Fellow Nairalanders when you come across a Ghanaian, South African, Malian, Kenyan etc it needs no introduction to tell who the person is, especially by what they wear.

From their dressing you can tell immediately that this is this but can one say that about Nigerians?

can Nigerians be seen as Nigerians by their dressing, language, traditions etc without associating it to any tribe like Hausa, igbo or Yoruba?

your opinion please.

sunnyshayne: Fellow Nairalanders when you come across a Ghanaian, South African, Malian, Kenyan etc it needs no introduction to tell who the person is, especially by what they wear.

From their dressing you can tell immediately that this is this but can one say that about Nigerians?

can Nigerians be seen as Nigerians by their dressing, language, traditions etc without associating it to any tribe like Hausa, igbo or Yoruba?

your opinion please.

No, it's hard sometimes on how others will see you as a Nigerian. Nigerians could easily pass for other West African nations due to the fact that Nigeria has over 250 ethnic groups. However, it is easy to differentiate a Nigerian from a South African and a Nigerian from a Kenyan due to far different regions.

West African cultures are quite similar.

Fulaman198:
No, it's hard sometimes on how others will see you as a Nigerian. Nigerians could easily pass for other West African nations due to the fact that Nigeria has over 250 ethnic groups. However, it is easy to differentiate a Nigerian from a South African and a Nigerian from a Kenyan due to far different regions.
West African cultures are quite similar.

I agree but I feel west african countries that are anglophone are hard to distinguish amongst each other to a extent but a anglophone west african country vs. francophone west african country most of the times you can distinguish, this is based on my experience though. I have noticed francophone west african countries have a slurr with their accent at times and anglophone west african countries don't.

anonymous6:

I agree but I feel west african countries that are anglophone are hard to distinguish amongst each other to a extent but a anglophone west african country vs. francophone west african country most of the times you can distinguish, this is based on my experience though. I have noticed francophone west african countries have a slurr with their accent at times and anglophone west african countries don't.

I think that is more of a regional thing. I've spoken to Fulani in Cameroon and Niger, and the accent is the same as Fulani in Nigeria.

anonymous6:

I agree but I feel west african countries that are anglophone are hard to distinguish amongst each other to a extent but a anglophone west african country vs. francophone west african country most of the times you can distinguish, this is based on my experience though. I have noticed francophone west african countries have a slurr with their accent at times and anglophone west african countries don't.

You are very on point, my concern has been can't we develop a national tradition or custom that can stand us out? The answer stares right back cos it will then turn to which tradition to adopt among the various tribes in Nigeria.

sunnyshayne:

You are very on point, my concern has been can't we develop a national tradition or custom that can stand us out? The answer stares right back cos it will then turn to which tradition to adopt among the various tribes in Nigeria.

She is on point to a certain extent when she is referring to urbanised Africans. What about African ethnic groups that are not fully urbanised and only speak African languages? They will share a similar accent to those in other Francophone/anglophone countries because they have not been exposed to Euro languages.

Fulaman198:

She is on point to a certain extent when she is referring to urbanised Africans. What about African ethnic groups that are not fully urbanised and only speak African languages? They will share a similar accent to those in other Francophone/anglophone countries because they have not been exposed to Euro languages.

I read a post not quite long on endangered languages and it kept me worried as well. This lack of unique distinction is big time problem. For instance I met a Niger guy in cotonou speaking Hausa, until I came close hear how he pronounces certain words I thought he was a Nigerian. What If i don't understand Hausa would I have known he is not Nigerian?

it goes back to my worry of how can one identify a Nigerian just like a ghanian without attaching his tribe to the description?

sunnyshayne:

I read a post not quite long on endangered languages and it kept me worried as well. This lack of unique distinction is big time problem. For instance I met a Niger guy in cotonou speaking Hausa, until I came close hear how he pronounces certain words I thought he was a Nigerian. What If i don't understand Hausa would I have known he is not Nigerian?

it goes back to my worry of how can one identify a Nigerian just like a ghanian without attaching his tribe to the description?

