The Nzem Berom festival, which hasn’t been celebrated for over 8 years due to the security challenges affecting the state, witnessed a massive influx of Nigerians both near and far.
The Berom (sometimes also spelt as Birom) people are an indigenous ethnic group of the Jos Plateau in Nigeria. Within Plateau State, they are concentrated mostly in the local government areas of, Jos South, Jos North, Barkin Ladi (Gwol), and Riyom, with pockets of their population found in Jos East, Mangu and Bokkos local government areas of Plateau State and Sanga local government area of Kaduna State.The Berom are neighbours, to the north with Anaguta and Anabuze (Buji), the Afizere to the north-east, Bacce (Rukuba) and Irigwe (Miango) to the north-west, to the south-west they share boundary with the A ten and Takad, to the south are the Ron and Kulere, while to the south-east of the state, their share boundary with Mwaghavul, all in Plateau State.
Some versions of Berom history hold that, the Berom are autochthonous to the Plateau area, implying that there is no known migration of the Berom from anywhere.However, some versions believe that some migration occurred from the North African sub-region through Niger Republic, Sokoto and subsequently to the Jos Plateau.The Berom people are predominantly agrarian, cultivating crops such as Fanio (Acha), maize, millet, Irish/sweet potatoes, guinea corn among others.
Among the popular Berom festivals and rites are Mandieng, Vwana, Badu’u, Nshok, Ngasang among others.To a large extent, these festivals celebrate crop harvest, hunting expeditions, circumcision and the onset of the rains; and the festivals are usually celebrated between November and April every year.However, the Berom Educational and Cultural Organization (BECO), instituted Nzem Berom in 1981 as a unifying cultural festival of the Berom, to be celebrated centrally in Jos and the festival is held every April of the year.
Emergency Number: 112 
