11.03.2008 - Source: US Department of State

Tensions within the population are based on religious, ethnic and economic differences ("Country Report on Human Rights Practices 2007") [ID 23711]

"Religious differences often mirrored regional, tribal-ethnic, and occupational differences. For example, in many areas of the Middle Belt, Muslim Fulani tended to be pastoralists, while the Muslim Hausa and most Christian Igbo and other ethnic groups tended to be farmers or work in urban areas. Consequently ethnic, regional, economic, and land use competition often correlated with religious differences between the competing groups. Interreligious tension between Christians and Muslims remained in some areas, and conflicts of a seemingly socioeconomic or political nature often divided persons along religious lines."

Document(s): Open document

14.09.2007 - Source: US Department of State

Religious differences often mirror regional, tribal-ethnic, and occupational differences ("International Religious Freedom Report 2007") [ID 21430]

"Religious differences often mirror regional, tribal-ethnic, and occupational differences. For example, in many areas of the Middle Belt, Muslim Fulani tend to be pastoralists, while the Muslim Hausa and most Christian Igbo and other ethnic groups tend to be farmers or work in urban areas. Consequently ethnic, regional, economic, and land use competition often correlate with religious differences between the competing groups."

Document(s): Open document

06.03.2007 - Source: US Department of State

Religious differences of certain groups often mirrored regional and ethnic differences ("Country Report on Human Rights Practices 2006") [ID 19734]

"Religious differences often mirrored regional and ethnic differences. For example, persons in the North and in parts of the Middle Belt were overwhelmingly Muslim and from the large Hausa and Fulani ethnic groups that tended to dominate these areas. Many southern ethnic groups were predominantly Christian. In many areas of the Middle Belt, Muslim Fulani tended to be pastoralists, while the Muslim Hausa and most Christian ethnic groups tended to be farmers or to work in urban areas. Consequently ethnic, regional, economic, and land use competition and confrontations often coincided with religious differences between the competing groups (see section 5). It was not unusual for two ethnic groups with a long history of conflict to have adopted different religions, with the effect of exacerbating existing tensions."

Document(s): Open document

06.03.2007 - Source: US Department of State

Information on ethnic diversity ("Country Report on Human Rights Practices 2006") [ID 19955]

"The country's population was ethnically diverse, and consisted of more than 250 groups, many of which were concentrated geographically and spoke distinct primary languages. There was no majority ethnic group. The four largest ethnic groups, which comprised two-thirds of the country's population, were the Hausa and Fulani of the north, the Yoruba of the southwest, and the Ibos of the southeast. The Ijaw of the South Delta were the fifth largest group, followed by Kanuri in the far northeast, and the Tiv in the Middle Belt."

Document(s): Open document

08.2006 - Source: Norwegian Country of Origin Information Center

Patterns of Migration ("Report on Fact-finding trip to Nigeria (Abuja, Lagos and Benin City) 12-26 March 2006") [ID 18702]

"Nigerian emigration is considerable, and there are large Nigerian diaspora communities in many countries in West Africa, as well as in South Africa, Europe, USA, Canada and the Arabian Gulf Countries. Large numbers of Nigerians continue to see emigration as a tempting prospect for improving their own lives and the financial situation of their families. Poor Nigerians generally move within the country or the region, whereas more well off Nigerians have more distant goals: Europe and North America for southern Nigerians, and Arab countries for northerners."

Document(s): Open document

08.2006 - Source: Norwegian Country of Origin Information Center

Internal differences between different subgroups of a large ethnicity can be more substantial than differences between one such subgroup and another ethnic group ("Report on Fact-finding trip to Nigeria (Abuja, Lagos and Benin City) 12-26 March 2006") [ID 18723]

"The balance between the three large ethnic groups, the Hausa, the Yoruba and the Igbo, and the smaller ones (especially in the South-South, the Mid-Belt and the North-East), is one important dimension, and so is the balance between Christians and Muslims. However, it is important to point out that many social scientists stress the fluid nature of ethnicity in Nigeria, and that local perceptions of identity are subject to considerable change over time. Ethnic divisions do not necessarily imply clear linguistic, cultural or political differences, and especially within the three large ethnic groups in Nigeria, there is considerable internal variation. These internal differences, including linguistic ones, can sometimes be more substantial between different subgroups of a large ethnicity than between one such subgroup and another ethnic group."

