İn olden days,many Igbos commonly refer to Equatorial Guinea as ‘Panya,’ although the true ‘panya’ is not indigenous to Africa. ‘Panya’ is the Igbo pronunciation for ‘España,’ meaning Spain (as termed by Spaniards for their country). Equatorial Guinea earned the moniker ‘Panya’ due to its historical status as a former Spanish colony.
Additionally, Igbos use the term ‘Pọtọkiri’ or ‘Pọtọki’ to refer to the Portuguese. They were the first white men with whom Igbos had contact, engaging in limited trade with them.
Igbos had their first known contact with the Portuguese around the early 15th century, primarily through exploration and trade activities along the coast of West Africa. The exact year can vary, but it is generally considered to be during the era of Portuguese exploration in the late 1400 century.
– Español = Pronounced Espanyál = ‘Panya’
– Portuguese = ‘Potokiri’
– Fernando Po = ‘Farandapo’
All these terms are associated with the Portuguese and the Portuguese Island, now known as Equatorial Guinea.
