The 250+ Tribes/ethnic Groups In Nigeria - Culture (4) - Nairaland
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| Re: The 250+ Tribes/ethnic Groups In Nigeria by AndreUweh(m): 10:10pm On Apr 03, 2010 |
Egun is completely different from Yoruba. No similarities of any sort. The Yorubas do not regard them as Yorubas either. The place regarded as enuani is a part of Igboland. Hence, the number one post in Igboland today is held by an Igbo from Enuani or Enuali or Enuana. It is our Igbo brothers who shamelessly make themselves minorities when they are not. Take it or leave it, Enuani is Igbo. |
| Re: The 250+ Tribes/ethnic Groups In Nigeria by marvielson(m): 3:07am On Apr 05, 2010 |
 I'l have to leave it.@ chineyen my mistake, totally agree with you. |
| Re: The 250+ Tribes/ethnic Groups In Nigeria by 006(m): 3:58pm On Apr 06, 2010 |
There are 3 tribes in my family, so Nigeria could be more than a 1,000 tribes in reality.  |
| Re: The 250+ Tribes/ethnic Groups In Nigeria by 9jaSoul(f): 3:37am On Apr 10, 2010 |
http://www.onlinenigeria.com/tribes/ Tribe Name State In Nigeria 1 Abayon Cross River 2 Abua (Odual) Rivers 3 Achipa (Achipawa) Kebbi 4 Adim Cross River 5 Adun Cross River 6 Affade Yobe 7 Afizere Plateau 8 Afo Plateau 9 Agbo Cross River 10 Akaju-Ndem (Akajuk) Cross River 11 Akweya-Yachi Benue 12 Alago (Arago) Piateau 13 Amo Plateau 14 Anaguta Plateau 15 Anang Akwa lbom 16 Andoni Akwa lbom, Rivers 17 Angas Bauchi, Jigawa, Plateau 18 Ankwei Plateau 19 Anyima Cross River 20 Attakar (ataka) Kaduna 21 Auyoka (Auyokawa) Jigawa 22 Awori Lagos, Ogun 23 Ayu Kaduna 24 Babur Adamawa, Bomo, Taraba, Yobe 25 Bachama Adamawa 26 Bachere Cross River 27 Bada Plateau 28 Bade Yobe 29 Bahumono Cross River 30 Bakulung Taraba 31 Bali Taraba 32 Bambora (Bambarawa) Bauchi 33 Bambuko Taraba 34 Banda (Bandawa) Taraba 35 Banka (Bankalawa) Bauchi 36 Banso (Panso) Adamawa 37 Bara (Barawa) Bauchi 38 Barke Bauchi 39 Baruba (Barba) Niger 40 Bashiri (Bashirawa) Plateau 41 Bassa Kaduna, Kogi, Niger, Plateau 42 Batta Adamawa 43 Baushi Niger 44 Baya Adamawa 45 Bekwarra Cross River 46 Bele (Buli, Belewa) Bauchi 47 Betso (Bete) Taraba 48 Bette Cross River 49 Bilei Adamawa 50 Bille Adamawa 51 Bina (Binawa) Kaduna 52 Bini Edo 53 Birom Plateau 54 Bobua Taraba 55 Boki (Nki) Cross River 56 Bkkos Plateau 57 Boko (Bussawa, Bargawa) Niger 58 Bole (Bolewa) Bauchi, Yobe 59 Botlere Adamawa 60 Boma (Bomawa, Burmano) Bauchi 61 Bomboro Bauchi 62 Buduma Borno, Niger 63 Buji Plateau 64 Buli Bauchi 65 Bunu Kogi 66 Bura Adamawa 67 Burak Bauchi 68 Burma (Burmawa) Plateau 69 Buru Yobe 70 Buta (Butawa) Bauchi 71 Bwall Plateau 72 Bwatiye Adamawa 73 Bwazza Adamawa 74 Challa Plateau 75 Chama (Chamawa Fitilai) Bauchi 76 Chamba Taraba 77 Chamo Bauchi 78 Chibok (Chibbak) Yobe 79 Chinine Borno 80 Chip Plateau 81 Chokobo Plateau 82 Chukkol Taraba 83 Daba Adamawa 84 Dadiya Bauchi 85 Daka Adamawa 86 Dakarkari Niger, Kebbi 87 Danda (Dandawa) Kebbi 88 Dangsa Taraba 89 Daza (Dere, Derewa) Bauchi 90 Degema Rivers 91 Deno (Denawa) Bauchi 92 Dghwede Bomo 93 Diba Taraba 94 Doemak (Dumuk) Plateau 95 Ouguri Bauchi 96 Duka (Dukawa) Kebbi 97 Duma (Dumawa) Bauchi 98 Ebana (Ebani) Rivers 99 Ebirra (lgbirra) Edo, Kogi, Ondo 100 Ebu Edo, Kogi 101 Efik Cross River 102 Egbema Rivers 103 Egede (lgedde) Benue 104 Eggon Plateau 105 Egun (Gu) Lagos,Ogun 106 Ejagham Cross River 107 Ekajuk Cross River 108 Eket Akwa Ibom 109 Ekoi Cross River 110 Engenni (Ngene) Rivers 111 Epie Rivers 112 Esan (Ishan) Edo 113 Etche Rivers 114 Etolu (Etilo) Benue 115 Etsako Edo 116 Etung Cross River 117 Etuno Edo 118 Palli Adamawa 119 Pulani (Pulbe) Bauchi, Borno, Jigawa , Kaduna, Kano, Katsina, Kebbi , Niger, Sokoto, Taraba, Yobe, etc. 120 Fyam (Fyem) Plateau 121 Fyer(Fer) Plateau 122 Ga'anda Adamawa 123 Gade Niger 124 Galambi Bauchi 125 Gamergu-Mulgwa Bomo 126 Qanawuri Plateau 127 Gavako Borno 128 Gbedde Kogi 129 Gengle Taraba 130 Geji Bauchi 131 Gera (Gere, Gerawa) Bauchi 132 Geruma (Gerumawa) Plateau 133 Geruma (Gerumawa) Bauchi 134 Gingwak Bauchi 135 Gira Adamawa 136 Gizigz Adamawa 137 Goernai Plateau 138 Gokana (Kana) Rivers 139 Gombi Adamawa 140 Gornun (Gmun) Taraba 141 Gonia Taraba 142 Gubi (Gubawa) Bauchi 143 Gude Adamawa 144 Gudu Adamawa 145 Gure Kaduna 146 Gurmana Niger 147 Gururntum Bauchi 148 Gusu Plateau 149 Gwa (Gurawa) Adamawa 150 Gwamba Adamawa 151 Gwandara Kaduna, Niger, Plateau 