Sadly, many people believe we are a nation of 170 million. I think Nigeria is a nation of about 130 million ROFLL.

KOBOJO:




Were you expecting 100 million for yoruba speakers ??

Better wake up from ur dream and face reality.,
the fact still remains that yoruba is still the least of the major 3 ethnic groups in Nigeria.

you answered/quoted me as if we are quarelling. Well i have no time argue but let me engage ur mind with this http://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yoruba_people and http://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Igbo_people U cn reply me when u read them

oladosuphemmy:

Did you know that there are more Igbos that speak YORUBA than YORUBAs speaking igbo? So waht are we saying.

Igbos that stay in Yorubalands learn Yoruba as a second language,those in the North learn Hausa as a second language, those in Yenegoa learn Izon, those in Akwa ibom learn Ibibio.

Migrant Igbos would always learn the language of the host societies, to enable them assimilate and make the best of the opportunities their host societies can offer.

No Igbo in Igboland learns anyother language other than English.

oladosuphemmy:

Did you know that there are more Igbos that speak YORUBA than YORUBAs speaking igbo? So waht are we saying.

Those are a percentage of the lagos + Ibadan raised Igbo. Many Igbo living in SW may hardly use Yoruba at home speaking it only in public but rather speak Igbo when at home or within themselves. Yoruba is more or less a third or 4th language to those Igbo, coming after English, Igbo/Pidgin then Yoruba. That's the difference between their aituation and the situation of minority northern tribes in the North who speak nothing else but Hausa at home, in public, amongst themselves etc.

Many yoruba-speaking Igbo who migrate back to the east all tend to forget the language after a few years away from the west, save for a few words. I know many of them then in UNN who came from Lagos to study in the east. By final year all they knew was a smattering of Yoruba, and picked up a lot on their Igbo. I know about 8 Igbo families who relocated to Owerri from Lagos with their children who are our family friends and some of the children (some my age mate) who could speak Yoruba back then in 2004/2005 hardly speak it now except for a few words. It's mostly English + Igbo + Pidgin.

bigfrancis21:


You need to do a further research yourself to find out that in precolonial Nigeria, Igbo had more population than Yoruba, by an exceeding margin of 1.8 million. JAMB, WAEC, First school leaving certificate exam statistics all show the Igbo to be higher than Yoruba in statistics given. Go to the south east, it is the most densely populated area in the entire West Africa. Travelling to the east and crossing the Niger bridge and on arrival in Onitsha you will notice a surge in population and you will see people seething everywhere like flies. Going inside further into Awka, Owerri, Aba, Enugu and you will be met with teeming Igbo population. The Igbo are found in south east + Delta, Rivers, Benue state, Kogi, Akwa Ibom, tiny bits of Bayelsa and Cross River state. All bia-speaking Igbo clans might actually be the majority in the Niger Delta region. Leaving the south east and going to Lagos, Igbo can be comfortably said to be number 2 in population after the native Yorubas, rivalling the natives by not much of margin in population. Go to Kaduna, Kano, Abuja, and most states in Nigeria, the Igbo population comes 2nd after the population of the natives in most states in Nigeria. These factors strongly point to favourable population statistics for the Igbo people.

Having 6 states + stakes in 2 other states does not automatically mean that the inhabiting tribe is more populated. Land mass does not equate to population size. The Yoruba seem to be concentrated mostly in the south west region and a proper census taken of the Yoruba in SW, including an extra 100,000 to account for those in other states of Nigeria will give you the actual Yoruba population whereas you would need to add up all the seething Igbo population in Lagos, Abuja, Kaduna, Kano, Benue, Jos, Katsina, Ibadan etc + densely populated South East + Delta Igbo + Rivers Igbo + Benue Igbo (approximately 1 million spread out over 300 villages in Benue state) + Akwa-Ibom Igbo etc to obtain the true Igbo population figure which would actually shock you than you imagined.

Not to forget the about 2 million Igbo people who were slaughtered during the civil war.

that like more than 100 years ago. alot hat DEFINITLY changed

pazienza:


Igbos that stay in Yorubalands learn Yoruba as a second language,those in the North learn Hausa as a second language, those in Yenegoa learn Izon, those in Akwa ibom learn Ibibio.

Migrant Igbos would always learn the language of the host societies, to enable them assimilate and make the best of the opportunities their host societies can offer.

No Igbo in Igboland learns anyother language other than English.

2nd language, when they speak English and Pidgin fluently already, some Igbo, before picking up Yoruba? Is Yoruba a 2nd language in that sense? Moreover we are referring to the foreign-born kids here. Most Igbo parents living in SW who migrated from the east hardly know Yoruba, and it is mostly their foreign-born kids that pick up Yoruba from outside while growing up in Lagos, Ibadan, etc. These kids pick up the language after learning English, Igbo at home, pidgin english from the environment, being a multi-cultural one and finally Yoruba from the Yorubas themselves.

