Ethnic Groups In Nigeria

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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

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