152 Gwari (Gbari) Kaduna, Niger, Plateau 153 Gwom Taraba 154 Gwoza (Waha) Bomo 155 Gyem Bauchi 156 Hausa Bauchi, Borno, Jigawa, Kaduna,Kano, Kastina, Kebbi, Niger,Taraba, Sokoto, etc 157 Higi (Hig) Borno, Adamawa 158 Holma Adamawa 159 Hona Adamawa 160 Ibeno Akwa lbom 161 Ibibio Akwa lbom 162 Ichen Adamawa 163 Idoma Benue, Taraba 164 Igalla Kogi 165 lgbo Abia, Anambra, Benue, Delta, Ebonyi,Enugu, Imo, Rivers 166 ljumu Kogi 167 Ikorn Cross River 168 Irigwe Plateau 169 Isoko Delta 170 lsekiri (Itsekiri) Delta 171 lyala (lyalla) Cross River 172 lzondjo) Bayelsa, Delta, Ondo, Rivers 173 Jaba Kaduna 174 Jahuna (Jahunawa) Taraba 175 Jaku Bauchi 176 Jara (Jaar Jarawa Jarawa-Dutse) Bauchi 177 Jere (Jare, Jera, Jera, Jerawa) Bauchi, Plateau 178 Jero Taraba 179 Jibu Adamawa 180 Jidda-Abu Plateau 181 Jimbin (Jimbinawa) Bauchi 182 Jirai Adamawa 183 Jonjo (Jenjo) Taraba 184 Jukun Bauchi, Benue,Taraba, Plateau 185 Kaba(Kabawa) Taraba 186 Kadara Taraba 187 Kafanchan Kaduna 188 Kagoro Kaduna 189 Kaje (Kache) Kaduna 190 Kajuru (Kajurawa) Kaduna 191 Kaka Adamawa 192 Kamaku (Karnukawa) Kaduna, Kebbi, Niger 193 Kambari Kebbi, Niger 194 Kambu Adamawa 195 Kamo Bauchi 196 Kanakuru (Dera) Adamawa, Borno 197 Kanembu Bomo 198 Kanikon Kaduna 199 Kantana Plateau 200 Kanufi Kaduna, Adamawa, Bomo, Kano,Niger, Jigawa, Plateau, Taraba, Yobe 201 Karekare (Karaikarai) Bauchi, Yobe 202 Karimjo Taraba 203 Kariya Bauchi 204 Katab (Kataf) Kaduna 205 Kenern (Koenoem) Plateau 206 Kenton Taraba 207 Kiballo (Kiwollo) Kaduna 208 Kilba Adamawa 209 Kirfi (Kirfawa) Bauchi 210 Koma Taraba 211 Kona Taraba 212 Koro (Kwaro) Kaduna, Niger 213 Kubi (Kubawa) Bauchi 214 Kudachano (Kudawa) Bauchi 215 Kugama Taraba 216 Kulere (Kaler) Plateau 217 Kunini Taraba 218 Kurama Jigawa, Kaduna, Niger, Plateau 219 Kurdul Adamawa 220 Kushi Bauchi 221 Kuteb Taraba 222 Kutin Taraba 223 Kwalla Plateau 224 Kwami (Kwom) Bauchi 225 Kwanchi Taraba 226 Kwanka (Kwankwa) Bauchi, Plateau 227 Kwaro Plateau 228 Kwato Plateau 229 Kyenga (Kengawa) Sokoto 230 Laaru (Larawa) Niger 231 Lakka Adamawa 232 Lala Adamawa 233 Lama Taraba 234 Lamja Taraba 235 Lau Taraba 236 Ubbo Adamawa 237 Limono Bauchi, Plateau 238 Lopa (Lupa, Lopawa) Niger 239 Longuda (Lunguda) Adamawa, Bauchi 240 Mabo Plateau 241 Mada Kaduna, Plateau 242 Mama Plateau 243 Mambilla Adamawa 244 Manchok Kaduna 245 Mandara (Wandala) Bomo 246 Manga (Mangawa) Yobe 247 Margi (Marghi) Adamawa, Bomo 248 Matakarn Adamawa 249 Mbembe Cross River, Enugu 250 Mbol Adamawa 251 Mbube Cross River 252 Mbula Adamawa 253 Mbum Taraba 254 Memyang (Meryan) Plateau 255 Miango Plateau 256 Miligili (Migili) Plateau 257 Miya (Miyawa) Bauchi 258 Mobber Bomo 259 Montol Plateau 260 Moruwa (Moro'a, Morwa) Kaduna 261 Muchaila Adamawa 262 Mumuye Taraba 263 Mundang Adamawa 264 Munga (Mupang) Plateau 265 Mushere Plateau 266 Mwahavul (Mwaghavul) Plateau 267 Ndoro Taraba 268 Ngamo Bauchi, Yobe 269 Ngizim Yobe 270 Ngweshe (Ndhang.Ngoshe-Ndhang) Adamawa, Borno 271 Ningi (Ningawa) Bauchi 272 Ninzam (Ninzo) Kaduna, Plateau 273 Njayi Adamawa 274 Nkim Cross River 275 Nkum Cross River 276 Nokere (Nakere) Plateau 277 Nunku Kaduna, Plateau 278 Nupe Niger 279 Nyandang Taraba 280 Ododop Cross River 281 Ogori Kwara 282 Okobo (Okkobor) Akwa lbom 283 Okpamheri Edo 284 Olulumo Cross River 285 Oron Akwa lbom 286 Owan Edo 287 Owe Kwara 288 Oworo Kwara 289 Pa'a (Pa'awa Afawa) Bauchi 290 Pai Plateau 291 Panyam Taraba 292 Pero Bauchi 293 Pire Adamawa 294 Pkanzom Taraba 295 Poll Taraba 296 Polchi Habe Bauchi 297 Pongo (Pongu) Niger 298 Potopo Taraba 299 Pyapun (Piapung) Plateau 300 Qua Cross River 301 Rebina (Rebinawa) Bauchi 302 Reshe Kebbi, Niger 303 Rindire (Rendre) Plateau 304 Rishuwa Kaduna 305 Ron Piateau 306 Rubu Niger 307 Rukuba Plateau 308 Rumada Kaduna 309 Rumaya Kaduna 310 Sakbe Taraba 311 Sanga Bauchi 312 Sate Taraba 313 Saya (Sayawa Za'ar) Bauchi 314 Segidi (Sigidawa) Bauchi 315 Shanga (Shangawa) Sokoto 316 Shangawa (Shangau) Plateau 317 Shan-Shan Plateau 318 Shira (Shirawa) Kano 319 Shomo Taraba 320 Shuwa Adamawa, Borno 321 Sikdi Plateau 322 Siri (Sirawa) Bauchi 323 Srubu (Surubu) Kaduna 324 Sukur Adamawa 325 Sura Plateau 326 Tangale Bauchi 327 Tarok Plateau, Taraba 328 Teme Adamawa 329 Tera (Terawa) Bauchi, Bomo 330 Teshena (Teshenawa) Kano 331 Tigon Adamawa 332 Tikar Taraba 333 Tiv Benue, Plateau, Taraba 334 Tula Bauchi 335 Tur Adamawa 336 Ufia Benue 337 