The middlebelt people of Nigeria are the most ethnically diverse people and the region is the most diverse. And as they say, beauty comes with diversity. Only that unfortunately most times the unique identity of middlebelt people is usally supressed by hausa fulani since they are sometimes grouped as Northernerns with the wrong name 'North central'.

But this thread here is a free one for all middlebelt ppl (northern minorities) to show case their beautiful culture to the world.
So whether u are Igala or Ebira from Kogi, Berom or Ngas from Plateau, Jukun or Mumuye from Taraba, Tiv or Idoma from Benue, Nupe or Gbagyi from Niger state, Atyap or Bajju from southern Kaduna, Eggon or Alago from Nasarawa e.t.c, here is the place to display your culture....as long as u are not Hausa fulani or kanuri from the Core north....
So let's go!!!

I begin from the largest tribe of the Middlebelt who are the Tivs.
These are the SWANGE DANCERS. one of the best group of dancers in Nigeria!!

Igede girls from Benue in their traditional attire

what about the yorubas in kwara and kogi states...just saying....good thread

Middle Belt got some of the best dancers in Nigeria.

Ham Dodo dance from Jaba, Southern Kaduna

Nupe women from Bida, Niger state.

tobtap: what about the yorubas in kwara and kogi states...just saying....good thread

Yorubas in Kwara and Kogi are politically part of the Middlebelt because they found themselves in the north central, but culturally and by history, the yorubas in kwara and Kogi are not part of the Middlebelt.
The Middlebelt is just for central/northern minority groups.

Nowenuse:

Yorubas in Kwara and Kogi are politically part of the Middlebelt because they found themselves in the north central, but culturally and by history, the yorubas in kwara and Kogi are not part of the Middlebelt.
The Middlebelt is just for central/northern minority groups.

Guess u are right though. ...

Dancers from Nasarawa state

Egbirra man and woman in traditional attire, Kogi state.

Ngas girls from Pankshin, Plateau state in traditional attire

A seemingly nice thread. #av always wondered what southern kadunas were. Carry on @op

A proud Idoma woman from Benue.

The traditional ruler of the Largest city of the middlebelt- THE GBON GWOM JOS. - HRH Da Jacob Buba Gyang.

Eggon girls from Nasarawa state

deeobserver209: Middle Belt got some of the best dancers in Nigeria.

U can say that again.

Danrizzle: A seemingly nice thread. #av always wondered what southern kadunas were. Carry on @op

Southern Kadunas are a collection of dozens of minority ethnic groups with very diverse cultures and languages! And they constitute roughly half the population of Kaduna state and they are mostly christians!
The only thing is that they all speak Hausa as a fluent second languages just as many other middlebelters do and this has overtime also affected their own native dialects.

Wonderful! Not all middle beltans speak hausa. Uptil this day,my grand ma does not know what is zo(come) in hausa. The only language she speaks and undastand is ngas.

drealzum: Wonderful! Not all middle beltans speak hausa. Uptil this day,my grand ma does not know what is zo(come) in hausa. The only language she speaks and undastand is ngas.

Yes u are r right my broda....not all middlebelters speak hausa. just dat many do.
only those in Benue, kogi, kwara and southern parts of Niger do not speak hausa in their majority. But d majority of those in plateau, Nasarawa, southern kaduna, Taraba do speak hausa (but still not entirely all of them).

Can anyone list all the ethnic groups in the middle belt. I am trying to compile a list.
Btw aren't Igede people more or less Idoma, I mean being that in language classification igede is Idomoid.

I feel it's pointless taking them as separate ethnic groups. middle belt should come together and organize their tribes into appropriate groups

macof: Can anyone list all the ethnic groups in the middle belt. I am trying to compile a list.
Btw aren't Igede people more or less Idoma, I mean being that in language classification igede is Idomoid.

I feel it's pointless taking them as separate ethnic groups. middle belt should come together and organize their tribes into appropriate groups

You are quite correct

There are so many ethnic groups in the MB, especially in the upper parts. It is easier to just consider the areas that are none of Hausa, Fulani and Kanuri in the far north. However, note that due to migration, the HFK enclaves can also be found in the MB areas. Most of the MB groups are not known to other Nigerians, including those in areas considered part of the MB

The first step would be a universal identification and recognition of the MB area

Personally, I identify the MB as follows:
Ethnic Groups: Tiv, Nupe, Igala, Idoma, Ebira, Gbagyi
Area Groups: Adamawa, Taraba, Plateau, Nasarawa, Southern Kaduna, Kainji

karfe:

You are quite correct

There are so many ethnic groups in the MB, especially in the upper parts. It is easier to just consider the areas that are none of Hausa, Fulani and Kanuri in the far north. However, note that due to migration, the HFK enclaves can also be found in the MB areas. Most of the MB groups are not known to other Nigerians, including those in areas considered part of the MB

The first step would be a universal identification and recognition of the MB area

Personally, I identify the MB as follows:
Ethnic Groups: Tiv, Nupe, Igala, Idoma, Ebira, Gbagyi
Area Groups: Adamawa, Taraba, Plateau, Nasarawa, Southern Kaduna, Kainji

thank you. I believe we should also include Jukun to ur list.
all descendants of the old kwararafa kingdom are found in Middle belt/North central, as such they aren't so different.

macof: Can anyone list all the ethnic groups in the middle belt. I am trying to compile a list.
Btw aren't Igede people more or less Idoma, I mean being that in language classification igede is Idomoid.

