Nigerians

Last updated
Nigerians
Map of the Nigerian Diaspora in the World.svg
Regions with significant populations
Flag of Nigeria.svg  Nigeria 227,062,427 (2024 est.) [1]
Flag of Benin.svg  Benin 6,000,000 [2]
Flag of Cameroon.svg  Cameroon 4,000,000 [3]
Flag of the United States.svg  United States 461,895 [4]
Flag of the United Kingdom.svg  United Kingdom 312,000 (2021) [5]
Flag of Niger.svg  Niger 155,000 [6]
Flag of Canada (Pantone).svg  Canada 111,465 [7]
Flag of Italy.svg  Italy 106,069 [8]
Flag of Germany.svg  Germany 100,000 [9]
Flag of Brazil.svg  Brazil 4,000 [6]
Flag of Chad.svg  Chad 88,000
Flag of Ghana.svg  Ghana 77,000 [10]
Flag of the Central African Republic.svg  Central African Republic 60,000
Flag of Chile.svg  Chile 60,000 [6]
Flag of Spain.svg  Spain 60,000 [11]
Flag of Mexico.svg  Mexico 50,000 [6]
Flag of Cote d'Ivoire.svg  Ivory Coast 44,791 [12]
Flag of South Africa.svg  South Africa 36,500+ [13]
Flag of Togo.svg  Togo 32,000 [6]
Flag of Gabon.svg  Gabon 24,000 [6]
Flag of the Netherlands.svg  Netherlands 20,000 [6]
Flag of Austria.svg  Austria 19,286 [14]
Flag of Ireland.svg  Ireland 16,300 [15]
Flag of Sweden.svg  Sweden 6,000 [6]
Flag of Burkina Faso.svg  Burkina Faso 5,000 [6]
Flag of Liberia.svg  Liberia 4,000 [6]
Flag of Finland.svg  Finland 3,000 [6]
Flag of Australia (converted).svg  Australia 4,519 [16]
Flag of Greece.svg  Greece 3,000 [17]
Flag of Japan.svg  Japan 3,000 [6]
Flag of Norway.svg  Norway 1,780 [18]
Flag of Belgium (civil).svg  Belgium 1,636 [14]
Flag of France.svg  France 1,425 [14]
Flag of India.svg  India 1,000 [6]
Flag of Mali.svg  Mali 4,000 [6]
Flag of Mozambique.svg  Mozambique 5,000 [6]
Flag of Senegal.svg  Senegal 2,000 [6]
Languages
Nigerian English, regional languages
Religion
Islam, Christianity, Traditional African religions

Nigerians or the Nigerian people are citizens of Nigeria or people with ancestry from Nigeria. [19] The name Nigeria was derived from the Niger River running through the country. This name was allegedly coined in the late 19th century by British journalist Flora Shaw, who later married Baron Frederick Lugard, a British colonial administrator. [20] Nigeria is composed of various ethnic groups and cultures and the term Nigerian refers to a citizenship-based civic nationality. [19] Nigerians are derived from over 250 ethno-linguistic groups. [21] Though there are multiple ethnic groups in Nigeria, economic factors result in significant mobility of Nigerians of multiple ethnic and religious backgrounds to reside in territories in Nigeria that are outside their ethnic or religious background, resulting in the mixing of the various ethnic and religious groups, especially in Nigeria's cities. [22] The English language is the lingua franca of Nigerians. [23] Nigeria is divided roughly in half between Muslims, who live mostly in the north, and Christians, who live mostly in the south; indigenous religions, such as those native to the Igbo and Yoruba ethnicities, are in the minority. [24]

Contents

Ethnicity

Nigerians come from multiple ethnic, cultural and religious backgrounds as the founding of Nigeria was the outcome of a colonial creation by the British Empire. [23]