Ukelle Cross River 338 Ukwani (Kwale) Delta 339 Uncinda Kaduna, Kebbi, Niger, Sokoto 340 Uneme (Ineme) Edo 341 Ura (Ula) Niger 342 Urhobo Delta 343 Utonkong Benue 344 Uyanga Cross River 345 Vemgo Adamawa 346 Verre Adamawa 347 Vommi Taraba 348 Wagga Adamawa 349 Waja Bauchi 350 Waka Taraba 351 Warja (Warja) Jigawa 352 Warji Bauchi 353 Wula Adamawa 354 Wurbo Adamawa 355 Wurkun Taraba 356 Yache Cross River 357 Yagba Kwara 358 Yakurr (Yako) Cross River 359 Yalla Benue 360 Yandang Taraba 361 Yergan (Yergum) Plateau 362 Yoruba Kwara, Lagos, Ogun, Ondo, Oyo, Osun, Ekiti, Kogi 363 Yott Taraba 364 Yumu Niger 365 Yungur Adamawa 366 Yuom Plateau 367 Zabara Niger 368 Zaranda Bauchi 369 Zarma (Zarmawa) Kebbi 370 Zayam (Zeam) Bauchi 371 Zul (Zulawa) Bauchi 1 Like |
| Re: The 250+ Tribes/ethnic Groups In Nigeria by 006(m): 2:17pm On Jun 26, 2010 |
Nigeria does not have 250 tribes. It’s about 36 in number as recognized by the Nigerian government. Most people’s claims are merely towns, local governments, dialects etc but cannot be classified as ethnic groups. Ignorance shouldn’t be consuming us. 1 Angas 2 Bariba 3 Batta 4 Birom 5 Boki 6 Bussawa 7 Chamba 8 Dukawa 9 Edo 10 Ekoi 11 Gwari 12 Hausa 13 Ibibio 14 Idoma 15 Igala 16 Igbirra 17 Igbo 18 Ijaw 19 Itsekiri 20 Jarawa 21 Jukun 22 Kambari 23 Kamuku 24 Kanuri 25 Kare 26 Katab 27 Longuda 28 Marghi 29 Mumuye 30 Ningawa 31 Nupe 32 Tangale 33 Tiv 34 Urhobo 35 Vkelle (Kukele) 36 Yoruba Source: National Bureau of Statistic (Nigerian government official website) www.nigerianstat.gov.ng |
| Re: The 250+ Tribes/ethnic Groups In Nigeria by 006(m): 2:34pm On Jun 26, 2010 |
States where they exist. 1 Abia Ekoi Ibibio Igbo 2 Adamawa Batta Chamba Kanuri Longuda Marghi Mumuye 3 Akwa Ibom Ekoi Ibibio Igbo 4 Anambra Igala Igbo 5 Bauchi Angas Hausa Jarawa Kanuri Kare Ningawa Tangale 6 Bayelsa Igbo Ijaw 7 Benue Idoma Igbo Tiv Vkelle (Kukele) 8 Bornu Hausa Kanuri Longuda Marghi 9 Cross River Boki Ekoi Ibibio Idoma Igbo Tiv Vkelle (Kukele) 10 Delta Edo Igbo Ijaw Itsekiri Urhobo 11 Ebonyi Ekoi Idoma Igbo Vkelle (Kukele) 12 Edo Edo Igala Igbirra Igbo Itsekiri Urhobo Yoruba 13 Ekiti Yoruba 14 Enugu Idoma Igala Igbo 15 Gombe Batta Hausa Kanuri Kare Longuda Marghi Tangale 16 Imo Igbo 17 Jigawa Hausa Kanuri Ningawa 18 Kaduna Angas Birom Gwari Hausa Jarawa Katab 19 Kano Hausa Jarawa Ningawa 20 Katsina Hausa 21 Kebbi Bussawa Dukawa Hausa Kambari Kamuku Nupe 22 Kogi Edo Gwari Idoma Igala Igbirra Igbo Nupe Yoruba 23 Kwara Bariba Bussawa Nupe Yoruba 24 Lagos Yoruba 25 Nassarawa Angas Gwari Idoma Igbirra Katab Tiv 26 Niger Bariba Bussawa Dukawa Gwari Igbirra Kambari Kamuku Nupe Yoruba 27 Ogun Yoruba 28 Ondo Edo Igbirra Ijaw Yoruba 29 Osun Yoruba 30 Oyo Yoruba 31 Plateau Angas Birom Jarawa Jukun Tangale Tiv 32 Rivers Ibibio Igbo Ijaw 33 Sokoto Bussawa Dukawa Hausa 34 Taraba Angas Batta Chamba Jukun Mumuye Tangale Tiv 35 Yobe Hausa Kanuri Kare Marghi 36 Zamfara Dukawa Gwari Hausa Kambari Kamuku 37 Abuja FCT Gwari Igbirra |
| Re: The 250+ Tribes/ethnic Groups In Nigeria by 006(m): 2:51pm On Jun 26, 2010 |
In the Southern Nigeria, we have: 1 Boki 2 Edo 3 Ekoi 4 Ibibio 5 Idoma 6 Igala 7 Igbirra 8 Igbo 9 Ijaw 10 Itsekiri 11 Tiv 12 Urhobo 13 Vkelle (Kukele) 14 Yoruba Where Ekoi and Ibibio are dialects of the yet to be named ethnic group which some people call Efik/Ibibio. Idoma, Igala, Igbirra, and Tiv have insignificant population in the South as they live mainly in the North. |
| Re: The 250+ Tribes/ethnic Groups In Nigeria by 006(m): 2:58pm On Jun 26, 2010 |
In the Northern Nigeria, we have: 1 Angas 2 Bariba 3 Batta 4 Birom 5 Bussawa 6 Chamba 7 Dukawa 8 Edo 9 Gwari 10 Hausa 11 Idoma 12 Igala 13 Igbirra 14 Igbo 15 Jarawa 16 Jukun 17 Kambari 18 Kamuku 19 Kanuri 20 Kare 21 Katab 22 Longuda 23 Marghi 24 Mumuye 25 Ningawa 26 Nupe 27 Tangale 28 Tiv 29 Vkelle (Kukele) 30 Yoruba Where Edo and Igbo have insignificant population in the North as they live mainly in the South. |
| Re: The 250+ Tribes/ethnic Groups In Nigeria by ChinenyeN(m): 3:03pm On Jun 26, 2010 |
I find the 250+ claim, much more believable than what you posted, 006. |
| Re: The 250+ Tribes/ethnic Groups In Nigeria by Nobody: 8:08am On Jun 27, 2010 |