Fulaman198:
Sadly, many people believe we are a nation of 170 million. I think Nigeria is a nation of about 130 million ROFLL.

did you count them?

Jokay07:
1921? Ok read dis en.wikipedia.org/wiki/yoruba=people

When has wikipedia suddenly become more credible than a privately and well-researched study and well-conducted survey? Wikipedia that just anybody logs into and writes up any thing they like?

How can you trust wikipedia when most schools ban citation of wikipedia in research work? The book I sent you the link can easily be quoted in any research work any time anyday but Wikipedia will not make it into the bibliography. How then is Wikipedia deemed more important by you?

Search well, the only population figures on Yoruba you will find online all originate from the census figures given out by Nigeria. Nigeria is a country built on insincerity and lies. When the actual truth starts coming out you will be very shocked to find out what the truth is.

oladosuphemmy:
did you count them?

No, It's my rough estimate. I wish we were 170 million. Regardless of population, as a nation we need to strengthen ourselves.

oladosuphemmy:

that like more than 100 years ago. alot hat DEFINITLY changed

No. Population figure increase tends to remain fairly constant over time, especially given favourable conditions. Asides the civil war, south east and its peoples have not experienced famine, hunger, massive food shortage, declining birth rate, massive death, e.t.c. Instea, the reverse has been the case.

Bororojo:


The list is embarrassing to say the least- the article says there are only 1.9 Million Fulfulde speakers in all of Nigeria.... lol
Second the area it claims Fulfulde are most spoken are actually not the areas where it is most spoken.....

Third (I might be an outsider on this one)- but it is obvious to anyone in this country that Yoruba has more speakers than Igbo and not the other way round--- you can call me out, if you think I am wrong.

That was what I thought as well. It has been a popular belief, if not knowledge that yoruba has more speakers in nigeria than any other language. Op, do the needful. I will do some research sha.

bigfrancis21:


2nd language, when they speak English and Pidgin fluently already before picking up Yoruba? Is Yoruba a 2nd language in that sense? Moreover we are referring to the foreign-born kids here. Most Igbo parents living in SW who migrated from the east hardly know Yoruba, and it is mostly their foreign-born kids that pick up Yoruba from outside while growing up in Lagos, Ibadan, etc. These kids pick up the language after learning English, Igbo at home, pidgin english from the environment, being a multi-cultural one and finally Yoruba from the Yorubas themselves.

You are right, my bad.

Jokay07:
you answered/quoted me as if we are quarelling. Well i have no time argue but let me engage ur mind with this http://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yoruba_people and http://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Igbo_people U cn reply me when u read them

Wikipedia isn't a credible source. Please quote verifiable and published books that support your claim. I don't mean books on population figures all referenced from Nigeria's false population figures but rather census figures conducted free and fairly devoid of 'Nigerian' influence.

bigfrancis21:


When has wikipedia suddenly become more credible than a privately and well-researched study and well-conducted survey? Wikipedia that just anybody logs into and writes up any thing they like?

How can you trust wikipedia when most schools ban citation of wikipedia in research work? The book I sent you the link can easily be quoted in any research work any time anyday but Wikipedia will not make it into the bibliography. How then is Wikipedia deemed more important by you?

Search well, the only population figures on Yoruba you will find online all originate from the census figures given out by Nigeria. Nigeria is a country built on insincerity and lies. When the actual truth starts coming out you will be very shocked to find out what the truth is.

lolz, you are indeed funny and clever, you made reference to 1921 population stand while we are in 2015, do the calculation by deducting 1921 from 2015 and tell me how many years interval. I may be wrong, Nigeria has not got independence before 1921 but that doesn't mean that the information as at then are wrong. Even the second world war happened around 1940s not 1920s only for you to be boasting about old information. Can you compare the situation in 1921 with the situation in 2015? Please mordernised your mind and sip from the newest fountain of knowledge which many adjudge to be true rather than resorting to a book produced many and several decades back. People that are active on this thread av been posting recent population figures and not 1921 information. You don't need to dismiss the information on wikipedia by regurgitating irrelevant and off-putting words just to suit and modify you own interest that the link to the book that was published many years back before the independence is correct ; D . How can you compare 1921 population with 2015 population, does it make any sense to you as a person? . I'm highly disappointed in u. Now read my own proof once again, it's new unlike the one of 1921 . http://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yoruba_people and http://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Igbo_people . Pls dnt be offended, hope i av not insulted u?

bigfrancis21:


