The Ethnic Groups of Nigeria: Who Are The Nigerian Tribes?

Nigeria is a country with over 250 ethnic groups, and it can be difficult to know which tribe your ancestors come from. This blog post will help you figure out the Nigerian tribes that are in your ancestry, so you can celebrate Nigeria's diversity!

 

Section 1: Origin

The first section of this blog post will help you locate your roots. Nigeria is a country with over 250 ethnic groups, and it can be difficult to know which tribe your ancestors come from. This blog post will help you figure out the Nigerian tribes that are in your ancestry, so you can celebrate Nigeria's diversity!

 

Here are 5 general sections of Nigerian tribes:

 

The Bini, who originated in the Central Nigeria and migrated to Benin City and Edo State. The Hausa and Fulani originated in the Northern Nigeria and migrated to north and central parts of Nigeria. The Yoruba are an ancient and well established group of people who live in the Southern Nigeria. The Igbos and Biafrans originate in the South and Eastern Nigeria respectively.

 

Religion

Religion plays a large role in Nigerians’ lives, and there are a number of major and minor religions that can be traced back to these tribes. In Nigeria, it's estimated that approximately 53% of the population is Muslim, while about 39% is Christian.

 

Those of us in the U.S. may be quite familiar with Islam. In fact, it is the most prevalent religion in the entire world. In contrast, Christianity is the most prevalent religion in Niger, while Judaism is the predominant religion in Niger's Jewish minority. Islam, Christianity, and Judaism are often referred to collectively as the Abrahamic faiths. (Fun fact: Islam's founder Muhammad claimed to be a prophet, and in that way, some people consider him to be the son of God.

 

Location

Nigeria has over 1000 ethnic groups. All the tribes can be traced to the six major regions of the country (Northern, Middle-Belt, East, South-South, South-West and Western Nigeria). Some tribes are not exclusive to a particular region of Nigeria. For example, the Fulanis are divided into Fulani and Zarma ethnic groups. If you have more information on these tribes, please add it to the comment section of this post!

 

Ancestry Types

 

The races found in Nigeria fall into two main ethnic groups: the Hausa and Yoruba tribes. The Hausa and Yoruba are very similar, but each has a lot of unique characteristics.

 

Both groups are predominately Muslim, speak Hausa or Yoruba, and have family groups based on blood relationship. But the Yoruba are much more liberal and modernized.

 

Language

The biggest factor that determines the ethnic group you belong to is whether or not your ancestors speak a certain language. In most cases, the language your ancestors spoke is the language you speak now. Many African languages are spread out throughout the world, including English, French, Spanish, Portuguese, and Swahili.

 

Origin

 

Even if you're descended from slaves, as long as you're at least partially of African descent, you can trace your history back to the tribes of Africa.

 

Problems with using this information:

 

People with American ancestors may not know their roots. It's difficult to use this information to know where to trace your American roots.

 

If you have more than one ancestor listed in Ancestry.com, only the oldest or most recent will be considered.

 

Ethnic Group's Culture

Your tribe has a unique culture and its people typically love to share what they know about it with others. Each ethnic group has its own culture and festivals that they usually celebrate at certain times. Some are religious, some are not. Some are politically active, others are not.

 

Here are some of the tribes and their culture.

 

The Yoruba. A land that is divided into the Igboland and the Edo states. The Yoruba are one of the most famous and largest ethnic tribes in Nigeria.

 

The Igbo. A large ethnic group in southeastern Nigeria. They speak the Igbo language.

 

The Hausa. The Hausa people live in the north of Nigeria. They speak the Hausa language.

 

The Igala. An ethnic group found in central Nigeria. They speak the Igala language.

 

The Nupe.