I feel it's pointless taking them as separate ethnic groups. middle belt should come together and organize their tribes into appropriate groups

An exhaustive list of Middlebelt tribes will just be very difficult to compile....but i think some googling on it will help u.
in my state Plateau alone we have not less than 50 distinct ethnic groups....not to talk of places like Southern Kaduna with about 55, Taraba with about 64, Nassarawa with about 30 e.t.c....it will really take much time to do that..
But let me at least give u some from my own Plateau state which am very conversent with to help u in your compilation. In plateau we have....

Tarok
Mwaghavul
Goemai
Ngas
Berom
Pyem
Afizere
Ron-Kulere
Kofyar (Kwagallak, Myernyang, Jipal and Doemak)
Mupun
Miship
Kadung
Anaguta
Rukuba
Irigwe
Mushere
Kadung
Mundat
Tal
Bogghom
Jhar
Lemoro
Kurama
Fyer
Aten
Yuom
Jukun Kona
Yangkam
Tambes
Chokobo
Anafejanji
Buji
Duguza
Jere
Pyapung

i think this is where i can stop....there are others

Nowenuse:

An exhaustive list of Middlebelt tribes will just be very difficult to compile....but i think some googling on it will help u.
in my state Plateau alone we have not less than 50 distinct ethnic groups....not to talk of places like Southern Kaduna with about 55, Taraba with about 64, Nassarawa with about 30 e.t.c....it will really take much time to do that..
But let me at least give u some from my own Plateau state which am very conversent with to help u in your compilation. In plateau we have....

Tarok
Mwaghavul
Goemai
Ngas
Berom
Pyem
Afizere
Ron-Kulere
Kofyar (Kwagallak, Myernyang, Jipal and Doemak)
Mupun
Miship
Kadung
Anaguta
Rukuba
Irigwe
Mushere
Kadung
Mundat
Tal
Bogghom
Jhar
Lemoro
Kurama
Fyer
Aten
Yuom
Jukun Kona
Yangkam
Tambes
Chokobo
Anafejanji
Buji
Duguza
Jere
Pyapung

i think this is where i can stop....there are others

Wow! Pls how culturally assimilated are these tribes(or ethnic groups)??
How close do they see themselves? how much cultural affiliation exists between them?

reasons for these questions is because I believe Nigerian politics creates this sort of breech between some tribes of the same ethnicity driving them to considered themselves different ethnic groups

Nowenuse: Egbirra man and woman in traditional attire, Kogi state.

Oh pls! Its Ebira ;If you are referring the ones in kogi central.

Igala girl from Kogi state

macof:

Wow! Pls how culturally assimilated are these tribes(or ethnic groups)??
How close do they see themselves? how much cultural affiliation exists between them?

reasons for these questions is because I believe Nigerian politics creates this sort of breech between some tribes of the same ethnicity driving them to considered themselves different ethnic groups

Well, as to what i can tell u about the ethnic groups i listed in Plateau state above......i can tell u that no 2 of those ethnic groups u see have the same language....instead almost all d ethnic groups have their own distinct dialects amongst them.
However, some of these groups are related with each other and can understand each other's languages to an extent, but i dont think any of these groups can understand each other's dialects up to 50% except for probably the Mupun- Mwaghavul- Mushere and probably the Buji -jere.
The mupun, mwaghavul and mushere i believe may be able to understand each other's dialects probably up to 40-70%, likewise the Buji and Jere......the Lemoro and kurama i cant really say how much they may understand each other's languages, but i know they are very much linguistically related.
Culturally many of us share some aspectsof tradition amd culture probably due to common origins or longtime being neighbours. But we have all been classified different from each other right from time.
U can see the numb 9 tribe on the list the Kofyar or Pan people as they are called.....they are divided into 4 subgroups, and each of these subgroups sometimes claim a distinct identity, but in the real sense they are one ppl and that is why u see i classified all of them (the Kwagallak or kwolla, Myernyang, Jipal and Doemak) as one ppl and not seperately.

If you want to find out which tribes come under the same ethnic group, see the language they speak and the Gods they worship.

Nowenuse:

Well, as to what i can tell u about the ethnic groups i listed in Plateau state above......i can tell u that no 2 of those ethnic groups u see have the same language....instead almost all d ethnic groups have their own distinct dialects amongst them.
However, some of these groups are related with each other and can understand each other's languages to an extent, but i dont think any of these groups can understand each other's dialects up to 50% except for probably the Mupun- Mwaghavul- Mushere and probably the Buji -jere.
The mupun, mwaghavul and mushere i believe may be able to understand each other's dialects probably up to 40-70%, likewise the Buji and Jere......the Lemoro and kurama i cant really say how much they may understand each other's languages, but i know they are very much linguistically related.
Culturally many of us share some aspectsof tradition amd culture probably due to common origins or longtime being neighbours. But we have all been classified different from each other right from time.
U can see the numb 9 tribe on the list the Kofyar or Pan people as they are called.....they are divided into 4 subgroups, and each of these subgroups sometimes claim a distinct identity, but in the real sense they are one ppl and that is why u see i classified all of them (the Kwagallak or kwolla, Myernyang, Jipal and Doemak) as one ppl and not seperately.

Thank you.

If this is the case, I was right to state that many tribes and sub-tribes are going around referring to themselves as ethnic group

PAGAN9JA: If you want to find out which tribes come under the same ethnic group, see the language they speak and the Gods they worship.

Apa , Jukun come under the same ethnicity for example.

True, language and spirituality is one strong binding factor

I believe if these separate tribes with such unrealized/forgotten bonds in Nigeria could come together under one name, it would be best for them

A Tarok girl from Plateau state.