Document(s): Open document

08.2006 - Source: Norwegian Country of Origin Information Center

Ethnic balance and the 2006 census ("Report on Fact-finding trip to Nigeria (Abuja, Lagos and Benin City) 12-26 March 2006") [ID 18726]

"The Nigerian National Population Council (NPC) held a nation-wide census from 21 March this year. It was originally planned for November 2005, but was postponed because of the huge logistics involved. Even with the postponement, the census was marred by large practical problems. These problems were covered in detail in the Nigerian press during and after the census. The local newspapers also printed numerous articles on how controversial the census issue is. Many of the commentators were highly critical to the decision to exclude questions regarding geographical origin and ethnicity in the 2005 census – even though many Nigerians tend to see a census as a competition for the position of largest ethnic group between Hausa-Fulanis, Yorubas and Igbos. The Economist Intelligence Unit has given the following description of the situation: The reason given by the authorities for excluding questions of origin was to prevent interested groups from attempting to manipulate the census. The president, Olusegun Obasanjo, appealed to Nigerians to view the headcount as an exercise vital for social and economic planning and not as a political contest. Census exercises have always been highly controversial in Nigeria where the data is key in determining the distribution of political representation and economic resources among states and regions. The results of previous censuses – In 1953/55, 1963, 1973 and 1991 – were all clouded by disputes fuelled by ethnic interests. Partly as a result of this, nobody really knows the population of Nigeria, with current estimates ranging between 120m to 150m. (EIU 2006:26)"

Document(s): Open document

08.03.2006 - Source: US Department of State

Societal discrimination on the basis of ethnicity practiced widely ("Country Report on Human Rights Practices 2005") [#46036],  [ID 17437]

"The country's population was ethnically diverse, and consisted of more than 250 groups, many of which spoke distinct primary languages and were concentrated geographically. There was no majority ethnic group. The four largest ethnic groups, which comprised two-thirds of the country's population, were the Hausa and Fulani of the north, the Yoruba of the southwest, and the Ibos of the southeast. The Ijaw of the South Delta were the fifth largest group, followed by Kanuri in the far northeast, and the Tiv in the Middle Belt. Societal discrimination on the basis of ethnicity was practiced widely by members of all ethnic groups and was evident in private sector hiring patterns, de facto ethnic segregation of urban neighborhoods, and a continuing paucity of marriages across major ethnic and regional lines. There was a long history of tension among some ethnic groups (see section 2.c.)."

Document(s): Open document

04.2004 - Source: UK Home Office

UK Home Office: Along with some other ethnic groupings in the Niger Delta the estimated 500,000 Ogoni's live in one of the most polluted parts of Nigeria ("Country Report - April 2004") [#22434],  [ID 14959]

"6.57 Many of the minority tribes of the Niger Delta have in recent years expressed their discontent over their local environmental, economic and social infrastructure problems. Much of the ethnic unrest has centred on Ogoniland, a densely populated area of approximately 400 square miles in Rivers State on the Niger Delta. [132] The Ogonis have been involved in occasionally violent disputes with other local minority groups.
This situation was heightened by demands from the Ogoni political movement founded in 1990, the Movement for the Survival of the Ogoni People (MOSOP). In particular MOSOP has campaigned for political autonomy and a greater share of oil revenue in compensation for the environmental degradation allegedly caused by on-shore oil production in Ogoniland."

Document(s): Open document

10.2003 - Source: UK Home Office

More than 250 ethnic groups lives in Nigeria ("Country Report - October 2003") [#17332],  [ID 14960]

"6.47 There are over 250 ethnic groups with different languages and dialects in Nigeria, which accounts for its cultural diversity. In descending order the Muslim Hausa-Fulani centred on the north, the Yoruba centred on the south-west, and the predominately Christian Ibo (or Igbo) centred on the south-east are the largest ethnic groups. Yet no single tribe encompasses a majority of the population. There is no federal policy of discrimination against any of Nigeria's ethnic groups and legislation is designed not to favour one group over another. This is largely respected provided that a group does not pursue secessionist demands. An alleged dominance in the military and government is occasionally levelled at Hausa-Fulanis, with the converse claim that other ethnic groups are discriminated against. Ibos formed the Biafran rebels during the 1967 to 1970 civil war, but are prominent in the professions and commerce. Ibos have also been prominent in politics, and do not encounter government repression."

