Nigeria boasts to be Africa most populous nation with large ethnic groups in the continent. According to data from the United States Census Bureau and the World Bank, Nigeria has about 162.5 million people (Hodgkin, 1960). The country has over 370 ethnic groups with the major being the Hausa, Yorubas and Igbos. These constitute to about 70% of the entire population. Other ethnic groups include the Kanuri, Tiv, Ijaw, Ibibio, Efik and Annang while the rest constitute very small percentage (Mazrui, 1986). Ethnic groups in Nigeria have varied culture thus leading to immense diversity in culture and way of people.It is necessary to mention that Nigeria is found in the western part of Africa and with major two religions; the Christians and the Muslims …show more content…
They involve themselves in art with a stretching history of beadwork, poetry, mask making, metalwork and weaving. Typically Yoruba artwork is meant to honor the gods and the ancestors since they believe in deities. Just like the Greek the Yoruba’s have over 300 deities, therefore there is a lot of sculptures and art work made. The Yoruba people are equally found in Benin, Togo and Ghana, while there are also concentrated population in the United Kingdom and the United States. Unlike the Yoruba, the Igbo are commonly found in South Eastern Nigeria that is divided into Western and Eastern by river Niger. According to history, Igbos traces their origin from Nri society that dates back to Stone Age (Meek, 1925). The Igbo are known to be so industrious and enterprising, a trait in them for long period. They are regarded as warm and colorful. The economic, political unrest and social status led to significant number of the Igbo people to settle in the Caribbean, Equatorial Guinea and Cameroon and many parts of Europe and United States. Both Yoruba and Igbo appreciate English as their national language despite their ethnicity. They also use Pidgin English as national though informal and widely used in Nigeria. Islam and Christianity are the two major religions with Islam making 50% while Christianity makes 40%. The remaining religious groups are traditionalist and atheist (Mazrui, 1986). The Christian are dominant in the Southern part while the Muslims in the Northern. It is crucial to note that periods of peace get marred by violence occasionally between the Muslims and
This essay will evaluate the question `why did the differences between Northern and Southern Nigeria become so evident in the fifteen years following independence from British rule? ´. To answer to this question, this paper will investigate areas directly affected by both the coming of colonialism as well as its departure, such as politics and leadership, religious and ethnic differences as well as economic difference between these regions. Furthermore establishing a concrete overview as to how Nigeria was run under the British
Changes in religious practice and belief between 1450 and present in Sub-Saharan Africa were dramatic and pronounced. The introduction of European culture and religious beliefs in the later half of the 15th century acted to change the existing religious practices and beliefs of Sub-Saharan Africa. During the years of 1450 and onwards, the religious practices and beliefs in Sub-Saharan Africa had changed very little for centuries and revolved around animistic beliefs. After the European entry into Sub-Saharan Africa during the 1490’s, the introduction of Catholicism begins a period of great change in religious practice and belief. In spite of great changes in religious belief and practice, the devotion of the people to their religion, no matter
The pre-colonial and postcolonial Igbo society has been observed to be male dominated. Men reign supreme in sociocultural affairs while the female figure has specific limited prescribed roles, a confirmation of absence of feministic ideologies. Motherhood, being submissive to the husband and generally domestic dutiesare some of the roles women are associated with. As the title of the novel by Buchi Emecheta Second Class Citizenimplies, the female figure has been treated as a lesser significant sexwithin the Igbo society considering that equalityamong women is limited by their fathers, husbands and the general patriarchy system. This is something Adah finds quite the same when she moves to England whereby with her African descent she continues to suffer womanhood struggles.
Nigerian immigrants earned 17% more undergraduate degrees than the rest of the U.S. population. They are more likely to have an advanced degree compare to the rest of the American population. Many of these immigrants are performing white collar jobs with 45,000 Nigerian physicians, 15,000 full-time Nigerian professors, 10,000 academic staff, 28,000 nurses, 7,000 lawyers, and 174,000 are information technologist. Even Though statistics shows that they are above average Americans in the workforce, statistics shows that the Nigerian population is making just slightly over a higher median annual
The Yoruba has an estimated population of one hundred million. Many of the Yoruba people were taken to the Americas to become slaves. The Yoruba have a high god named Olodumare, which means “owner of the sky”. They have several festival like activities that give honor to their families. To this day there are still many followers of the
There are many different cultures and religions in the world. Cultures can change when other religions and people are introduced. So how did the Igbo religion/ culture change when Christianity was introduced? There were many significant changes that the Igbo endured during colonization. With colonization came the introduction of Christianity.