who was that Bendelite woman that sang the song Her name is Evi Edna Ugholi There are forumites who have not stepped foot in some regions of Nigeria, yet they are here debating whether the country do indeed have upto 250 languages. At least a hundred languages are spoken in the middle belt alone. The exhaustive list even left out many languages, for instance in Borno State where I grew up, languages like KareKare and Zage-Zage where left out. Some noted that the list contains name of Villages or places, while this is true, one should also know that there is often a direct correlation between the name of a tribe and the name of the land which its people inhabits. It is a common phenomenon in many countries. What next are some people gonna refute? that the country's population is not 150 million plus, but 20 million? |
| Re: The 250+ Tribes/ethnic Groups In Nigeria by 006(m): 1:47pm On Jun 27, 2010 |
^^^ Ignorance is what is consuming Nigeria. When you understand the difference between a dialect and a language, then you’ll blush at your ignorance. Notwithstanding all the socio-political clans and towns/LGs claiming ethnicity separate from their parent ethnicity, Nigeria does not have that many languages. All we have are merely dialects which if the criteria used to elongate the list to 250+ is applied to the letter, then we’ll probably be counting over 2,000 languages in Nigeria. As for your KareKare, they are found mainly in Bauchi, Gombe, and Yobe States and are known as Kare. The last time I checked, Yobe was part of former Borno State. |
| Re: The 250+ Tribes/ethnic Groups In Nigeria by ChinenyeN(m): 2:13pm On Jun 27, 2010 |
Language vs Dialect. . . Those two words cause so much trouble. That's why I've elected to use the word "lect". It carries the meaning of both language and dialect and none of the preconceptions. Anyway, 006, do you, yourself know the difference between a language and a dialect? If so, please enunciate. |
| Re: The 250+ Tribes/ethnic Groups In Nigeria by ezeagu(m): 4:13pm On Jun 27, 2010 |
006: Ishan is a major ethnic group and it is missing from this list, which means there are other ethnic groups missing from this list. Ethnic groups in Nigeria may actually be 250+, that being said, the relationship and similarities between these groups is not indicated. What I'm trying to say is that not all groups in Nigeria have come together under a larger body to form an ethnicity. The Igbo, Yoruba, Hausa/Fulani could have easily had their divisions down to the towns represented as separate ethnic groups and they would have been able to defend their uniqueness because it exists, in fact some of those divisons are already listed as separate ethnic groups on that larger list. I don't believe there are hundreds of 'microscopic' tribes with completely different languages though. Let's look at the list of 250+ ethnic groups for an example for some possible relations: 49 Bilei Adamawa 50 Bille Adamawa I don't know if this is a spelling mistake that made one group seem like two (similar to Igbo, Ibo) but these two groups names are too similar to be completely different, especially as they are in the same location. Eket, Ekoi, Ibibio, Annang, Oron, Efik, Ejagham are an ethnic group, similar language and do not have any other variety apart from some parts of culture. Oron is a town and so is Eket. Ukwuani: 8 states are indicated as Igbo/partially Igbo which cover Ika, Ikwerre, Ogba, etc, yet Ukwuani is on the list as separate. The list is not trustworthy. 350 Waka Taraba: Some of these ethnic groups are even insulting the reader.  |
| Re: The 250+ Tribes/ethnic Groups In Nigeria by 006(m): 10:18pm On Jun 27, 2010 |
@ ezeagu Ishan/Eshan and Afemai are Edo speaking groups thus belong to Edo ethnic group. One thing you should know is that no one speaks a language; instead everyone speaks a dialect of a language. It is imperative to find the language for which a given dialect belongs to. The problem we have in Nigeria is that before the Europeans came, many groups did not know that similar groups ever existed and thought that they were the only ones. When communication improved, similar groups were discovered and grouped together; some in those groups sometimes find it hard to accept the reality because the mentality was that they were the only ones. For instance, an Ijebu or an Egba in those days may not know that he is a Yoruba until he was told so and when he actually listens to the language called Yoruba, he’ll find out that Ijebu or Egba are mere dialects of the bigger group. Some accepted without fuss, others refused to be group together with others; but their refusal cannot force the academia to group them separately because it’s irrational. Note that these groups may not necessarily have the same progenitor or migration but are grouped together based solely on language and similarity of culture. Same exists in Igbo, Ijaw and other groups. The list I gave is what Nigerian government has and it’s not quite different from ethnic maps published by our colonial masters. |
