Originally from the Niger river, Songhai or sonrai people are scattered throughout West Africa mainly in Mali, Niger, Burkina Faso, Nigeria etc…The name Songhai was an historical designation, neither an ethnic nor linguistic one and derived from the Songhay empire. However, some Speakers in Mali have adopted the name Songhay as an ethnic designation. Other Songhay-speaking groups identify themselves by other ethnic terms such as Zarma (or Djerma, the largest subgroup). Although, the correct term used to refer to this group of people collectively by the natives is « Ayneha ».
The dialect of Koyraboro Senni spoken in Gao is unintelligible to speakers of the Zarma dialect of Niger, according to at least one report. The Songhay languages are commonly taken to be Nilo-Saharan but this classification remains controversial. Nicolai considers the Songhay languages as an Afro-Asiatic Berber subgroup or a new subgroup of Semitic languages restructured under Mande and Nilo-Saharan influence, the lexicon of Songhay languages includes many completes lexical fields close to Berbers languages, old and new Semitic, Northern Songhay speakers are Berbers from Tuareg people : Dimmendaal believes that for now it is best considered an independent language family.
The Songhai are the inhabitants of the historic cities of Timbuktu, Djenné, Gao and are the majority population of Niamey, capital of Niger.
The Songhay personalities who have had a great impact on history are the emperors Sunni Ali, Askia Muhammad I and the scholars Ahmad Baba al-Timbukti, Mahmud Kati authors of Tarikh al-Fattash and abd Al Rahman al sa’adi author of Tarikh al-Sudan .
Maïga is a name or title that is extensively found among the Songhai nobility, denoting descent from Askia Muhammad I and Sonni Ali Ber. The name Maiga is a commonly used surname among the Songhai people in Mali, Niger, and other West African countries with a significant Songhai population. Additionally, the name is occasionally used as a given name.
In Niger, the name Maïga is sometimes used interchangeably to refer to the general Songhai identity, rather than just as a title denoting nobility. In this context, it is used as an ethnic designation to refer to individuals who are of Songhai descent.
Ubecating 