Wikipedia isn't a credible source. Please quote verifiable and published books that support your claim. I don't mean books on population figures all referenced from Nigeria's false population figures but rather census figures conducted free and fairly devoid of 'Nigerian' influence.

wikipedia is not a credible source and you want me to believe that book that was produced by someone with ''Oluwole certificate'' in the year 1921 when we are in 2015 if i may ask you, does it mean that the entire information on wikipedia are wrong? Yes or No. wetin I no go see on Nairaland,

Jokay07:
you answered/quoted me as if we are quarelling. Well i have no time argue but let me engage ur mind with this http://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yoruba_people and http://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Igbo_people U cn reply me when u read them

Did you actually quite Wikipedia? I thought we all knew by now that anybody can put any unverified info there. We need a genuine census.

[quote author=Tval post=30645199]You are drunk op, if you are not drunk, you would make accurate research before posting this rubbish.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_languages_by_number_of_native_speakers

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yoruba_people


http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Igbo_people[/quote

I agree with your position but Wikipedia is not a reliable source. Anybody can write anything there.

Eluwilussit:


Did you actually quite Wikipedia? I thought we all knew by now that anybody can put any unverified info there. We need a genuine census.

the information on wikipedia became unverified and falsified when the information on it challenges the position of your interest. You believe the rest of the information in the links provided but you don't believe in the population figures, now answer this simple question. How many years is between 1921 and 2015?

Jokay07:
lolz, you are indeed funny and clever, you made reference to 1921 population stand while we are in 2015, do the calculation by deducting 1921 from 2015 and tell me how many years interval. I may be wrong, Nigeria has not got independence before 1921 but that doesn't mean that the information as at then are wrong. Even the second world war happened around 1940s not 1920s only for you to be boasting about old information. Can you compare the situation in 1921 with the situation in 2015? Please mordernised your mind and sip from the newest fountain of knowledge which many adjudge to be true rather than resorting to a book produced many and several decades back. People that are active on this thread av been posting recent population figures and not 1921 information. You don't need to dismiss the information on wikipedia by regurgitating irrelevant and off-putting words just to suit and modify you own interest that the link to the book that was published many years back before the independence is correct ; D . How can you compare 1921 population with 2015 population, does it make any sense to you as a person? . I'm highly disappointed in u. Now read my own proof once again, it's new unlike the one of 1921 . http://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yoruba_people and http://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Igbo_people . Pls dnt be offended, hope i av not insulted u?

You don't sound to me like you know anything about the research world and credibility in citation of sources. You cite wikipedia now because it seems to favour you, even though it is inherently flawed and you know this, and you will be the very first person to criticize the very same wikipedia tomorrow if being used by another to support an idea in opposition to yours.

This is an information age. If you want to believe things have changed, you need to show proof that supports favourable population increase factors for Yorubas and unfavourable population factors for the south eastern people and how such dynamics have caused increasing and dwindling populations respectively.

If you're unable to prove this, then nothing much has really changed, it is scientifically assumed that the population difference between Igbo-Yoruba and their respective birth rates of 1921 have continued constantly till today, and the actual population census figures of Nigeria are being masked under false information, figures and lies.

If I #HearIt say my lingua no follow, I go shut down this threat, pronto!
Repping edo since 1948

Misogynist2014:
So Igbo has more speakers than Yoruba? Spoof.

Don't you know them? They do this to feel good.

Igbo language has more speakers than Yoruba language could only be imagined by these Halfwits

Do you know how many of their children that have dumped their tick Igbotic language for Yoruba Language? Come to the West, UK, USA, Canada, Ireland, Australia and see how fast their language is being dumped by their children for Yoruba language.

Do you know how many foreigners in Nigeria universities in the West, taking Yoruba Language as a course which is not happening with other languages in Nigeria?

I presume the Op lives in the East and he us yet to step out of that place...............

Jokay07:
the information on wikipedia became unverified and falsified when the information on it challenges the position of your interest. You believe the rest of the information in the links provided but you don't believe in the population figures, now answer this simple question. How many years is between 1921 and 2015?

I am not doubting you. In one of my posts, I stated that I had thought, based on popular belief or info, that Yorubas were more. I am not in any way arguing your position. If anything, I am only stating what I thought, which might be wrong.

So if you have anything or source that can help me understand your position, I am open to it. Here to learn and not to argue. Thanks a lot. I appreciate your effort.

Rexnegro:

How u take no ehn ? U must be a lazy ass student in school or when in sch.... So u just agree like that without ur own research or knowledge finding...na wa o ...check when d op talked about yoruba...he didn't include ekiti as one of the yoruba speaking state yet u said true ...na wa o

chai... Nawa o and who said i read through everything there? Or when has space booking became a crime on NL? And for the records ayam not a lazy student.

