11.03.2008 - Source: US Department of State

Discrimination on grounds of ethnicity widespread ("Country Report on Human Rights Practices 2007") [ID 19956]

"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 low rate of intermarriage across major ethnic and regional lines. There was a long history of tension among some ethnic groups."

Document(s): Open document

11.03.2008 - Source: US Department of State

Even though ethnic discrimination by the government is prohibited, some groups feel marginalised ("Country Report on Human Rights Practices 2007") [ID 19957]

"The law prohibits ethnic discrimination by the government, but claims of marginalization continued, particularly by members of southern groups and Igbos. In particular the ethnic groups of the Niger Delta continued their calls for high-level representation on petroleum problems and within the security forces. Middle Belt and Christian officers dominated the military hierarchy, and some persons in the North believed that the northern Hausa were underrepresented in the military. Northern Muslims accused the government of favoring Yorubas or Christians from the Middle Belt for those positions. Traditional relationships continued to be used to impose considerable pressure on individual government officials to favor their own ethnic groups for important positions and patronage."

Document(s): Open document

11.03.2008 - Source: US Department of State

Information on discrimination against nonindigenes ("Country Report on Human Rights Practices 2007") [ID 19959]

"In April 2006 HRW published a report describing discrimination against nonindigenes. While all citizens have the right to live in any part of the country, state and local governments frequently discriminated against those not judged to be indigenous to the area, occasionally compelling individuals to return to a part of the country from which their ethnic group originated but to which they have no personal ties. On different occasions, individual nonindigenes were compelled to move by government use of bulldozers, threats with clubs and torches, and discrimination in hiring and employment. When they were allowed to stay rather than be removed, these persons experienced discrimination including denial of scholarships and exclusion from employment in the civil service, police, and the military."

Document(s): Open document

11.03.2008 - Source: US Department of State

Plateau State: Hausa and Fulani claim to face discrimination from government ("Country Report on Human Rights Practices 2007") [ID 23767]

"In Plateau State, the Hausa and Fulani, most of whom were Muslim and considered nonindigenes, claimed to face significant discrimination from the local government in scholarships and government representation."

Document(s): Open document

31.01.2008 - Source: Human Rights Watch

Many government policies discriminate against individuals not deemed to be ethnic "indigenes"; intercommunal violence remained common in 2007 ("World Report 2008") [ID 22219]

"While large-scale massacres like those in Kaduna in 2002 and Yelwa in 2004 did not occur in 2007, intercommunal violence remained common. Since the end of military rule, more than 11,000 Nigerians have died in over 500 violent sectarian and political clashes. The underlying causes of this strife are varied and complex, since the ethnic, religious, and other tensions that provoke it often overlap with and exacerbate one another. Many government policies discriminate against individuals not deemed to be ethnic “indigenes” (descendants of the original inhabitants) of their communities and this has made issues of local citizenship increasingly contentious. Many Nigerians believe the government’s failure to combat the nation’s grinding poverty lies at the heart of many conflicts that appear to be ethnic or religious in nature, as competition for scarce economic resources becomes increasingly desperate."

Document(s): Open document

06.03.2007 - Source: US Department of State

Delta region: Background information on interethnic violence ("Country Report on Human Rights Practices 2006") [ID 20051]

"Interethnic fighting elsewhere in the Delta also displaced tens of thousands of local inhabitants. In 2004 militia groups operating in Port Harcourt and other areas around the Delta region carried out violent operations that ended when officials from the presidency negotiated directly with militant leaders and reached a cease-fire agreement. Following the October 2005 arrest of Dokubo, leader of the Niger Delta People's Volunteer Force (see section 1.d.), tensions remained high for several weeks with increased threats and instances of crime, particularly against foreign interests, that could have been politically motivated. However, these threats also may have resulted from groups taking advantage of the heightened tensions for monetary gain. The situation remained largely unchanged from the previous year."

Document(s): Open document

01.2007 - Source: Human Rights Watch

In 2006 dozens of violent clashes erupted along intercommunal lines ("World Report 2007") [ID 18973]

"Since 1999 more than 10,000 Nigerians have died in violent clashes along intercommunal lines, and 2006 saw dozens of such incidents erupt around the country. [...] The underlying causes of Nigeria’s chronic intercommunal strife— including ethnic and religious divisions and competition for scarce economic opportunities—often overlap with and exacerbate one another."

Document(s): Open document

09.2006 - Source: Freedom House

Ethnic discrimination widespread but unconstitutional; clashes among ehtnic groups erupt frequently ("Freedom in the World 2006") [ID 18268]

"The constitution requires government offices to reflect the country's ethnic diversity. The Hausa-Fulani from northern Nigeria generally dominated the military and the government from independence until Obasanjo was elected in 1999. Obasanjo's government is both ethnically and religiously diverse. Although the constitution prohibits ethnic discrimination, societal discrimination is widely practiced, and clashes frequently erupt among the country's many ethnic groups. A number of armed youth groups have emerged to defend their ethnic and economic interests. Ethnic minorities in the Niger Delta feel particularly discriminated against, primarily with regard to receiving a share of the country's oil wealth. Officials in 2005 said that the next census would probably exclude questions on religious or ethnic origin, fearing that highlighting differences could inflame tensions."