Excellent question

With Africans that don't speak European languages there is still a thing called regional dialects. Since he is Republic of Benin he is more than likely speaking the Sokoto dialect of Hausa (Sokotowashi). You would not be able to differentiate a Nigerian from a nearby area from him. It's the same thing with Fulani people. Those who live in Adamawa Cameroon speak just like Adamawa Nigeria. So you really won't know where they are from until they tell you. A Sokoto Hausa man speaks Hausa differently from a Kano Hausa man. That is due to different regional African languages having some mild influences on those African languages.

Again, that's a fantastic question. You can not really identify a Nigerian, simple as that. Until you ask the person themselves where they are from.

Fulaman198:

Excellent question

With Africans that don't speak European languages there is still a thing called regional dialects. Since he is Republic of Benin he is more than likely speaking the Sokoto dialect of Hausa (Sokotowashi). You would not be able to differentiate a Nigerian from a nearby area from him. It's the same thing with Fulani people. Those who live in Adamawa Cameroon speak just like Adamawa Nigeria. So you really won't know where they are from until they tell you. A Sokoto Hausa man speaks Hausa differently from a Kano Hausa man. That is due to different regional African languages having some mild influences on those African languages.

Again, that's a fantastic question. You can not really identify a Nigerian, simple as that. Until you ask the person themselves where they are from.

I thought they said historians will soon be out of circulation but you have just proved that a touch of history broadens the mind. If people knew what you seems to know about yourself, the world would have been better of.

sunnyshayne:

I thought they said historians will soon be out of circulation but you have just proved that a touch of history broadens the mind. If people knew what you seems to know about yourself, the world would have been better of.

As you are also aware my friend I'm sure it's the same with the Yoruba who don't have much contact with the English or French language. Take for example, there are a considerable amount of Yoruba natives in the Rep. of Benin. Those who live in the village and speak pure Yoruba are probably no different from Nigerian Yoruba who are not urbanised that speak pure Yoruba without English influence.

Fulaman198:

No, it's hard sometimes on how others will see you as a Nigerian. Nigerians could easily pass for other West African nations due to the fact that Nigeria has over 250 ethnic groups. However, it is easy to differentiate a Nigerian from a South African and a Nigerian from a Kenyan due to far different regions.

West African cultures are quite similar.

250 ethnic groups under wat records?? Who are the 250??
You probably mean 250 tribes,cus it's impossible for one nation to 250 ethnic groups?? that's already enough to make a continent

macof:

250 ethnic groups under wat records?? Who are the 250??
You probably mean 250 tribes,cus it's impossible for one nation to 250 ethnic groups?? that's already enough to make a continent

Most of the 250 ethnic groups reside in the North and there are quite a lot. There are not that many however in the South.

There's nothing to use to identity a Nigerian because there's no identity as "Nigerian"

As a wise man ones said "The only true identity of an African is his tribe or ethnicity"

I as a Yoruba man have more in common with a Beninese Anago than a Kanuri from Bornu, Nigeria

Fulaman198:

Most of the 250 ethnic groups reside in the North and there are quite a lot. There are not that many however in the South.

North? Same North where the Hausa language and identity is the general order
If wat u say is true then these "ethnic groups" are rather too small, below influential and almost irrelevant

Fulaman198:

Most of the 250 ethnic groups reside in the North and there are quite a lot. There are not that many however in the South.

He is right 250 tribes not ethnic groups

CAMNEWTON4PRES:

He is right 250 tribes not ethnic groups

I think someone once posted 510 tribes in Nigeria

Fulaman198:

I think someone once posted 510 tribes in Nigeria

Nawa o...I think we need to organize ourselves and think this thing through to come up with an accurate figure

macof:

Nawa o...I think we need to organize ourselves and think this thing through to come up with an accurate figure

I agree