Welcome, Guest: Register On Nairaland / LOGIN! / Trending / Recent / NewStats: 3,153,231 members, 7,818,778 topics. Date: Monday, 06 May 2024 at 02:42 AM |
Nairaland Forum / Nairaland / General / Culture / Top 10 Most Spoken Nigerian Languages (97745 Views)
The Dialects Of Ibibio And Where They Are Spoken / Meet The 10 Most Powerful Kings In Nigeria. / Which Nigerian Languages can You Speak? (2) (3) (4)
(1) (2) (3) ... (7) (8) (9) (10) (Reply) (Go Down)
Re: Top 10 Most Spoken Nigerian Languages by Ihuomadinihu: 9:31pm On Feb 16, 2015 |
splashbaby:So talking about Biafra makes you and your folks unhappy. Odd world! It's very ridiculous that someone thinks that an Ijaw man is working for the actualization of Biafra Chai,which way Nigeria? 1 Like 1 Share |
Re: Top 10 Most Spoken Nigerian Languages by Nobody: 9:55pm On Feb 16, 2015 |
splashbaby: Smh. Massob put flags on houses and poles on my street some years back. Most people didn't give a shit and just ignored the flag, including my dad who just laughed and left the flag they stuck to the electric pole just in front of our house there. Only strangers like you see the flags and get apprehensive. the locals scarcely take notice of them. I repeat: most dudes of my age do not care about Biafra. Even massob's last outing in Enugu was a poorly attended farce. 2 Likes |
Re: Top 10 Most Spoken Nigerian Languages by splashbaby(m): 11:03pm On Feb 16, 2015 |
Ihuomadinihu:I have been here since 2008, six whooping years before you open this account. I am not here to impress anyone...if you are comfortable with fantasies and lies, good for you. |
Re: Top 10 Most Spoken Nigerian Languages by splashbaby(m): 11:15pm On Feb 16, 2015 |
Radoillo:Have you heard about "association by consent"? continue playing the Ostrich. How many of those youth have come out to denounce the activities of those chalatarns called Biafrans?... None.. What you don't know, you can never defend. Do you think "never do well" will have a Radio station, passport, money, driver licence and representative to the United Nation to promote Biafra sectarian plans...capital NO! |
Re: Top 10 Most Spoken Nigerian Languages by Ihuomadinihu: 5:17am On Feb 17, 2015 |
splashbaby:We have heard o! There is obviously nothing anyone will say that will make you drop your sentiments, snice you have refused to be reasonable. End of discussion! Afterall said and done,it amazes me that only non igbos rant about biafra all day long. |
Re: Top 10 Most Spoken Nigerian Languages by Ihuomadinihu: 5:20am On Feb 17, 2015 |
splashbaby:You had to check my profile? Lol,nsogbu di. Well, go ahead! You are the only one making up fantasies you can never understand. |
Re: Top 10 Most Spoken Nigerian Languages by Ihuomadinihu: 5:25am On Feb 17, 2015 |
splashbaby:I guess you know Igbos more than they know themselves. Honestly,this is not your problem. Nigeria has far greater issues,biko. |
Re: Top 10 Most Spoken Nigerian Languages by splashbaby(m): 7:43am On Feb 17, 2015 |
Ihuomadinihu:It has been dead on arrival...Igbos pressing the self destruct button since the 60s...funny enough its becoming a cancer jumping from one generation to the other...I give up! |
Re: Top 10 Most Spoken Nigerian Languages by Ihuomadinihu: 7:47am On Feb 17, 2015 |
splashbaby:You have issues dear,you are the only one stretching this ignorance! |
Re: Top 10 Most Spoken Nigerian Languages by splashbaby(m): 7:52am On Feb 17, 2015 |
Ihuomadinihu:Finally I give up...as usual una no go ever gree... Even with embarrassing truth! |
Re: Top 10 Most Spoken Nigerian Languages by Ihuomadinihu: 7:55am On Feb 17, 2015 |
splashbaby:Thank you for giving up your obsession with biafra. Your comments are irrelevant and insignificant to this thread. |
Re: Top 10 Most Spoken Nigerian Languages by splashbaby(m): 8:23am On Feb 17, 2015 |
Ihuomadinihu:You wish! |
