The Kanam isone of the Bantu-speaking peoples of Nigeria.
The Kanam of Nigeria are numbering 3,500 (Peoplegroups.org, 2024) and this people group is only found in Nigeria.
They are classified as part of the Plateau cluster of peoples who occupy central Nigeria. Most Kanams live in Plateau State and are the result of the mixing of Gomei Tal, and Piapung peoples. They are bordered to the north by the Yergan peoples and to the west by the Ngans (Beng).
Their primary language is Koenoem.
The primary religion practiced by the Kanam is animism, a religious worldview that natural physical entities--including animals, plants, and even inanimate objects--possess a spiritual essence.
Most Kanams practice subsistence horticulture, raising ginger, millet, guinea corn, beans, and citrus products.
They live in social systems characterized by patrilineal descent and patrifocal residence. In recent years, they have begun migrating to towns and cities looking for work.
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