This paper examines the patterns of socialization and child rearing found among the various ethnic groups in nigeria with a view to identifying lines of symmetry for the promotion of unity and oneness that will engender rapid and sustainable development in the country. The vast majority of the population of northern nigeria identifies as muslim, and is. We can identify at least six 6 major ethnic groups in northern nigeria. Nigeria is africas most populous country and has one of the largest aggregation of ethnic groups in africa.
Nigerian food culture major tribes in nigeria and their. For example, nomadic bedouin tribe must have customs that. Seen from such a perspective, the geologic fact of petroleum not being evenly distributed across nigeria can be a basis for ethnic competition. May 10, 2017 nigeria is made up of several ethnic groups, majority of which are the igbo, hausa and the yoruba. The metals are shipped by rail to port harcourt for export. Among those people are over 250 ethnic groups and tribes, each with their own culture and traditions. There are three major tribes in nigeria, called the hausafulani, igbo, and yoruba. Many ethnic groups and nations of subsaharan africa qualify, although some groups are of a size larger than a tribal society. It is not surprising therefore that the first political parties were formed along ethnic lines. These are the politicians we call them polithiefcians and their cronies who promise to better the lives of the struggling and suffering masses yet they end up looting and pillaging the treasury. Igbo is a language spoken by igbo people of the igbo ethnic group, one of the three major ethnic groups in nigeria.
Ethnic politics and democratic consolidation in nigeria. Whether a member of an ethnic group can be identified by physical. The yoruba people are predominant in the southwest. This is one of the major challenges confronting the advancement of liberal democracy in nigeria since independence. Ethnic groups in africa 1 ethnic groups in africa ethnic groups in africa in 1996 ethnic groups in africa number in the hundreds, each generally having its own language or dialect of a language and culture. These three hegemonic ethnic groups constituted 57. Hausa and fulani 29%, yoruba 21%, igbo ibo 18%, ijaw 10%, kanuri 4%, ibibio 3. Explore the eight largest ethnic groups in nigeria below.
Ethnic groups and conflicts ethnic group means different things to different people. Southeast nigeria is largely christian and is dominated by the igbo ethnic group. Plateau, state, eastcentral nigeria, created in 1976 out of the northern half of former benueplateau state. The tin is smelted just outside jos, the state capital and its largest town. Ethnic politics and effects on national integration nigeria party politics has been characterised by ethnic chauvinism. To the extent that ethnic sentiment is fully introduced in virtually all areas of nigerian political system. However, majority of the population belongs to a few ethnic groups which are known as the major ethnic groups in nigeria hausa, yoruba and igbo. This problem is one of the major qualms confronting the progress of liberal democracy in nigeria since 1960, to the extent that ethnic sentiment has gradually crept in to find a place in every faced of nigerian political activity. Jan 29, 2018 the largest, most populous and politically influenced ethnic group in nigeria. Within these groups, there are minor groups with different languages, culture and lifestyle. The dominant ethnic group in the northern twothirds of the country is the hausa fulani, most of whom are muslim.
The major ethnic groups in this place include the igala people of kogi state, igbira, idoma, tiv, yoruba, gbagyi, nupe, berom, mangu, madaeggon and gwandara. The major ethnic groups are the hausafulani of the. Approximately 80% of the population makes a list of 10 groups, which have a numerical superiority in some states. In terms of nigerias major ethnic groups religious affiliations, the hausa ethnic group in the north is mostly muslim, the yoruba tribe in the west is divided among mainly muslim, christian and traditional religions, while the igbos of the east and the ijaw in the south are predominantly christians catholics and some practitioners of. With that in mind, we should dabble in brief definitions of the major ethnic groups of nigeria. List of all ethnic groups in nigeria and their states. There are about 250 ethnic groups in nigeria, with varying languages, cultures and values. They believe that plants, animals, and trees have souls. Oct 18, 2014 nigeria is a country comprised of over 300 ethnic groups,speaking over 400 languages and probably over dialects. Lets start our list cultural similarities in nigeria with languages. The dominant ethnic group in the northern twothirds of the country is the hausafulani, most of whom are muslim. The largest of the major ethnic groups, hausa and fulani have been politically. Hausa and the ibowho are now apparently locked in grave confrontation. It is bounded by the states of kaduna and bauchi on the north, taraba on the east, and nassarawa on the south and west.
Socialization and child rearing practices among nigerian. This paper expounds such conceptual issues as ethnicity, cultural diversity, federalism and national integration and then presents the historical background to ethnic and cultural conflicts in nigeria. The group is indigenous to the southeastern part of the country, mostly on the eastern side of the niger river, a region considered to be one of the most densely populated regions in the whole of africa. According to the guardian 2, nigeria is the result of a 1914 british colonial decision to lump together more than 250 ethnic groups, differing in culture and social structure. These vary from tales of people descending from the sky to stories of migration from faroff places. If nigeria breaks up today, which is not likely, i do not see an end to the number of countries that will emerge from it. Mar 09, 2020 list of major ethnic groups in nigeria and minority. The tiv people belong to a minor ethnic group in nigeria numbering about six million. Name of ethnic group state abayon cross river state. Each group has its own language and other unique cultural characteristics. One of the major food eaten and common to all ethnic groups in nigeria is jollof and fried rice, a tasty and popular dish prepared with rice a delicacy usually tasted by most tourists or guests who travel into the country. This paper examined ethnic differences in fertility and identified its determinants in nigeria. The country is made up of three major ethnic groups namely. In 1967, the eastern part of the country, dominated by the igbo ethnic group, announced secession under then colonel ojukwu.