Re: Top 10 Most Spoken Nigerian Languages by zendy: 8:23am On Feb 17, 2015 |
As much as this thread is not about Biafra,the fact remains that Nigeria is only a United country on paper only. I believe in Biafra because it represents my right to decide for myself as an Igbo man if I want to be a Nigerian or not. A privilege that my fore-fathers never had before they succumbed to the superior Fire power of the British. Nigeria represents modern day slavery where the right to choose has been taking away by 'one Nigeria'. I have no doubt in my mind that if given a referendum,85 to 90% of Igbos will vote to leave Nigeria. A country is born out of the free will of the people,not by force. |
Re: Top 10 Most Spoken Nigerian Languages by toygod2: 10:13am On May 13, 2015 |
ok |
Re: Top 10 Most Spoken Nigerian Languages by Afam4eva(m): 1:59pm On May 13, 2015 |
What an interesting thread turned political by splashbaby. I think most of the comments that have been made on this thread are uninformed (no offense). It is one thing to state a personal opinion and a totally different thing to present it as a fact. What I see people doing is telling us why their ethnic group has more population or is the most spoken. I think i will stick to what I think and not what I know for sure as no recent census in Nigeria has captured the population of every ethnic group and the number of speakers. Personally, I don't think Hausa is the largest ethnic group in Nigeria as we tend to muddle the population of Fulani's and other Northern minorities as Hausa. However, I think Hausa is arguably the most spoken language in the North. Hardly do you find any Northerner irrespective of tribe who doesn't speak some Hausa's. I also noticed that southerners who travel to the north tend to learn Hausa than a Northerner who travels to the south. I think either Igbo or Yoruba have the largest population in Nigeria but I'm forced to give a slight edge to the Igbo's for reasons that others have stated here such as the population of Igbo's outside Igboland. However, I think there are more Yoruba speakers than there are Igbo speakers. |
Re: Top 10 Most Spoken Nigerian Languages by bigfrancis21: 2:50pm On May 13, 2015 |
Afam4eva: I tend to think in similar lines. The Igbo population is one that has been compressed and placed at 3rd place for political reasons. Population census of southern Nigeria done by the british sometime in 1921 showed the Igbo population as clearly leading the Yorubas. This was to change around the 1950s when the British masters were leaving Nigeria and in order to hand over the mantle of power to the Northerners who they preferred, they inflated the population figure of the north by 20 million to put them at an advantage. It is not so difficult to figure out that in the SE, and parts of SS, Igbo-speaking people are majority and when you go to ther regions in Nigeria, you find Igbos in substantial numbers there, often becoming second-largest population after the population of the natives. Asides Lagos, which is a conglomerate of all tribes in Nigeria with non-yorubas (Igbos, Hausas, Ibibios, Foreigners, etc) at least 55% of Lagos and most densely populated, Anambra state is the most densely populated homogenous state in Nigeria. SE is said to be the most densely populated region in West Africa. As for Hausas in the south, I can speak based on some hausa Igbo-speaking ones I've met in Owerri. Many Hausas in Owerri, especially around the ama awusa area, speak fluent Igbo. |
Re: Top 10 Most Spoken Nigerian Languages by lawani: 5:40am On Aug 13, 2016 |
