Nigeria has Over 250 Ethnic groups (See List)

The Federal Republic of Nigeria is a sovereign country located in West Africa. Nigeria should be a powerhouse and the most powerful country in Africa.  it is the continent’s biggest oil producer and most populous country.

The current population of Nigeria is 206,438,279 as of July 2020, based on Worldometer elaboration of the latest United Nations data and Nigeria ranks number 7 in the list of countries (and dependencies) by population.

According to preliminary results of the census and subsequent estimates, the most populous cities in Nigeria are Lagos (9 million), Kano (3.6million), Ibadan (3.5 million), Kaduna (1.5 million), Port Harcourt (1.1 million), and Benin City (1.1 million).

Nigeria’s is also divided along many lines ethnic, religious, economic, and political

See the list of ethnic groups in Nigeria Below

Ethnics Group

Nigeria has Over 250 ethnic groups, with over 500 languages and customs, creating a country of rich ethnic diversity. The three most significant groups are Hausa, Yoruba, and Igbo, together accounting for more than 70% of the population, while the Edo, Ijaw, Fulɓe, Kanuri, Urhobo-Isoko, Ibibio, Ebira, Nupe, Gbagyi, Jukun, Igala, Idoma, and Tiv comprise between 25 and 30%; other minorities make up the remaining 5%.

The three Largest Groups in Nigeria

1. Hausa (30%)
2. Yoruba (22%)
3. Igbo (also seen as Ibo, 18%)

Hausa and Fulani have traditionally dominated in the north, Yoruba in the southwest, Igbo in the east, and Ijaw in the Niger Delta. 

Rivalries among ethnic groups are a source of instability. Since 1991.

The middle belt of Nigeria is known for its diversity of ethnic groups, including the Pyem, Goemai, and Kofyar. 

The official population count of each of Nigeria’s ethnicities has always remained controversial and disputed as members of different ethnic groups believe the census is rigged to give a particular group (usually believed to be northern groups) numerical superiority.

Language

In Nigeria there are 521 languages that have been spoken in Nigeria; nine of them are now extinct.

In some areas of Nigeria, ethnic groups speak more than one language. The official language of Nigeria, English. Other widely used languages are Edo, Efik, Fulani, Adamawa Fulfulde, Hausa, Idoma, Igbo (Ibo), Central Kanuri, Yoniba, and Yoruba.

Religion

Nigeria’s population is split primarily between Islam and Christianity is the most widely professed religion. Nigerians are nearly equally divided into Muslims and Christians, Muslims constitute the majority in the north and Christians the majority in the south

Islam dominates North Western (Hausa, Fulani, and others) and a good portion of Northern Eastern (Kanuri, Fulani, and other groups) Nigeria. It also has a number of adherents in the South Western, Yoruba part of the country.

Nigeria has the largest Muslim population in sub-Saharan Africa. Protestant and locally cultivated Christianity are also widely practiced in Western areas, while Roman Catholicism is a more prominent Christian feature of South Eastern Nigeria. Both Roman Catholicism and Protestantism are observed in the Ibibio, Annang, Efik, Ijo, and Ogoni lands of the south.

In terms of Nigeria’s major ethnic groups, the Hausa ethnic group (predominant in the north) was found to be 95% Muslim and 5% Christian, the Yoruba tribe (predominant in the west) was equally split between Christians and Muslims with 10% adherents of traditional religions, while the Igbos (predominant in the east) and the Ijaw (south) were 98% Christian, with 2% practicing traditional religions.

The middle belt of Nigeria contains the largest number of minority ethnic groups in Nigeria, who were found to be mostly Christians and members of traditional religions, with a small proportion of Muslims

In early 2006, following news of the publication of derogatory caricatures of the Prophet Muhammad in a Danish newspaper, anti-Christian riots broke out in Nigeria, and anti-Muslim reprisals followed. Churches and mosques were destroyed, numerous people were injured, and more than 100 were killed during the violence.