Among those people are over 250 ethnic groups and tribes, each with their own culture and traditions, including different languages. They have a rich history associated with their existence. Ethnic disparities in fertility and its determinants in. This article focused on the historical survey of ethnic conflict in the nigerian society and its scope is vast in a way that it stresses the countrys ethnic conflicts beginning from the pre.
The igbo, the main ethnic group in southeastern nigeria, has. For clarity, some major ethnic and religious groups shall be briefly discussed below. Nigeria is a multi ethnic and culturally diverse society that has witnessed conflicts arising from this ethnic and cultural diversity. Full list of all 371 tribes in nigeria, states where they. The north central geopolitical zone in nigeria comprises of 6 states including the federal capital territory abuja making it 7note. Quantitative anthropometric and dermatoglyphic variation of the major ethnic populations in nigeria. Jul 18, 2019 nigeria is found in west africa and borders benin, chad, cameroon, and niger. Ethnic structure, inequality and governance of the public. For the people of the forest belt the largest known peoples are the yoruba and the edo who live in the southwest or western states of nigeria and the igbo, ibibio and ekoi peoples of the southeast or eastern states of nigeria.
Nigerian food culture major tribes in nigeria and their food. Across nigeria, the inability of the police and judiciary to protect citizens has prompted the establishment of vigilante groups and militias by ethnic or religious communities. Actually, much of the material on nigeria has been inspired by the paradigms of the study of ethnicity in the social sciences generally. However,the largest concentration of people of nigeria is found in the middle belt zone,were over 200 small ethnic nationalities occupy. Conceptual elucidation three major concepts shall be considered in this paper. Conventionally, the maguzawa tribe hausa inhabited northwest nigeria kallamu, 20, the igbo. This list may not reflect recent changes learn more. Other major ethnic groups of the north are the nupe, tiv, and kanuri. These are the hausa, the kanembornu, the nupe, the igala, the jukun and the tiv. Issues on nigerian peoples and culture is the title of this book and also one of the general benchmark course requirements of the nuc for undergraduate studies in nigeria. List of all ethnic groups in nigeria and their states over the years, nigeria is said to have about 250 ethnic groups. A group s customs and traditions often come from religion, from where the group lives, or from the demands of daily life. The jos plateau rises to about 5,250 feet 1,600 m above sea level. Full list of all 371 tribes in nigeria, states where they originate.
The culture and tradition of the tiv people is one that is envied by many who come in contact with them. Bali people nigeria bete people nigeria brazilians in nigeria. English official, hausa, yoruba, igbo ibo, fulani, and over 500 additional indigenous languages. Large population and diverse culture, despite this nigeria, stand united. Main page contents featured content current events random article donate to. Moledagbon, ewe, gadangme, gurma, guang, grusi, and mande are some other ethnic communities living in the country. The major focus of this section is to examine ethnic politics and effects it has had on national integration. The major ethnic groups in nigeria the igbo group igbo people are one of the largest ethnic groups in nigeria. The yoruba numbered more than 20 million at the turn of the 21st century. In southwest nigeria, which has large christian and muslim populations, the yoruba is the largest ethnic group. The major focus of this paper is to trace the historical origin, growth and development of ethnicity and the effects it has had on postcolonial governance in nigeria.
They make up 70% of the total population in nigeria. Managing ethnic and cultural diversity for national. Cultural similarities in nigeria and their differences. The culture and tradition of the tiv people of benue state. Nigeria is located in western africa with a population of over 180 million people as of 2016. Individuals who designate themselves as yoruba make up approximately 21% of the population of nigeria. In some colonial territories, for instance nigeria, the strategy of decolonization gave impetus to political ethnicity.
List of ethnic groups in nigeria and their states oasdom. High fertility rate has been consistently reported in nigeria. In the spirit of indirect rule, the major administrative and political units of nigeria were made to coincide with the spatial locations of the three major ethnic groups. Much smaller, scattered groups live in benin and northern togo.
With estimates of their population reaching 67 million, hausa make up approximately 25%. There are three major ethnic groups yoruba, igbo, hausafulani. Based on lingual classification, nigeria is said to have about 250 ethnic groups. Nigeria has about 374 ethnic groups that are broadly divided into ethnic majorities and ethnic. Among all these ethnic groups in nigeria,hausa,igbo and yoruba are the major ethnic groups. Pdf nigeria is a mosaic of many ethnolinguistic groups, some large, many very small indeed, altogether numbering about 250. The major ethnic groups are the hausafulani of the north, the yoruba of the southwest, and the igbo of the southeast. Yoruba, one of the three largest ethnic groups of nigeria, concentrated in the southwestern part of that country. The population is roughly balanced between muslims and christians with a small minority of those who practice indigenous beliefs. The ashantiakan is the largest ethnic community in ghana accounting for 47. Pdf genetic variations among three major ethnic groups in.
