. These distinctive horns help the cattle float and swim easier when they are transported across the lake. The cattle are primarily used for milk and sacrifice, not commonly for meat.
• Papyrus Reed Culture: Their entire life revolves around the water and the papyrus reeds.
  • Boats: They are renowned for their distinctive papyrus reed boats, which come in different sizes for fishing and transporting families and cattle.
  • Housing: Their lightweight huts are also woven from papyrus reeds, allowing them to be easily lifted and moved to higher ground when the lake’s water level rises.
• Dietary Staples: Their diet is unique in Africa, consisting mainly of fish and cow’s milk. They also gather and grind water lily roots into flour as a dietary supplement, along with some cereals like wheat and millet.
• Skilled Swimmers: Due to their environment, they are excellent and powerful swimmers, learning how to swim, manage boats, and fish from a very young age. They are reportedly able to stay under water for long periods.
• Ethnocentric and Independent: They are known to be fiercely ethnocentric and have a strong desire to preserve their distinct culture. Historically, they have resisted outside influences and are ruled by their own chiefs.

History and Religion

• Historical Reputation: In the past, the Buduma were known for their aggressive reputation and carried out violent raids on the cattle herds of their neighbors. Their isolated island habitat offered them protection from retaliation, allowing them to be left alone for many years. Today, they are described as a peaceful people.
• Historical Context: They are a community that remained distinct and detached during the time of the Kanem-Bornu Empire by establishing themselves in the remote islands of the lake. They are also said to have adopted some aesthetics of the dominant Kanuri culture.
• Religion: The Buduma are overwhelmingly Muslim, though many also incorporate traditional African beliefs and practices into their faith (folk Islam). They believe in a creator god, Kumani, and place faith in priests to appease spirits.
• Language: Their language is Yedina, which belongs to the Afro-Asiatic language family (specifically the Chadic branch).