List of ethnic groups in Nigeria

1. Abayon – Cross River State
2. Abua (Odual) – Rivers State
3. Achipa (Achipawa) – Kebbi State
4. Adim – Cross River State
5. Adun – Cross River State
6. Affade – Yobe State
7. Afizere – Plateau State
8. Afo – Plateau State
9. Agbo – Cross River State
10. Akaju-Ndem (Akajuk) – Cross River State
11. Akweya-Yachi Benue State
12. Alago (Arago) – Plateau State
13. Amo – Plateau State
14. Anaguta – Plateau State
15. Anang – Akwa Ibom State
16. Andoni – Akwa Ibom State, Rivers State
17. Angas – Bauchi State, Plateau State
18. Anioma – Delta State, Edo State, Anambra State, Rivers State
19. Ankwei – Plateau State
20. Anyima – Cross River State
21. Attakar (ataka) – Kaduna State
22. Auyoka (Sub-Hausa) – Jigawa State
23. Awori – Lagos State, Ogun State
24. Ayu – Kaduna State
25. Babur (Pabir)/Bura – Adamawa State, Borno State, Taraba State, Yobe State
26. Bachama – Adamawa State
27. Bachere – Cross River State
28. Bada – Plateau State
29. Bade – Yobe State
30. Baggara Arabs Borno State
31. Bahumono – Cross River State
32. Bakulung – Taraba State
33. Bali – Taraba State
34. Bambora (Bambarawa) – Bauchi State
35. Bambuko – Taraba State
36. Banda (Bandawa) – Taraba State
37. Banka (Bankalawa) – Bauchi State
38. Banso (Panso) Adamawa State
39. Bara (Barawa) – Bauchi State
40. Barke – Bauchi State
41. Baruba (Batonu) – Kwara State, Niger State
42. Bashiri (Bashirawa) – Plateau State
43. Bassa – Kaduna State, Kogi State, Niger State, Plateau State
44. Batta – Adamawa State
45. Baushi – Niger State
46. Baya – Adamawa State
47. Bekwarra – Cross River
48. Bele (Buli, Belewa) – Bauchi State
49. Betso (Bete) – Taraba State
50. Bette – Cross River State
51. Bilei – Adamawa State
52. Bille – Adamawa State
53. Bina (Binawa) – Kaduna State
54. Bini (Edo) – Edo State
55. Birom – Plateau State
56. Bobua – Taraba State
57. Boki (Nki) – Cross River State
58. Bokkos – Plateau State
59. Boko (Bussawa, Bargawa) – Niger State
60. Bole (Bolewa) – Bauchi State, Yobe State
61. Botlere Adamawa State
62. Boma (Bomawa, Burmano) – Bauchi State
63. Bomboro – Bauchi State
64. Buduma – Borno State,
65. Buji – Plateau State
66. Buli – Bauchi State
67. Bunu – Kogi State
68. Bura/Babur (Pabir) – Adamawa State, Borno State
69. Burak – Bauchi State
70. Burma (Burmawa) – Plateau State
71. Buru – Yobe State
72. Buta (Butawa) – Bauchi State
73. Bwall – Plateau State
74. Bwatiye – Adamawa State
75. Bwazza – Adamawa State
76. Challa – Plateau State
77. Chama (Chamawa Fitilai) – Bauchi State
78. Chamba – Taraba State
79. Chamo – Bauchi State
80. Chibok (Kibaku) – Borno State, Yobe State
81. Chinine – Borno State
82. Chip – Plateau State
83. Chokobo – Plateau State
84. Chukkol – Taraba State
85. Daba – Adamawa State
86. Dadiya – Bauchi State
87. Daka – Adamawa State
88. Dakarkari – Kebbi State, Niger State
89. Danda (Dandawa) – Kebbi State
90. Dangsa – Taraba State
91. Daza (Dere, Derewa) – Bauchi State
92. Degema – Rivers State
93. Deno (Denawa) – Bauchi State
94. Dghwede – Borno State
95. Diba – Taraba State
96. Doemak (Dumuk) – Plateau State
97. Ouguri – Bauchi State
98. Duka (Dukawa) – Kebbi State
99. Duma (Dumawa) – Bauchi State
100. Ebana (Ebani) – Rivers State
101. Ebira – Edo State, Kogi State, Ondo State
102. Ebu – Edo State, Kogi State
103. Ebu – Edo State, Kogi State
104. Efik – Cross River State
105. Egbema – Rivers State
106. Egede (Igedde) – Benue State
107. Eggon Plateau State
108. Egun (Gu) – Lagos State, Ogun State
109. Ejagham – Cross River State
110. Ekajuk – Cross River State
111. Eket – Akwa Ibom