| Re: The 250+ Tribes/ethnic Groups In Nigeria by ChinenyeN(m): 10:28pm On Jun 27, 2010 |
006:Ethnicity is about consciousness and identity; not mode of speech. Mode of speech only help perpetuate an ethnic identity. They are not the identity itself. |
| Re: The 250+ Tribes/ethnic Groups In Nigeria by ezeagu(m): 1:20am On Jun 28, 2010 |
006: Don't let an Ishan hear you calling them Edo, on that note where is Urhobo/Isoko and Itsekiri? If these groups are going to be called Edo then the Ika should as well. Many groups did know others like them existed, not necessarily the scope, but there were trading routes and people all the way from a town like Owerre or Aba regularly travelled to Bonny, etc. You even see town names from the Igbo part of the west of the river Niger mimic those of the east of the river (e.g. Owerre). The thing is that in every ethnic group on earth, the subdivisions are never living in Harmony, see Scottish clans for instance who hold on to grudges that are hundreds of years old or Japanese towns who carry out honour killings. It's only when an alien group is met that their similarities become clearer to them, no one was pushing away the Igbo label in 1930. These problems between Igbo groups go down to the village; different communities regularly fall out of/create/enter other communities when they have conflict with their old federations, the Ika even have problems between towns. In Ebonyi two Igbo groups are having/had an all out war. 006: The 'Academia' once called the Ijaw 'Eboe' along with the rest of the Igbo people. These ethnic groups, had they been in Europe or had they had at least 5 million members each, would have been grouped separately. After all English people and German people are both Germanic and share aspects of culture and language but they aren't an ethnic group. |
| Re: The 250+ Tribes/ethnic Groups In Nigeria by 006(m): 2:27am On Jun 28, 2010 |
A beg, review the list before you start ranting! 006: For goodness sake, is the academia the same as our colonial masters and where on earth has Nigeria as a nation ever called the Ijaw Eboe?  006: |
| Re: The 250+ Tribes/ethnic Groups In Nigeria by ChinenyeN(m): 3:36am On Jun 28, 2010 |
006, you do understand that those groupings are primarily/particularly linguistic groupings, right? You do realize that linguistics is the basis of how the groups in Nigeria are classified, right? |
| Re: The 250+ Tribes/ethnic Groups In Nigeria by ezeagu(m): 6:19am On Jun 28, 2010 |
006: I didn't even realise you split the list into north and south. I was looking at north. My point still stands because of the Ishan and others. 006: There is no mention of Ijaw or Ijo any time before Nigeria's creation, many groups were joined under 'Eboe'. What the 'academia' says always changes. If a group is serious about being distinct and can prove it, things will be changed. |
| Re: The 250+ Tribes/ethnic Groups In Nigeria by Nobody: 6:23am On Jun 28, 2010 |
Ukwuani: 8 states are indicated as Igbo/partially Igbo which cover Ika, Ikwerre, Ogba, etc, yet Ukwuani is on the list as separate. The list is not trustworthy. I thought the Ikwerres dont see themselves as Igbo |
| Re: The 250+ Tribes/ethnic Groups In Nigeria by 006(m): 2:52pm On Jun 28, 2010 |
ezeagu: Had you ever read about the Edo people? When was Nigeria created? 1914 or 1960? *chuckles* Anyway, before our independence, Ijaw/Ijo was known as an ethnic group. |
| Re: The 250+ Tribes/ethnic Groups In Nigeria by ChinenyeN(m): 3:28pm On Jun 28, 2010 |
006, I see you ignoring my posts. Honestly, I only need you to answer my question. We aren't going to go into any kind of debate/discussion. That is far from my intention. I'm not here to get into it with you. I would only like to know if you realize that those lists you have there are primarily/particularly linguistic groupings. I also want to know if you really know the difference between a language and a dialect (or at least, what you think the difference between a language and a dialect are). So please, just briefly touch on those for me. Just know that I'm not interested in arguing with you. I just want to better understanding your understanding. |