Thank you

Bororojo:


The list is embarrassing to say the least- the article says there are only 1.9 Million Fulfulde speakers in all of Nigeria.... lol
Second the area it claims Fulfulde are most spoken are actually not the areas where it is most spoken.....

Third (I might be an outsider on this one)- but it is obvious to anyone in this country that Yoruba has more speakers than Igbo and not the other way round--- you can call me out, if you think I am wrong.

bigfrancis21:


Wikipedia goes by population census quotes they obtain from census figures of Nigeria which we know are highly flawed and fabricated. When a thorough and sincere census of Nigeria is conducted you will be shocked to find out the actual figures of tribes in Nigeria. Hausa, Igbo, Yoruba may still emerge top 3 as expected, however, the ordering in desceding order will shock you.

Below are population census figures of Igbo and Yoruba tribes in as early as 1921. You will be shocked to find out that Igbo were greater in population than the Yoruba.

http://books.google.com/books?id=GUc8AAAAIAAJ&pg=PA7&lpg=PA6&focus=viewport&dq=ika+igbo+bini&output=html_text

lol, but the Yoruba list is missing the the Okuns, Ondos, Ijesa, Igbominas, Akokos, Egbados Etc.
They are listed as independent tribes.

While every single Igbo and related group is considered Igbo, from cross river to Delta...
look at the list again..... this time, critically.

It lists only the following as Yoruba groups:
Jekri (Who are Itsekiris of today)
Popo
Ekiti
Oyo
Ijebu
Egba
compare that with the detailed enumeration of the Igbo tribes- it is so detailed, many of the names are unheard of.
while it is well known that there are many more Yoruba groups left out of that evelauation.

dennismukoro:
urhobo should be there

.

In terms of Urhobo population, it should be among. But a considerable number of Urhobo people fall into the Pidgin English as native Language category. For many, though they understand Urhobo, Pidgin is the language of daily communication even at home.

Fulaman198:


In defence of BigFrancis21, Google is a pretty renowned site with good books. He linked a book from Google's vast Google Books database.

Fulaman we can't possibly believe a book written in 1921 by some colonialist who must have made numerous errors, is true in 2015 can we?


This is the result of the 1961 Census. The Yoruba and Hausa populations were neck to neck at the time.
Hausa population might have surged ahead between 1961 and now, but Yoruba would still very much solidly in 2nd place, knowing fully well that they have a higher birth rate compared to Igbos who at the time had a much less population, not to even talk of now.

Since you are Fulani, the fula number might also surprise you. I was personally pleasantly surprised, that we had that many beautiful Fulanis in Nigeria, as at 1963. If there were almost 5 million Fulas at the time, they are most probably around 15 million by now.... lets even assume 70% of them can't speak Fulfulde, that still leaves about 4.5 Million of them who can- which is definitely more than the 1.9 Million quoted in the OP's article.

Anyone interested in the full list can PM me, or quote me and demand for the rest.

bigfrancis21:


Wikipedia goes by population census quotes they obtain from census figures of Nigeria which we know are highly flawed and fabricated. When a thorough and sincere census of Nigeria is conducted you will be shocked to find out the actual figures of tribes in Nigeria. Hausa, Igbo, Yoruba may still emerge top 3 as expected, however, the ordering in desceding order will shock you.

Bro, don't be ridiculous.
The Wikipedia figures quoting that Igbos are 18% of nigeria is probably even a bonanza- it is not based on any empirical facts, but rather, from the CIA world factbook- which was the same factbook that claims Ijaws are 10% of nigeria.... now you can see how ridiculous this is becoming.
, look at the figures I posted above- Igbos were 16.6% of the country, so unless somehow igbos have found a secret way to multiply that remains unknown to the Yorubas and the Hausas- I doubt they have become the number 1 or 2 group in the country ahead of the former two.

Also, this thread is about language, and considering the well known fact that Igbos tend to speak and proliferate/propagate their language at much less frequency than the Yorubas or the Hausas.... I doubt it is the number 2 language in the country. More like Number 4 sef... After Hausa Yoruba and Pidgin.

Fulaman198:
Sadly, many people believe we are a nation of 170 million. I think Nigeria is a nation of about 130 million ROFLL.

.
These are top ten.

There are many 200k to 900k strong languages. Maybe about 500 of such.

Even if you consider 500 other languages with just average of 300, 000 people =150 million.
Nigeria population should top 200 million.

Nearly 69 million were registered to vote. That's just 18 and above. At least 30% didn't register at all.
For every 3 people I talked to who registered, there were at least another 2 who didn't. Especially those 18-25 group.

Now consider that a very large number of our population are under 18.