112. Ekoi – Cross River State
113. Ekpeye – Rivers State
114. Engenni (Ngene) – Rivers State
115. Epie – Bayelsa State
116. Esan (Ishan) – Edo State
117. Etche – Rivers State
118. Etolu (Etilo) – Benue State
119. Etsako – Edo State
120. Etung – Cross River State
121. Etuno – Edo State
122. Palli – Adamawa State
123. Fulani (Fulbe) – Adamawa State, Bauchi State, Borno State, Gombe State, Jigawa State, Kaduna State, Kano State, Katsina State, Kebbi State, Kwara State, Niger State,Plateau State, Sokoto State, Taraba State, Yobe State ,Zamfara State
124. Fyam (Fyem) – Plateau State
125. Fyer(Fer) – Plateau State
126. Ga’anda – Adamawa State
127. Gade – Niger State Nasarawa State
128. Galambi – Bauchi State
129. Gamergu-Mulgwa – Borno State
130. Qanawuri – Plateau State
131. Gavako – Borno State
132. Gbedde – Kogi State
133. Gengle – Taraba State
134. Geji – Bauchi State
135. Gera (Gere, Gerawa) – Bauchi State
136. Geruma (Gerumawa) – Plateau State
137. Geruma (Gerumawa) – auchi State
138. Gingwak – Bauchi State
139. Gira – Adamawa State
140. Gizigz – Adamawa State
141. Goemai – Plateau State
142. Gokana – (Kana) Rivers State
143. Gombi – -Adamawa State
144. Gornun (Gmun) – Taraba State
145. Gonia – Taraba State
146. Gubi (Gubawa) – Bauchi State
147. Gude – Adamawa State
148. Gudu – Adamawa State
149. Gure – Kaduna State
150. Gurmana – Niger State
151. Gururntum – Bauchi State
152. Gusu – Plateau State
153. Gwa (Gurawa) Adamawa State
154. Gwamba – Adamawa State
155. Gwandara – Kaduna State, Niger State, Plateau State
156. Gwari (Gbagi)- Kaduna State, Kogi State, Federal Capital Territory, Nasarawa State, Niger State, Plateau State
157. Gwong (Kagoma) – Kaduna State
158. Gwom – Taraba State
159. Gwoza (Waha) – Borno State
160. Gyem – Bauchi State
161. Ham (Hyam, Jaba, Jabba) – Kaduna State
162. Hausa – Bauchi State, Borno State, Jigawa State, Kaduna State, Kano State, Katsina State, Kebbi State, Niger State, Sokoto State, Taraba State
163. Holma – Adamawa State
164. Hona –  Adamawa State
165. Ibeno – Akwa Ibom State
166. Ibibio – Akwa Ibom State
167. Ichen – Adamawa State
168. Idoma – Benue State, Cross River State, Kogi State, Nassarawa State
169. Igala – Anambra State , Edo State , Enugu State, Kogi State
170. Igbo – Abia State, Anambra State, Delta State, Ebonyi State, Enugu State, Imo State, Rivers State
171. Ijumu – Kogi State
172. Ika – Delta State
173. Ikom – Cross River State
174. Ikwerre – Rivers State
175. Irigwe – Plateau State
176. Isoko – Delta State, Bayelsa State
177. Isekiri (Itsekiri) – Delta State
178. Iyala (Iyalla) – Cross River State
179. Izon (Ijaw) – Bayelsa State, Delta State, Edo State, Ondo State, Rivers State
180. Jahuna (Jahunawa) – Taraba State
181. Jaku – Bauchi State
182. Jara (Jaar Jarawa Jarawa-Dutse)Bauchi State
183. Jere (Jare, Jera, Jera, Jerawa) Bauchi State, Plateau State
184. Jero Taraba State
185. Jibu – Adamawa State
186. Jidda-Abu – Plateau State
187. Jimbin (Jimbinawa) – Bauchi State
188. Jirai – Adamawa State
189. Jonjo (Jenjo) – Taraba State
190. Jukun – Bauchi State, Benue State, Plateau State, Taraba State
191. Kaba(Kabawa)
192. Taraba State – Kadara Kaduna State, Niger State
193. Kafanchan – Kaduna State
194. Kagoro – Kaduna State
195. Kaje (Kache) – Kaduna State
196. Kajuru (Kajurawa) – Kaduna State
197. Kaka – Adamawa State
198. Kamaku (Karnukawa) – Kaduna State, Kebbi State, Niger State
199. Kambari – Kebbi State, Niger State
200. Kambu – Adamawa State
201. Kanakuru (Dera – Adamawa State, Borno State
202. Kanembu – Borno State

And Lot More…………