| Re: The 250+ Tribes/ethnic Groups In Nigeria by 006(m): 7:59pm On Jun 28, 2010 |
^^^ Sorry but you're asking a question you already knew the answer and believed/accepted what you want to believe/accept. 1 Like |
| Re: The 250+ Tribes/ethnic Groups In Nigeria by ChinenyeN(m): 8:32pm On Jun 28, 2010 |
006:That shouldn't be a reason why you wouldn't answer. As for whether or not I know the answer to those questions (there are two questions by the way, if you didn't notice). . . sorry, I don't, and that's why I'm asking. I'm looking for further clarification. That ought not be a problem, should it? |
| Re: The 250+ Tribes/ethnic Groups In Nigeria by 006(m): 10:17pm On Jun 28, 2010 |
^^^ Let me start by saying that when you enter a community you’ve never been to and never learnt their language and was able to communicate with them effectively without putting much effort to it within 0 – 7 days, then know you speak the same language with them. (0 – 7 days is my personal assumption as I believe that no one can understand perfectly a new language he has never heard before within a week without much effort). An Ika man, who was born and bred in Ika and never heard or learnt any other language other than Ika, can comfortably move to Aro (a faraway community) and start communicating with them effectively within a very short period without much effort – it takes mere adjustment to the sound an Ika man has been hearing all the time; but cannot move to Bini (a neighbouring community) and do the same without much effort despite the fact some bini words are in Ika language. This means that Ika and Aro are dialects of the same language and Bini does not belong to that same language. It is imperative to note that everyone speaks a dialect of a language and no one speaks a language. When different dialects with similar syntax, structure and grammar are grouped together, then we have a language. Sometimes, a group of similar dialects do not have a name for the language they belong to but that does not make them separate languages, e.g. Efik/Ibibio. What is a dialect? As defined by Oxford dictionary, it is the form of a language that is spoken in one area with grammar, words [/b]and [b]pronunciation that may be different from other forms of the same language. This means that a dialect belongs to a language and a language does not belong to a dialect. It might be possible for a dialect to exist all on its own without any other variation; in this case, it is a language on its own. ChinenyeN: Yes, the groupings are primarily linguistic and secondarily cultural. Any group of peoples with similar language usually have so many similar cultures as well, no exception anywhere in the world. A group of people must not necessarily have the same progenitor or migration. |
| Re: The 250+ Tribes/ethnic Groups In Nigeria by ChinenyeN(m): 10:26pm On Jun 28, 2010 |
There. Thank you. Now, was that so difficult? Anyway, your post raised many more questions for me, but I don't care enough to ask. |
| Re: The 250+ Tribes/ethnic Groups In Nigeria by 006(m): 10:39pm On Jun 28, 2010 |
^^^ You can ask if you want but I can answer only the things I know of. |
| Re: The 250+ Tribes/ethnic Groups In Nigeria by Nobody: 4:38am On Jun 29, 2010 |
Ignorance is what is consuming Nigeria. When you understand the difference between a dialect and a language, then you’ll blush at your ignorance. Notwithstanding all the socio-political clans and towns/LGs claiming ethnicity separate from their parent ethnicity, Nigeria does not have that many languages. All we have are merely dialects which if the criteria used to elongate the list to 250+ is applied to the letter, then we’ll probably be counting over 2,000 languages in Nigeria. @006 Yes, some of the listed languages, could be classified as dialects, that is, if one applies the definition of dialect in the true sense of its meaning. However, your whole approach to this issue is flawed. Perhaps, you need to be educated on some facts and realities of the life we live in. My brother, in reality, things