Afizere

thumb|Afizere people of Plteu, Nigeria The Afizere people (Other: Afizarek, exonym: Jarawa) are an ethnic group in Nigeria that occupy Jos East, Jos North, parts of Jos South and Mangu Local Government Areas of Plateau State and parts of Toro and Tafawa Balewa Local Government Areas of Bauchi State, Nigeria. The Afizere are speakers of Izere language. The neighbors of the Afizere to the north are the Hausa and Jarawan Dass. To the east and southeast are the Zari, Zaar and Pyem. To the south and southwest are the Berom while the Irigwe and Bache (or Rukuba) lie to the west. Northwest of the Afizere are many ethnic groups, the closest of which are the Anaguta, Bujel, Ribina, Kayauri and Duguza; more distant ones include Buji, Gusu, Sanga, Jere, Amoa, and Lemoro.

==Settlement== The Afizere previously settled in the Chawai region of southern Kaduna State. Over time, some Afizere groups moved southwards. The first group from Southern Kaduna settled at the foot of the hills called Gwash close to the current location of the Jos Museum and others settled at the foot of Shere Hills in the Jos Plateau. Afizere clans settled southwards of Chawai lands. More than 500,000 Afizere people, distributed over 16 major traditional districts, inhabit territories within Jos North, Jos East, Mangu, in Plateau State and Tafawa-Balewa and Toro Local Government Areas in Bauchi State. During the pre-colonial period, the people lived in hilly terrains surrounding the Jos Plateau as a defense mechanism against jihadist attacks during and after the Fulani Jihad. Afizere towns and villages include Dong, Tudun Wada (Gyese), Kabong, Jos Jarawa, Rikkos, Fudawa, Kwanga, Fobur, Angware, Maijuju, Fusa, and Gwafan (Lamingo), Shere, Zandi, etc.