Document(s): Open document

10.2003 - Source: UK Home Office

Religious differences often correspond to regional and ethnic differences ("Country Report - October 2003") [#17332],  [ID 14961]

"6.20 Religious differences often correspond to regional and ethnic differences. The northern region and much of the middlebelt are overwhelmingly Muslim, as are the large Hausa and Fulani ethnic groups of that area. Many southern ethnic groups are predominantly Christian. Consequently it is often difficult to distinguish between religious conflict, and ethnic conflict. Religious tensions often underscored what were predominantly ethnic confrontations.

6.21 Traditional religious beliefs are widespread in Nigeria, some of these are described as witchcraft or Ju-Ju. Nigerians are generally free to follow these traditional beliefs, but where these practices may have resulted in criminal activity, the Nigerian police have investigated them. As these practices are often secret and take a wide variety of forms, it is very difficult to obtain reliable information regarding the nature of these religious beliefs."

Document(s): Open document

09.12.2002 - Source: CIA - The World Factbook

Country Profile Nigeria [ID 14812]

"Population: 126,635,626
note: estimates for this country explicitly take into account the effects of excess mortality due to AIDS; this can result in lower life expectancy, higher infant mortality and death rates, lower population and growth rates, and changes in the distribution of population by age and sex than would otherwise be expected (July 2001 est.)
Age structure: 0-14 years: 43.71% (male 27,842,225; female 27,514,197)
15-64 years: 53.47% (male 34,456,738; female 33,259,194)
65 years and over: 2.82% (male 1,780,862; female 1,782,410) (2001 est.)
Population growth rate: 2.61% (2001 est.)
Birth rate: 39.69 births/1,000 population (2001 est.)
Death rate: 13.91 deaths/1,000 population (2001 est.)
Net migration rate: 0.28 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2001 est.)"

Document(s): Open document

06.2002 - Source: US Department of State

USDOS Background Notes Nigeria: People [ID 14813]

"The most populous country in Africa, Nigeria accounts for approximately one-quarter of West Africa's people. Although less than 25% of Nigerians are urban dwellers, at least 24 cities have populations of more than 100,000. The variety of customs, languages, and traditions among Nigeria's 250 ethnic groups gives the country a rich diversity. The dominant ethnic group in the northern two-thirds of the country is the Hausa-Fulani, most of whom are Muslim. Other major ethnic groups of the north are the Nupe, Tiv, and Kanuri. The Yoruba people are predominant in the southwest.

About half of the Yorubas are Christian and half Muslim. The predominantly Catholic Igbo are the largest ethnic group in the southeast, with the Efik, Ibibio, and Ijaw (the country's fourth-largest ethnic group) comprising a substantial segment of the population in that area. Persons of different language backgrounds most commonly communicate in English, although knowledge of two or more Nigerian languages is widespread. Hausa, Yoruba, and Igbo are the most widely used Nigerian languages."

Document(s): Open document

1998 - Source:

Overview of the ethnic composition of Nigeria [ID 15461]

Quoted after:

"Nigeria has between 250 and 400 ethnic groups, depending on how ethnicity is defined. It has more ethnic groups than any other African nation, and it ranks among the most ethnically complex nations in the world. However, most ethnic groups are small and localized, and only a few play a central role in Nigerian society. These major groups are the Hausa, Fulani, Yoruba, and Igbo (Ibo). These groups comprise 65& of the population. Other groups of significant size and importance are the Kanuri, Ibibio, Tiv, Ijaw, Nupe, Anang, Efik, and Kalabari. Each of these groups has its own language but members may speak either English-Nigeria's official language-or Yoruba, Igbo, or Hausa, which serve as lingua francas, or market languages. (Levinson, 1998, 156-157)"

Document(s):

06.1991 - Source: US Library of Congress

Estimates of the number of distinct ethnic groupings varied from 250 to as many as 400 [ID 14963]

"Estimates of the number of distinct ethnic groupings varied from 250 to as many as 400. The most widely used marker was that of language. In most cases, people who spoke a distinct language having a separate term for the language and/or its speakers saw themselves, or were viewed by others, as ethnically different. Language groupings were numbered in the 1970s at nearly 400, depending upon disagreements over whether or not closely related languages were mutually intelligible. Language groupings sometimes shifted their distinctiveness rather than displaying clear boundaries."

Document(s): Open document