History

There have been several major historical kingdoms and states in Nigeria that have influenced Nigerian society through their kings and their legal and taxation systems, and the use of religion to legitimize the power of the king and to unite the people. [25] Northern Nigeria has been culturally influenced by Islam, including several major historic Islamic states in the region. [25] The Songhai Empire, Kanem-Bornu Empire and the Sokoto Caliphate were major historical Islamic states in northern Nigeria. [25] Southern Nigeria historically held several powerful states, including the Benin Empire and Oyo Empire, and Aro Confederacy. [25]

Culture

Nigerian culture was profoundly affected by the British colonial rule. [26] Such as British colonial authority's denouncement and attacks upon polygamy, trial by ordeal, and certain types of sacrifices. [26] At the same time, British colonial authorities maintained and promoted traditional Nigerian culture that strengthened colonial administration. [26] The British spread Christianity throughout southern Nigeria and Christian missionaries assisted British authorities in establishing a Western-style education system in Nigeria that resulted in the teaching of English language in Nigeria and its subsequent adoption as Nigeria's main language. [26] The British replaced unpaid household labor with wage labour. [26] Prior to colonisation in the twentieth century, Nigeria's tribes usually possessed the land as a community, such that land could not be bought or sold. [21] Colonisation brought the notion of individuals owning land and the commercialisation of land began. [21]

In Nigeria, more than fifty percent of Nigerians live in villages of two different types: the first type used by the Igbo and Tiv involves a collection of dispersed compounds while the second type used amongst the Hausa-Fulani, Yoruba, and Kanuri involves nuclei of compounds. [27] These villages compose members of the ethnicity-related through ancestry as well as strangers who have been assimilated into the ethnicity. [27] Since the time prior to colonisation to the present it has been a common practice of Nigeria's tribes to adopt strangers into the tribes. [21] A male elder in the community commonly serves as a village chief or Baale. [27]

In the large cities of Nigeria, there is a substantial intermingling of Nigerians with foreigners, especially Europeans, Lebanese, and Indians. [22] The economic importance of Nigeria's cities has resulted in migrations of people from their traditional ethnic or cultural homeland to cities outside those territories. [22] Igbo, Hausa-Fulani and Ibibio people have commonly migrated to Lagos and many southerners migrate to the north to trade or work while a number of northern seasonal workers and small-scale entrepreneurs go to the south. [22]

Religion

There are two main religions in Nigeria, which are Christianity and Islam, they have both made significant impact on the making of African societies, and played significant roles in such a multi-religious country like Nigeria [28] . There are also other religions practiced in Nigeria. [29]

Sectarianism

Ethnic, religious, and regional disputes and tensions have commonly divided Nigerians on political issues. [30] In particular, cultural and political divisions between the Muslim north and the Christian south has politicised religion and caused significant political disputes in Nigeria. [30] Ethnic-motivated and religious-motivated violence by extremists has increased these tensions as well. [23]

However, despite instances of extremism, most Nigerians continue to peacefully coexist, and a common Nigerian identity has been fostered amongst the more educated and affluent Nigerians as well as with the many Nigerians who leave small homogeneous ethnic communities to seek economic opportunities in the cities where the population is ethnically mixed. [23] Although there are cultural divisions amongst Nigerians, the English language is commonly used as their primary language. [23] Also, most Nigerians share a strong commitment to individual liberties and democracy. [23] Even during periods of military rule, such military governments were pressured to maintain democratic stances by the Nigerian people. [23] Nigeria's political figures are commonly known as multiple indigenous languages outside their own indigenous language. [23]

See also

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">History of Nigeria</span> Country in West Africa

The history of Nigeria can be traced to the earliest inhabitants whose remains date from at least 13,000 BC through early civilizations such as the Nok culture which began around 1500 BC. Numerous ancient African civilizations settled in the region that is known today as Nigeria, such as the Kingdom of Nri, the Benin Empire, and the Oyo Empire. Islam reached Nigeria through the Bornu Empire between and Hausa Kingdom during the 11th century, while Christianity came to Nigeria in the 15th century through Augustinian and Capuchin monks from Portugal to the Kingdom of Warri. The Songhai Empire also occupied part of the region. Through contact with Europeans, early harbour towns such as Calabar, Badagry and Bonny emerged along the coast after 1480, which did business in the transatlantic slave trade, among other things. Conflicts in the hinterland, such as the civil war in the Oyo Empire, meant that new enslaved people were constantly being "supplied".