are not often interpreted in Black and White - it is a simple fact they dont teach at school - you need to think outside the box most times to understand a lot of things. There is a difference between what is Right and what is Correct, and your arguments and those of others stemmed from the inability to differentiate between the two. I'm glad you defined (from Oxford dictionary) what a dialect is, you said, "it is the form of a language that is spoken in one area with grammar, words and pronunciation that may be different from other forms of the same language." By this definition, many so-called languages spoken in many parts of the world today are (actually) dialects. For instance, English and German are dialects of the Germanic language with lots of words in common, but we all know that the "all knowing English" do not regard the English language as a dialect. Spanish, Portuguese and Italian are variants (dialects) of the latin language, yet they are classified as different languages. Korean and Japanese are two very similar languages, but they are classified as different languages. Ukrainian, russian, belarussian, polish, and bulgarian are dialects of the slavic language, yet they are officially categorized as separate languages. Turkish (Turkey), Azeri (Azaibejan), Turkmen (Turkmenistan), Uzbek (Uzbekistan), Kyrgyz (Kyrgystan), and Kazakh (Kazkhstan) are dialects of the Turkic language, yet are officially classified as different languages. Tajiki is recognized as a language, even though it is a dialect of the Persian language, should I go on? Most Europeans are still yet to digest the complexity and richness of Africa's cultural diversities - and the fact that it surpasses those in every other continent - hence they try looping us as one at every chance they get. I have seen so many Europeans who are so-called "experts of African history and cultures" come on TV to claim how so-and-so African languages are dialects and not languages, simply because they can name few words they have in common. What they do not apply to themselves, they apply to us. There dialects are "languages" , but ours are not. (sigh), for so long African cultures have suffered from intellectual double standards, particularly from the western world, and many Africans have internalized and assimilated this trend so much so, that they become intellectually naive whenever it comes to discussions like this. They are quick to belittle their brethren and showcase how "educated" they are with their academic interpretations of issues, while they ignore realities. Every development or findings in their countries that do not 100% fit into their so-called academic views, they criticize vehemently. You often do not see such scrutiny and criticism whenever they are dealing with issues concerning the Europeans. They let Europeans have their way, but their African brethren have to play by the book. Should the Nigerian government fully play by the "rules" of the Europeans and other non-African nations, the number of languages that 'll make the list would surpass 600. Now,is it the right thing to do? No; but it is the correct thing to do. The 'Academia' once called the Ijaw 'Eboe' along with the rest of the Igbo people. These ethnic groups, had they been in Europe or had they had at least 5 million members each, would have been grouped separately. After all English people and German people are both Germanic and share aspects of culture and language but they aren't an ethnic group. @ezeagu Thanks, you raised an important point which people like @006 need to fully comprehend. If we apply the definition of dialect in its true sense of meaning, many European languages we know today would not be classified as languages, but dialects. One also ought to know that most countries around the world, especially in Europe, were formed on the basis of ethnicity and dialects. We however, were not the architects of our present geographic boundaries, the Europeans were. Often some of us forget that countries in Africa are actually a conglomerate of nations that made no sense to the Europeans. The reason why some are still blinded to the fact that so many non-African languages we know today are actually dialects, and not languages, is because of the share sizes of the land and population of their speakers. Some tend to forget that Africa is where it (speech) all