Mansa Musa, king of the Malian empire, in specific was a large influence on the religion of the population. Other pieces of Muslim architecture, such as the great Mosque of Djenne, are evidence of the religion’s dominance in Sub-Saharan Africa. Along the Indian Ocean trade routes, we also see Islam as a dominant religion, but there is much more of a variety. Evidence of Islam in Eastern Africa can be found in the language itself. Swahili, the dominant language of the region, is influenced heavily by Arabic.
Analyzing conflict through cultural perspective The distinct perspectives of the Igbo and the white missionaries cultures validates the conflict between them by emphasizing their similarities and differences. These similarities and differences allow the reader to understand why the two cultures are interacting the way they are. The similar connections made between the cultures and the completely differing values allow for their to be conflict and conversion between the Igbo and white missionaries.
Nigerian Genocide In 1967 a civil war started in Nigeria, this was also known as the Nigerian genocide. In 1960 Nigeria gained its independence from from Britain. Six years later the Muslim Hausas in Northern Nigeria started to kill Christian Igbos that were in the region. This caused tens of thousands to flee to the east were the Igbos were the dominant ethnic people.
The societies of West Africa, Europe, and North America exhibited similarities and differences in their religious beliefs, values, and government systems. These contrasts and similarities were further made apparent during European expansion across the Atlantic and the subsequent new cross cultural interactions that were created. One way in which the societies of West Africa, Europe, and North America diverged was in their belief systems. Unlike Europe and North America, West Africa gradually adopted Islam in addition to its traditional religions. Islam diffused through the trans-Saharan trade with North Africa and by the 1200’s was assimilated into the Mali and Songhai Empire.
Is masculinity so important that you destroy a piece of you to keep an image? In Igbo culture the answer is yes, masculinity trumps all moral things; if you don’t kill if you don’t disrespect, if you show emotions, you are considered an agbala--a woman, or a man with no title. If you are a member of Igbo you are in a culture that is run by men, a patriarchy. The men fight, are served, make children, and marry women. Okonkwo a member of Igbo culture, falls victim of masculinity over family, where he gets as many sons as he can and have multiple wives.
The rate of poverty and homelessness created a need for more economic opportunities. Colonies provided a chance for work and prosperity(Iweriebor, “The colonization of Africa”). Europeans lied to the Africans and made them sign what the Africans thought were peace treaties. Proverbs were among the many popular folkloric forms. Nigeria’s diverse past traditions provide many culture ideas(Gall, Hobby, “nigeria”).
BENEFITS OF DIVERSITY IN NIGERIAN CONTEXT a. Ethnicity/Linguistic diversity: Nigeria is comprised of approximately two hundred and fifty ethno/linguistic groups. However, there are three major ethnic blocks; the other groups are generally referred as minority groups. The minority groups tend to be loosely affiliated to one of the three dominant groups. It is a well established business practice in Nigeria that if you wish to advertise a product you must take pain to be sensitive to the three dominant ethnic groups. Although English is the official language, more than half of the population do not understand and or speak formal English.
The author utilizes characterization to represent the people in the Nigerian society and what they experience in order to provide for their families. The theme is further developed
AN AMAZING TRIP TO LAGOS Lagos is one of the best loved and darling regions of Africa that captures the attention of hundreds of people from various corners of the world. Known to be the most vibrant, pulsating and happening destination of this planet it offers a charismatic and magical ambiance that attracts plenty of locals and hundreds of foreigners who just love to capture and enjoy the charm and bewitchment of this flamboyant destination. Lagos is located in the south-western part of Nigeria and occupies the region of more than 3,577 square kilometres and is very popular for being the superb and magnificent metropolis of the country. It is highly appreciated and famous for the jaw dropping and spell-casting islands; the worth-watching ones include Lagos Island, Victoria Island, Ikoyi, Iddo and plenty of others. Though the list of such fascinating and enticing spots is very long but some of the most popular and worth-seeing ones are discussed as below.