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Igbo people</span> Ethnic group in Southern Nigeria

The Igbo people are an ethnic group in Nigeria. They are primarily found in Abia, Anambra, Ebonyi, Enugu, and Imo States. A sizable Igbo population is also found in Delta and Rivers States. Ethnic Igbo populations are found in Cameroon, Gabon, and Equatorial Guinea, as migrants as well as outside Africa. There has been much speculation about the origins of the Igbo people, which are largely unknown. Geographically, the Igbo homeland is divided into two unequal sections by the Niger River—an eastern and a western section. The Igbo people are one of the largest ethnic groups in Africa.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Culture of Nigeria</span> Overview of Nigerian culture

The culture of Nigeria is shaped by Nigeria's multiple ethnic groups. The country has 527 languages, seven of which are extinct. Nigeria also has over 1150 dialects and ethnic groups. The three largest ethnic groups are the Hausas that are predominantly in the north, the Yorubas who predominate in the southwest, and the Igbos in the southeast. There are many other ethnic groups with sizeable populations across the different parts of the country. The Kanuri people are located in the northeast part of Nigeria, the Tiv people of north central and the Efik-Ibibio are in the south South. The Bini people are most frequent in the region between Yorubaland and Igboland.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Igboland</span> Cultural region in Nigeria

Igboland, also known as Southeastern Nigeria, is the indigenous homeland of the Igbo people. It is a cultural and common linguistic region in southern Nigeria. Geographically, it is divided into two sections by the lower Niger River: an eastern and a western one. Its population is characterised by the diverse Igbo culture and the speakers of equally diverse Igbo languages.

Nigerian Americans are Americans who are of Nigerian ancestry. The number of Nigerian immigrants residing in the United States is rapidly growing, expanding from a small 1980 population of 25,000. The 2022 American Community Survey (ACS) estimated that 712,294 residents of the U.S.A were of Nigerian ancestry. The 2019 ACS further estimated that around 392,811 of these (85%) had been born in Nigeria. Which puts the total Nigerian American population a little over 400,000.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Languages of Nigeria</span> Languages of the country and its peoples

There are over 525 native languages spoken in Nigeria. The official language and most widely spoken lingua franca is English, which was the language of Colonial Nigeria. Nigerian Pidgin – an English-based creole – is spoken by over 60 million people.

Oyinbo is an early Yoruba word used to refer to Caucasians. In the 1470s, the first Portuguese birth occurred in Eko, in Yorubaland, later called Lagos. The word was first used by the Yoruba to describe the Portuguese. It would later extend to all Europeans. Many years later, the word became used for anyone influenced by European tradition, customs, and culture, especially once-enslaved returnees. Oyinbo is generally used to refer to a person of European descent, African perceived not to be culturally Yoruba, or to people of the Human race who are light-skinned. The word is generally understood by most Nigerians and many other Africans.

The Middle Belt or Central Nigeria is a term used in human geography to designate a belt region stretching across central Nigeria longitudinally and forming a transition zone between Northern and Southern Nigeria. It is composed of the southern half of the defunct Northern Region of Nigeria, now comprising mostly the North Central and parts of the North East and North West geopolitical zones, and is characterised by its lack of a clear majority ethnic group. It is also the location of Nigeria's Federal Capital Territory.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">History of Nigeria (1500–1800)</span> Aspect of Nigerian history

The history of the territories which since ca. 1900 have been known under the name of Nigeria during the pre-colonial period was dominated by several powerful West African kingdoms or empires, such as the Oyo Empire and the Islamic Kanem-Bornu Empire in the northeast, and the Igbo kingdom of Onitsha in the southeast and various Hausa-Fulani kingdoms.