started, Africa gave the rest of the world the power of speech. As the cradle of humanity, it is no surprise that the continent has almost an endless number of languages and dialects like no other, hence ethnic groups are often found to be few miles apart. If one plays by the "rules", it is therefore correct to list many so-called dialects in Nigeria, as languages. The problem I have with the official list is that, it did not play by the "rules" well enough, else it should have at least 600 languages. The list left out many languages mostly because the population of their speakers were deemed to be too small and therefore unworthy of note. Were it not for the devastating impacts centuries of slave trades had on the continent, the population of those small ethnic groups alone could have surpassed those of many nations around the world. So, whenever my European friends ask me how many languages are spoken in my country, I say (with pride) 250 plus. Suddenly, they wanna know how and why that was possible, I then go on to lecture them on some hard facts they never would learn at school and/or via the media.  |
| Re: The 250+ Tribes/ethnic Groups In Nigeria by ezeagu(m): 11:29am On Jun 29, 2010 |
006: What is there to read about the Edo people? The Ishan are Ishan, the Edo are Edo. If the Ishan are Edo, then by the same measure the Ika are Edo. The Nigerian protectorate (amalgamation of the Southern and Northern protectorate which were created in the 1800's) was created in the 1910's. The Ijaw were known as 'Brass tribes' in the 1800's and in the 1700's as 'Eboes' of the 'Eboe country', there are books with written accounts of men with 'large canoes in the Eboe country', the only two groups mentioned here are 'Eboes' and 'Bites'/'Calabaries'/'Mokos'. |
| Re: The 250+ Tribes/ethnic Groups In Nigeria by ChinenyeN(m): 12:48pm On Jun 29, 2010 |
Maple, it is like that, because the terms "language" and "dialect" are rooted more so in politics than linguistics. There is a joke/humor saying that linguists use, which goes, "a language is a dialect with an army and a navy". This [proverbial] saying is how linguists have come to recognize and highlight on the highly politicized meanings of "language" and "dialect". In reality, there is not real difference between a language and a dialect. At least, linguistically, there isn't. |
| Re: The 250+ Tribes/ethnic Groups In Nigeria by 006(m): 1:23pm On Jun 29, 2010 |
ezeagu: @ ezeagu, Did you even read my last post? Surely you didn’t. You’re angle of the argument is a bit funny. So you want to tell me about Ijaws and Igbos and you went as far back as 1700’s and 1800’s when the Europeans had barely explored the whole of Africa and understood her peoples. My brother, come down to pre-independence, around 1940 – 1960. Where the Ijaws known as Ijaw/Ijo by the Europeans/colonial masters at this time? A Yes or a No answer would suffice. |
| Re: The 250+ Tribes/ethnic Groups In Nigeria by 006(m): 1:39pm On Jun 29, 2010 |
Maple: In all these languages you listed, can you speak/understand any of them apart from English? How could you know the extent of the similarities and differences between them? Let’s be realistic. When you talked about English and German, both have the same origin; in fact, English people had German origin. The languages have diverged so significantly that an English man cannot move to Germany and start communicating with the Germans without putting in months of study to understand German and vice versa. Despite the fact that the English were Germans, the two languages are no longer the same, hence the English are no longer of German ethnicity; this is the essence of what I was talking about. Ethnicity has all to do with language and maybe culture and little or nothing to do with origin/progenitor/migration. The same is applicable to the rest you listed. It’s like the Igbos and the Igalas that have the same origin but the two languages have diverged significantly that an Igbo can’t understand Igala and vice versa. It’s like saying that Southern Nigeria has just one language because all of us speak Kwa language (Igbo, Yoruba, and Bini are Kwa languages). The fact is that they have diverged significantly. If you had not cherry picked from my last post, you wouldn’t have come up with your response. |
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