Kiong language

Kiong, or Kayon, is a nearly extinct Upper Cross River language of Nigeria. Okoyong speakers of the Kiong language are geographically located in the Odukpani and Akamkpa region of Cross River State. The Okoyong Community stands within latitude 04^o57, North and longitude 08^o20’East (Asuquo, 1981). Okoyong is bounded to the west by River Cross; to the East by the Calabar River and Oban; to the North by Mbiabo and to the south by Esuk Mbat in Odukpani. The villages of Okoyong people include; Esuk Ekom, Usung Esuk, Ifako, Oboroko, Usung Ikoneto, Obot Akpang, Afaha, Okut Ikang, Obot Ukpa, Ndoduo, Ekong Atan Oko, Nyakasang, Okoyong Usang Abasi, Akimakim, Ekori, Ekenge, Utan Okpo, Ikot Effiong Otop, Ikot Offiong Ebe, Usung Urua, Usung Odot, Inua Akpa, Akankpa, Ndon Nwong, Akpap, Uba Mbat and Ndonyam. (Asuquo, 1981). The alternative names for Okoyong includes; Okoiyang, Oyoniyang, Okonyong, and Äkäyöñ. they have a population of 570 as at 2014 (Ethnologue, 2017). The current map of the Okoyong community can be seen in figure 1 and figure 2, showing the Okoyong area in extending to the Cameroun and the Okoyong area in Cross River state respectively.[4]

Historically, the Okoyong people are believed to have originated from the Bantu race of South Africa, and had migrated through Central Africa westwards; through Cameroun to settle in Nigeria, as shown in figure 4 below (Asuquo, 1981). This is illustrated in figure 3 which shows their location in the Korup community in Cameroun. The Okoyong people started their movement towards the north, from Batanga in the 1400s, through to Cameroun, specifically Kituk in the 1500s. He also said they went through Lake Victoria and landed at Akamkpa area close to the border of Cameroun in the 1700s and finally to their current location in the 1900s ([5]).