The Butawa (also known as Butu-Ningi) are a small ethnic group primarily located in Northern Nigeria. They are one of the numerous tribes of Bauchi State.

Here are the key things to know about the Butawa people:

1. Location and Demographics

• Primary Location: They are mainly found in the Ningi plateau region of Bauchi State, Nigeria.
• Other Settlements: Some Butawa people have also settled in areas bordering Bauchi, such as in what was formerly Kano Province (now Kano State).
• Capital: Their capital is considered to be Burra in the Ningi area, where they have lived for many generations.
• Bauchi State Tribe: The Butawa are listed as one of the 55 tribal groups in Bauchi State, alongside others like the Hausa, Fulani, Warjawa, and Bolewa.

2. Language and Cultural Assimilation (Language Shift)

• Traditional Language: Their ancestral language is called Gamo-Ningi (or Ningawa), which belongs to the East Kainji branch of the Niger-Congo language family.
• Language Status: The traditional Butawa language is critically endangered or nearly extinct.
• Dominant Language: Most Butawa people today primarily speak Hausa, which is the lingua franca of Northern Nigeria. This language shift reflects a high degree of cultural assimilation with their larger Hausa and Kanuri neighbors.
• Cultural Trends: There is an ongoing trend of the Butawa increasingly adopting the customs, dress, and festivals of the dominant Hausa and Kanuri cultures.

3. Religion

• Primary Religion: The majority of the Butawa people practice Folk Islam.
• Folk Islam: This is a syncretistic belief system that combines traditional Islamic elements with indigenous practices, such as the use of magic amulets or incantations to ward off spirits.
• Influence: This religious profile is a direct result of the strong and historical Islamic influence from their Hausa and Kanuri neighbors in Northern Nigeria.

4. General Culture and Occupations (Shared Bauchi Culture)

Since detailed information specific only to the Butawa traditions is scarce due to assimilation, their general culture often aligns with that of the central region of Bauchi State, which is characterized by:

• Occupations: Shared traditional occupations in the region include farming and craft production.
• Arts and Crafts: Bauchi State is renowned for its leather works (pouffes, bags, footwear), pottery, metal works (agricultural tools, weaponry), and highly skilled embroidery on caps and gowns (like the babbanriga).
• Festivals: They are part of the cultural sphere that features popular traditional events like:
  • Durbar Festival: A grand spectacle featuring parades of beautifully decorated horses and displays of horsemanship, often held after Eid prayers.
  • Traditional Sports: Traditional wrestling (Kokowa) and traditional boxing (Dambe).