In Niger and Kwara states, Yoruba is lingua franca, more or less all natives speak the language. In Niger they also speak Hausa. In Kogi and Kwara they dont speak Hausa. Plateau speaks to a large extent, Benue dont really. So, Niger is as much Hausa speaking as Yoruba. Yoruba is native to the place. Nupes and Bariba speak Yoruba as lingua franca while there are indigenous Yoruba in Niger state. Remove Benue, Kogi, Kwara who dont speak Hausa, then you have 16 states who speak Hausa but they are not all Hausa. Hausa land is 6 states in the NW and then SW Niger republic. Kaduna is peopled and owned by Nupoid peoples. Gwaris and etc. They are not Hausas. They have their languages but speak Hausa. Kanuri is in the NE, then there are still over a hundred other languages in the North but one can say Hausa is lingua franca in 14 or 15 states but not more than 6 or 7 states is Hausa land, then SW Niger but Hausa language is used by BBC, VOA and etc. I think Gombe speaks Fulfulde. Yoruba is spoken indigenously in 6 SW and three NC states of Kogi, Kwara and Niger, then in 2 SS states of Edo and Delta but it is full lingua franca in SW, Niger and Kwara making 8 against up to 14 for Hausa. Then it is lingua franca in North Edo and Western Kogi, The Igala speak a Yoruba dialect and are the largest group in Kogi. For Igbo, the language is in 5 SE states as full lingua franca, then most of Rivers and Delta East, making 6. No other Igbo speaking city is in any other place. So as far as Nigeria is concerned, it is Hausa, Yoruba, then Igbo as per widely spoken language. Now, move to ethnic groups. The Yoruba will be number one for controlling fully 7 states with an average 85 percent population. Then controlling a third of Edo and Kogi. So let us just say Yoruba fill up 8 states in Nigeria. Hausas fill up six states or seven. Igbos fill up five or six. Then the population of SW is like double SE, use any indicator, WAEC enrolment, SIM registration, recharge card use and etc, the SW bests all others. I believe the population is highest followed by NW and I believe Kaduna population is higher than Kano's. If we move to outside Africa, it will be where Yoruba surpasses Hausa. Aborisha worldwide are over 100 million of which majority are South Americans and many understand Yoruba to varying degrees, the Awos understand it to the extent that a Catholic priest understand Latin even moreso. So, Yoruba is the language of close to 100 million in West Africa and another 100 million in the diaspora who use it to varying degrees. So in Nigeria, Hausa is number 1, in West Africa, Hausa and Yoruba will drag it since all of Benin republic speak Yoruba and parts of Togo. Yoruba land extend into Ghana where there are 50 Yoruba towns. The Ewe are Ife people who dont speak Yoruba but are same with us. With news channels, Hausa is number one but with foreigners, it is Yoruba because of the popular theology and the diaspora community. Igbo will come third in all instances. Then nowhere in Yoruba land can we say for sure that Igbos are more than Hausas. Lets be realistic. Nowhere at all but Igbos are more integrated with Yorubas than Hausas despite being new arrivals. In our family, two of my cousins married Igbo. When my cousin's son whose mom is Igbo visits me for instance, my customers will conclude he is my son back then in Ife because the resemblance is striking. His Mom is from Enugu while his Granddad is my Dad's younger brother. We dont have Hausa members of the family. A younger cousin also married an Igbo man from Anambra but as residents of SW, Igbos and Hausa population will be similar. So, no need for Igbos to say they are always second in all cities. That is not true at all. Maybe inside certain markets though. 3 Likes 1 Share |
Re: Top 10 Most Spoken Nigerian Languages by lawani: 8:06am On Aug 13, 2016 |
In any case keep your language to yourself and nation. It is your identity, learn English and some other foreign languages to fit into the world but preserve your national heritage. 1 Like |
Re: Top 10 Most Spoken Nigerian Languages by chijiblaze(m): 7:41pm On Sep 19, 2016 |