Ernest Sissei Ikoli (1893–1960) was a Nigerian politician, nationalist and pioneering journalist; he was the first editor of the Daily Times. He was the president of the Nigerian Youth Movement and in 1942, represented Lagos in the Legislative Council.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Timeline of Nigerian history</span> Timeline of notable events in the history of Nigeria

This is a timeline of Nigerian history, comprising important legal and territorial changes and political events in Nigeria and its predecessor states. To read about the background to these events, see History of Nigeria. See also the list of heads of state of Nigeria.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Hausa people</span> Ethnic group in West Africa

The Hausa are a native ethnic group in West Africa. They speak the Hausa language, which is the second most spoken language after Arabic in the Afro-Asiatic language family. The Hausa are a culturally homogeneous people based primarily in the Sahelian and the sparse savanna areas of southern Niger and northern Nigeria respectively, numbering around 86 million people, with significant populations in Benin, Cameroon, Ivory Coast, Chad, Central African Republic, Togo, Ghana, as well as smaller populations in Sudan, Eritrea, Equatorial Guinea, Gabon, Senegal, Gambia. Predominantly Hausa-speaking communities are scattered throughout West Africa and on the traditional Hajj route north and east traversing the Sahara, with an especially large population in and around the town of Agadez. Other Hausa have also moved to large coastal cities in the region such as Lagos, Port Harcourt, Accra, Abidjan, Banjul and Cotonou as well as to parts of North Africa such as Libya over the course of the last 500 years. The Hausa traditionally live in small villages as well as in precolonial towns and cities where they grow crops, raise livestock including cattle as well as engage in trade, both local and long distance across Africa. They speak the Hausa language, an Afro-Asiatic language of the Chadic group. The Hausa aristocracy had historically developed an equestrian based culture. Still a status symbol of the traditional nobility in Hausa society, the horse still features in the Eid day celebrations, known as Ranar Sallah. Daura is the cultural center of the Hausa people. The town predates all the other major Hausa towns in tradition and culture.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sabon Gari</span>

A Sabon Gari is a section of cities and town in Northern Nigeria South Central Niger and Northern Cameroon whose residents are not indigenous to Hausa lands.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Anti-Igbo sentiment</span> Ideology

Anti-Igbo sentiment encompasses a range of negative attitudes and feelings towards the Igbo people. The Igbo people make up all of south-eastern Nigeria and a part of south-south Nigeria's geopolitical zones. Igbophobia is observable in critical and hostile behaviour such as political and religious discrimination and violence towards the Igbo.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Yoruba people</span> Ethnic group in West Africa

The Yoruba people are a West African ethnic group who mainly inhabit parts of Nigeria, Benin, and Togo. The areas of these countries primarily inhabited by the Yoruba are often collectively referred to as Yorubaland. The Yoruba constitute more than 48 million people in Africa, are over a million outside the continent, and bear further representation among members of the African diaspora. The vast majority of the Yoruba population is today within the country of Nigeria, where they make up 20.7% of the country's population according to Ethnologue estimations, making them one of the largest ethnic groups in Africa. Most Yoruba people speak the Yoruba language, which is the Niger-Congo language with the largest number of native or L1 speakers.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Toyin Falola</span> Nigerian historian (born 1953)

Toyin Omoyeni Falola is a Nigerian historian and professor of African Studies. Falola is a Fellow of the Historical Society of Nigeria and of the Nigerian Academy of Letters, and has served as the president of the African Studies Association. He is currently the Jacob and Frances Sanger Mossiker Chair in the Humanities at the University of Texas at Austin.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Nigerian nationalism</span>

