ZERMA

also spelled Djerma, or Dyerma, also called Zaberma a people of westernmost Niger, including also a few who live in neighbouring areas of Burkina Faso (formerly Upper Volta) and Nigeria. Zerma speak a dialect of Songhai, one of the languages of the Nilo-Saharan family, and are considered to be a branch of the Songhai (q.v.) people. The Zerma live in the arid lands of the Sahel. Many live in the Niger River Valley and exploit the river for irrigation. They grow millet, sorghum, rice, corn (maize), and tobacco and raise cotton and peanuts (groundnuts) as cash crops. Cattle are owned but are given to Fulani (Fulbe) or Tuareg to tend; milk is an important element of the daily diet. Horses are kept by important persons, and in the past the Zerma were skilled cavalrymen. Horses and especially cattle are an important source of wealth for the Zerma, and there has long been a trade pattern whereby cattle are driven south for sale in coastal countries. Niamey, the capital of Niger, and the towns of Dosso and Tillabry are in Zerma territory. For a long time Zerma have migrated to coastal countries, especially to Ghana, in search of work. The Zerma numbered 850,000 in Niger in the late 20th century.