Raiders:Pidgin English is not a language. There's no point of departure from poor/ bad English to pidgin English. |
Re: Top 10 Most Spoken Nigerian Languages by heezey(m): 4:52pm On Sep 26, 2016 |
Follow this link to discover the easiest languages to learn in the world. There is an African language on the list. Take a guess. |
Re: Top 10 Most Spoken Nigerian Languages by Marcelini(m): 9:32pm On Sep 26, 2016 |
Trash by Lawani. Nobody speaks Yoruba in Niger state. Igala is Yoruboid but not mutually intelligible with Yoruba, they have been a distinct ethnic group since antiquity, and we have many of them who share same ancestry with many Igbo clans. They are not Yorubas. Yorubas are not the majority in Kogi. They are a distant third behind the Igala and Ebiras there. No part of Edo is Yoruba speaking. Itsekiri is said to be Yoruboid, but not mutually intelligible with Yoruba, so I will close my eyes I give you lots that In total, Yoruba has 6 states in SW plus 1/4 of Kogi and parts of Kwara, Itsekiri in Delta. A total of 9 states. Bearing in mind that Lagos is highly cosmopolitan and not entirely Yoruba. Igbo speaking people has the five SE states, 1/3 of Delta, greater parts of Rivers upland, Parts of Edo( Igbanke), parts of Benue( Umuezekoha clan), few villages in Akwa Ibom. Thats a total presence in 10 states. * Bear in mind that Ndiigbo still has a huge presence in Lagos This is not even a close contest. Yoruba was behind Ndiigbo in 1921, is currently behind Ndiigbo and will eternally be behind us. Case closed, Next!!! 1 Like |
Re: Top 10 Most Spoken Nigerian Languages by Nobody: 9:24pm On Jun 01, 2019 |
It's gonna take a lot to take me away from you There's nothing that a hundred men or more could ever do I bless the rains down in Africa Gonna take some time to do the things we never have. |
Re: Top 10 Most Spoken Nigerian Languages by Konquest: 2:24am On Nov 20, 2021 |
Fulaman198: 1 Like 1 Share |
Re: Top 10 Most Spoken Nigerian Languages by Konquest: 2:39am On Nov 20, 2021 |
Fulaman198:Well said! 1 Like 1 Share |
Re: Top 10 Most Spoken Nigerian Languages by Konquest: 2:47am On Nov 20, 2021 |
Fulaman198: 1 Like |
Re: Top 10 Most Spoken Nigerian Languages by Konquest: 2:55am On Nov 20, 2021 |
Fulaman198: |
Re: Top 10 Most Spoken Nigerian Languages by Konquest: 3:00am On Nov 20, 2021 |
oladosuphemmy: 1 Like 2 Shares |
Re: Top 10 Most Spoken Nigerian Languages by Konquest: 3:58am On Nov 20, 2021 |
scholes0:The flawed 1921 census was a tax-based enumeration so some folks in the West of Nigeria avoided it. NOTE: The next census after 1921 stunningly showed an Ibo population in 1931 that was far smaller than the census of 1921! 1 Share
|
Re: Top 10 Most Spoken Nigerian Languages by Konquest: 4:23am On Nov 20, 2021 |
lawani:In Ondo and Ekiti States Ebiras and NOT Ibos are second in population to the Yorubas from back in the day I was told. 1 Like 1 Share
|
Re: Top 10 Most Spoken Nigerian Languages by tunde1200(m): 10:21pm On Jan 02, 2022 |
Yoruba language is spoken in Brazil and is not captured in the narration. |
Re: Top 10 Most Spoken Nigerian Languages by Jameseddi1: 10:55pm On Jan 02, 2022 |
Esan esako eka orhobo isoko all them speak Edoid language I don’t know what this one is written here |
(1) (2) (3) ... (7) (8) (9) (10) (Reply)
Yoruba "express You Self In Proverbs "owee"" / 'Manhood' Celebration In Edo, Topless Ladies Spotted At Ceremony / Meet Two Sisters Married To Oba Ewuare Of Benin (Photos)
(Go Up)
Sections: politics (1) business autos (1) jobs (1) career education (1) romance computers phones travel sports fashion health religion celebs tv-movies music-radio literature webmasters programming techmarket Links: (1) (2) (3) (4) (5) (6) (7) (8) (9) (10) Nairaland - Copyright © 2005 - 2024 Oluwaseun Osewa. All rights reserved. See How To Advertise. 81 |