Nigerian nationalism asserts that Nigerians as a nation should promote the cultural unity of Nigerians. Nigerian nationalism is territorial nationalism and emphasizes a cultural connection of the people to the land, particularly the Niger and the Benue Rivers. It first emerged in the 1920s under the influence of Herbert Macaulay, who is considered to be the founder of Nigerian nationalism. It was founded because of the belief in the necessity for the people living in the British colony of Nigeria of multiple backgrounds to unite as one people to be able to resist colonialism. The people of Nigeria came together as they recognized the discrepancies of British policy. "The problem of ethnic nationalism in Nigeria came with the advent of colonialism. This happened when disparate, autonomous, heterogeneous and sub-national groups were merged to form a nation. Again, the colonialists created structural imbalances within the nation in terms of socio-economic projects, social development and establishment of administrative centres. This imbalance deepened the antipathies between the various ethnic nationalities in Nigeria ." The Nigerian nationalists' goal of achieving an independent sovereign state of Nigeria was achieved in 1960 when Nigeria declared its independence and British colonial rule ended. Nigeria's government has sought to unify the various peoples and regions of Nigeria since the country's independence in 1960.

Yoruba Americans are Americans of Yoruba descent. The Yoruba people are a West African ethnic group that predominantly inhabits southwestern Nigeria, with smaller indigenous communities in Benin and Togo.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Saro people</span> Freed slaves who migrated to Nigeria

The Saro, or Nigerian Creoles of the 19th and early 20th centuries, were Africans that were emancipated and initially resettled in Freetown, Sierra Leone by the Royal Navy, which, with the West Africa Squadron, enforced the abolition of the international slave trade after the British Parliament passed the Slave Trade Act 1807. Those freedmen who migrated back to Nigeria from Sierra Leone, over several generations starting from the 1830s, became known locally as Saro(elided form of Sierra Leone, from the Yoruba sàró). Consequently, the Saro are culturally descended from Sierra Leone Creoles, with ancestral roots to the Yoruba people of Nigeria.

The colonization of the West African region that lies across the Niger took place between the mid 19th century to 1960 when Nigeria became recognized as an independent nation. This systemic invasion introduced new social, economic, and political structures that significantly altered Indigenous notions of gender fluidity and gender roles. The imposition of Western ideologies and patriarchal systems impacted the pre-existing gender dynamics, leading to shifts in power relations, societal expectations, and individual identities and expressions, becoming a complex interplay between colonial influence and Indigenous cultural practices. European colonial powers introduced legal frameworks that often reinforced patriarchal structures and diminished the recognition of Indigenous practices that embraced gender diversity. The imposition of Western legal systems had lasting consequences, influencing inheritance laws, property rights, and marital practices. This not only marginalized women within the legal framework but also eroded the traditional roles of certain societies where women held significant economic and political power. The juxtaposition of colonial legal norms with Indigenous customs created tension and reshaped the social fabric, contributing to the evolving landscape of gender roles and fluidity in Nigerian cultures. This impact of colonial legal systems and educational structures interacted with the diverse cultural landscapes of Nigeria, affecting communities in distinct ways. The consequences of colonial impositions on legal frameworks and educational curricula were filtered through the lenses of diverse cultural contexts, shaping unique challenges and opportunities for different ethnic groups.