Document(s): Open document

07.2006 - Source: Freedom House

Ethnic-based discrimination common, although unconstitutional ("Countries at the Crossroads 2006") [ID 18311]

"Ethnic-based discrimination is a perpetual problem in a society as diverse as Nigeria's. Political elites have enshrined ethnic balancing as a political principle, but Nigerians outside the political arena face a more difficult picture. Officially, the constitution condemns ethnic discrimination, but individuals typically derive their citizenship based on the state of origin of their parents or grandparents. Nigerians living outside their home states are, therefore, typically deprived of a range of citizenship privileges, such as running for political office, even if they have lived most of their lives outside their states of origin. The Nigerian constitution also calls for a principle known as federal character, which is generally applied as ethnic quotas in government hiring. Private companies that do business with the government must also feature ethnically balanced employee profiles in line with federal character standards, and government contracts account for a significant portion of all Nigerian economic activity. Federal character practices have generally led to a more ethnically diverse profile in government hiring and, to some extent, among corporate leadership. Southern Nigerians, however, have historically enjoyed higher income and education levels, and some have complained that federal character has been used primarily to give northerners preference in key positions in business and government; in response, northerners point to southern dominance of the civil service.17"

Document(s): Open document

08.03.2006 - Source: US Department of State

Sporadic communal violence between several tribes continued ("Country Report on Human Rights Practices 2005") [#46036],  [ID 15690]

"Lethal communal (including interethnic, intraethnic, and interreligious) violence occurred at decreased levels from the previous year (see section 2.c.). Sporadic communal violence continued between Tivs, Jukuns, and other tribes in Sokoto, Benue, Taraba, Kogi, Jigawa, Adamawa, Bauchi, Edo, Delta, Plateau, and other states during the year, killing hundreds of persons."

Document(s): Open document

08.03.2006 - Source: US Department of State

Ethnic rivalries between "indigenous" and "settlers" led to some societal discrimination ("Country Report on Human Rights Practices 2005") [#46036],  [ID 17285]

"The law prohibits religious discrimination in employment and other practices; however, private businesses frequently discriminated on the basis of religion or ethnicity in their hiring practices and purchasing patterns. In nearly all states, ethnic rivalries between "indigenous" and "settlers" led to some societal discrimination against minority ethnic and religious groups. 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

08.03.2006 - Source: US Department of State

Societal discrimination on the basis of religion and ethnicity remain widespread ("Country Report on Human Rights Practices 2005") [#46036],  [ID 17409]

"The law prohibits discrimination based on community, place of origin, ethnic group, sex, religion, or political opinion; however, customary and religious discrimination against women persisted, societal discrimination on the basis of both religion and ethnicity remained widespread, and ethnic and regional tensions continued to contribute to serious violence both between citizens and the security forces and between groups of citizens."

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

08.03.2006 - Source: US Department of State

Law prohibits ethnic discrimination; claims of marginalization, particularly by members of Southern groups and Igbos, continued ("Country Report on Human Rights Practices 2005") [#46036],  [ID 17438]

"Many groups complained of insufficient representation. The law prohibits ethnic discrimination by the government, but claims of marginalization, particularly by members of southern groups and Igbos, continued. In particular, the ethnic groups of the Niger Delta continued their calls for high-level representation on petroleum problems and within the security forces. Middle Belt and Christian officers dominated the military hierarchy, and some persons in the North believed that the northern Hausa were underrepresented in the military. Northern Muslims accused the government of favoring Yorubas or Christians from the Middle Belt for those positions. Traditional linkages continued to impose considerable pressure on individual government officials to favor their own ethnic groups for important positions and patronage. Ethnic groups claimed environmental degradation and government indifference to their status in the oil-producing Niger Delta region. Groups such as the Ijaw, Itsekiri, Urhobo, Isoko, and Ogoni continued to express unhappiness regarding their perceived economic exploitation and the environmental destruction of their homelands, and incidents of ethnic conflict and confrontation with government officials and forces continued in the Delta area (see sections 1.a. and 1.b.)."

Document(s): Open document

08.03.2006 - Source: US Department of State

Ethnic groups still discriminated ("Country Report on Human Rights Practices 2005") [#46036],  [ID 17439]

"Many groups complained of insufficient representation. The law prohibits ethnic discrimination by the government, but claims of marginalization, particularly by members of southern groups and Igbos, continued. In particular, the ethnic groups of the Niger Delta continued their calls for high-level representation on petroleum problems and within the security forces. Middle Belt and Christian officers dominated the military hierarchy, and some persons in the North believed that the northern Hausa were underrepresented in the military. Northern Muslims accused the government of favoring Yorubas or Christians from the Middle Belt for those positions. Traditional linkages continued to impose considerable pressure on individual government officials to favor their own ethnic groups for important positions and patronage. Ethnic groups claimed environmental degradation and government indifference to their status in the oil-producing Niger Delta region. Groups such as the Ijaw, Itsekiri, Urhobo, Isoko, and Ogoni continued to express unhappiness regarding their perceived economic exploitation and the environmental destruction of their homelands, and incidents of ethnic conflict and confrontation with government officials and forces continued in the Delta area (see sections 1.a. and 1.b.)."

Document(s): Open document

22.04.2003 - Source: Immigration and Refugee Board of Canada

Query response on whether non-Yoruba can become members of the Oodua People's Congress (OPC); whether non-Yoruba are accused of or suspected by the police of being members of the OPC ("Whether non-Yoruba can become members of the Oodua People's Congress (OPC); whether non-Yoruba are accused of or suspected by the police of being members of the OPC [NGA40769.E]") [ID 24733]

Document(s): Open document