Pages in category ethnic groups in nigeria the following 106 pages are in this category, out of 106 total. Christian and muslim populations, the yoruba is the largest ethnic group. Plateau state is the most important mining area in nigeria and is a major exporter of tin and columbite. Pdf a historical survey of ethnic conflict in nigeria. The niger and benue rivers come together in the center of the country, creating a y that splits nigeria into three separate sections. The group s goal is to expel the prevailing political establishment, remove all western influences, and eventually overthrow the national government and establish an islamic state in its place. Today, the number ethnic groups in nigeria counts 250, who preserved their languages and culture. The three major ethnic groups in nigeria are hausa, yoruba, and igbo. Quantitative anthropometric and dermatoglyphic variation of the. Each of the culturally distinct groups in nigeria today is an ethnic group. Another 10 per cent comprises of several other groups numbering more than 1 million members each, including the kanuri, tiv, and ibibio.
In general, this y marks the boundaries of the three major ethnic groups, with the hausa in the north, the yoruba in the southwest, and the igbo in the southeast. Since 2002, the militant group boko haram has embarked on a violent insurgent campaign in northeastern nigeria. Just behind the hausa, the yoruba appears as another influential major ethnic group in nigeria, which covers nearly 21% of the entire nigerian population. Large ethnic group found off the west coast of africa in ghana speak mostly twi as their main language live with extended family members the ashanti religion is a mixture of spiritual and supernatural powers. Just as we have many authors, so we have several definitions of the concept. According to bello 2012 and uka 2008, a foremost reason for adopting the federal system of government in nigeria is to allay the fears of the different ethnic groups about being dominated by. Vigilantism gained a particularly high profile in nigeria s southeastern states when, during the first term of obasanjos. These mostly originate with the sahelian kingdoms of the medieval period, such as that of the igbo of nigeria, deriving from the kingdom of nri 11th century. Ethnic groups in nigeria, their languages and states. The most populous and politically influential include. Would it surprise you to hear that nigeria has more than 300 ethnic groups. The main causes of ethnic and crosscultural religious conflict is a struggle for political supremacy among the major ethnic groups hausa, yoruba and ibo and for access to natural resources mainly oil, as well as the lack of representation of interests of nondominant ethnic groups. A federal government demographic survey in 1976 identified 394 language groups, one put it as high as 400 with the highest density of languages in taraba. Every ethnic group in nigeria has its own stories of where its ancestors came from.
Current situation and major problems paper prepared by abdul raufu mustapha, queen elizabeth house, university of oxford the views expressed in this paper are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of the. The vast majority of the population of northern nigeria identifies as muslim, and is primarily from the hausafulani ethnic group. Nigeria is made up of several ethnic groups, majority of which are the igbo, hausa and the yoruba. Lets start our list cultural similarities in nigeria. While the minority ones are people of different ethnic groups found in the northern. Ethnic sentiment has been one of the factors responsible for most of the inefficiencies and low productivity in nigeria. Ghana is a country with incredible ethnic diversity. In 1960 roughly 100 linguistic and cultural groups were recorded in ghana. Archaeologists have found evidence of neolithic humans who inhabited what is now nigeria as far back as 12,000 b. The three major ethnic groups in nigeria, hausafulani, igbo, and yoruba have different sociocultural identities particularly those that relate to fertility but fertility index is often reported at the national level. Although later censuses placed less emphasis on the ethnic and cultural composition of the population. There are more than 300 nigerian tribes and among the largest include hausafulani, igbo, yoruba, ijaw, kanuri, annang, tiv, ibibio, etsako, and efik.
Culture of nigeria history, people, clothing, traditions. Ethnic conflict and sustainable development in nigeria. Ethnic groups are categories of people characterised by cultural criteria of symbols including language, value systems and normative behaviour, and whose members are anchored in a particular part of the new state territory otite, 1990. Ethnic structure, inequality and governance of the public sector in. Nigeria is said to be a british creation by uniting the various nationalities into a single country today known as the federal republic of nigeria. Nigeria has about 374 ethnic groups that are broadly divided into ethnic majorities and ethnic minorities. List of six geopolitical zones in nigeria and their states. The following is a nonexhaustive list of ethnic groups in nigeria. African ethnic groups and their religions, customs, and traditions africa is made up of 54 different countries and many ethnic groups. At the end of this article, youll be able to decide if that statement is true not. The division of nigeria into three regions in 1946 by richard constitution for administrative convenience was directly associated with the three major ethnic groups yoruba, hausa and igbo. Mar, 2018 ghana is a country with incredible ethnic diversity.
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