References

  1. ↑ "The World Factbook" . Retrieved 4 January 2023.
  2. ↑ "EXCLUSIVE: As Benin Republic clocks 53: Over 6m Nigerians live in former Dahomey, 200 in jails but Amb Obisakin says 'Nigeria is a power here, there's no doubt about it'". sunnewsonline.com. Archived from the original on 2013-10-12.
  3. ↑ Mark D. DeLancey, Rebecca Neh Mbuh. Historical Dictionary of the Republic of Cameroon. Scarecrow Press, 2010. p. 283.
  4. ↑ ACS, 2019
  5. ↑ "Population of the United Kingdom by country of birth and nationality, July 2020 to June 2021". ons.gov.uk. Office for National Statistics. Archived from the original on 3 January 2024. Retrieved 5 February 2023..
  6. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 "Immigrant and Emigrant Populations by Country of Origin and Destination". migrationpolicy.org. February 10, 2014.
  7. ↑ "Immigrant status and period of immigration by place of birth and citizenship: Canada, provinces and territories and census metropolitan areas with parts". Statistics Canada. Statistics Canada Statistique Canada. 7 May 2021. Retrieved 3 January 2023.
  8. ↑ "BILANCIO DEMOGRAFICO NAZIONALE" (PDF). Directorate for social statistics and population census Istat – National Institute of Statistics. p. 10.
  9. ↑ mevans, Bild: istockphoto com /. "Demographie". Statista.
  10. ↑ Maguire, Ken (30 May 2010). "Nigerians fight bad reps in Ghana" . Retrieved 6 January 2016.
  11. ↑ "Immigrant and Emigrant Populations by Country of Origin and Destination". migrationpolicy.org. February 10, 2014.
  12. ↑ Nigeria - International emigrant stock
  13. ↑ "Nigerians in South Africa" (PDF). www.migration.org.za. 2017. Retrieved 2020-04-28.
  14. 1 2 3 "Bevölkerung nach Staatsangehörigkeit und Geburtsland". Statistik Austria. Retrieved 18 March 2015.
  15. ↑ McFadyen 2008, p. 55
  16. ↑ "Australian Government Department of Immigration and Border Protection" (PDF). immi.gov.au. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2013-10-12. Retrieved 2013-10-05.
  17. ↑ "AthensNews onLine SEARCH". Archived from the original on 2009-02-12. Retrieved 2013-10-05.
  18. ↑ "Innvandrere og norskfødte med innvandrerforeldre - Tabeller - SSB" . Retrieved 18 March 2015.
  19. 1 2 Gordon, April A. (2003). Nigeria's diverse peoples: a reference sourcebook. Ethnic diversity within nations. Santa Barbara, California, USA: ABC-CLIO, Inc. p. 233. ISBN   1576076822.
  20. ↑ "History – Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Nigeria" . Retrieved 2023-06-01.
  21. 1 2 3 4 Toyin Falola. Culture and Customs of Nigeria. Westport, Connecticut, USA: Greenwood Press, 2001. p. 4.
  22. 1 2 3 4 Toyin Falola. Culture and Customs of Nigeria. Westport, Connecticut, USA: Greenwood Press, 2001. p. 8.
  23. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 April A. Gordon. Nigeria's Diverse Peoples: A Reference Sourcebook. Santa Barbara, California, USA: ABC-CLIO, 2003. p. 233.
  24. ↑ "Nigeria Fact Sheet" (PDF). United States Embassy in Nigeria. Archived from the original (PDF) on 18 October 2020. Retrieved 23 September 2018.
  25. 1 2 3 4 Toyin Falola. Culture and Customs of Nigeria. Westport, Connecticut, USA: Greenwood Press, 2001. pp. 15-16.
  26. 1 2 3 4 5 Toyin Falola. Culture and Customs of Nigeria. Westport, Connecticut, USA: Greenwood Press, 2001. p. 18.
  27. 1 2 3 Toyin Falola. Culture and Customs of Nigeria. Westport, Connecticut, USA: Greenwood Press, 2001. p. 6.
  28. ↑ Korieh, Chima J. (2018-01-14). "Olufemi Vaughan. Religion and the Making of Nigeria. Duke University Press, 2016. xi + 336 pp. Notes. Bibliography. Index. $94.95. Cloth. ISBN: 978-0-8223-6206-7. $25.95. Paperback. ISBN: 978-0-8223-6227-2". African Studies Review. 61 (1): 274–275. doi:10.1017/asr.2017.140. ISSN   0002-0206.
  29. 1 2 3 4 "The World Factbook". Central Intelligence Agency. Retrieved 4 December 2023.
  30. 1 2 April A. Gordon. Nigeria's Diverse Peoples: A Reference Sourcebook. Santa Barbara, California, USA: ABC-CLIO, 2003. p. 111.

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