Nigeria: A land of many cultures
Nigeria is located in the continent of Africa. Many
people would pass by Nigeria, labeling it just one of 53
countries on the worlds 2nd largest continent without a
second thought. Before my class started the unit on
Nigeria, even I was guilty of this, thinking Nigeria was
just one of the many flashcards I had to memorize for
Fridays map quiz. Well, after this unit, I had a clearer
sense of the true Nigeria, not simply one of 53 countries
or a flashcard, but a land that is culturally and
geographically diverse. Nigeria has 3 regions, a northern
region, a western region, and an eastern region. These
regions are very different and even similar in some ways.
Come with me and explore the country of Nigeria
Northern Nigeria
Physical Environment
Northern Nigeria is the largest of all the regions in
Nigeria. The capital is located in this region also. This
region has a desert like climate in the northern part with
high, flat plains and the Jos Plateau. In the southern part
of this region, it has a cooler, wetter climate. Lake Chad
is an important water source for the people of Northern
Nigeria but it has been shrinking rapidly. This could be a
problem for the people of northern Nigeria because there is
such a hot climate that there needs to be a clean water
source for people to survive. In the desert climate zones,
powerful winds causing dust storms called Harmattans happen
regularly. If you were to arrive in a northern part of
Nigeria with a desert climate after a Harmattan, there
would be a layer of dust coating everything!
Ethnic Groups
There are 2 main ethnic groups in Nigeria. These
groups are the Hausa and the Fulani. 1/3 of all Nigerians
speak Hausa. Fewer people speak the Fulani’s main language,
Fulfukle. The Hausa are more urban and the Fulani are a lot
more rural. These 2 ethnic groups have many differences but
they do share one important trait, their religion. Both the
Hausa and Fulani are Muslim. There is a lot of religious
tension in northern Nigeria because some places want to
base their legal system on Islamic laws. Other groups think
this is unfair.
Culture
The Northern Nigerians culture is very unique. Most
homes are based on climate with city homes being flatroofed and the country homes being round made of mud and
leaves for roofs. People wear loose clothes to protect them
from the sun but still keep them cool. Traditionally,
people wear an Arab style hat called a fez. Tension drums
called Kalangu are popular and can be heard in Hausa
speeches.
Economy
Farming and Herding is the main economy in northern
Nigeria. The Hausa grow crops like corn and millet. They
eat some of what they grow and they sell some of what they
grow. The Fulani sell dairy (butter, milk, etc.). They
rarely kill cows for meat. The Hausa women, men traders,
and merchants make embroidered cloth and leather. They also
sell their goods to tourists and people.
Western Nigeria
Physical Environment
Western Nigeria is very unique and differs greatly
from the other regions. Western Nigeria is located on the
Gulf of Guinea and beside a bay called the Bight of Benin.
The Niger River forms the border for this region. The most
interesting thing I learned about this region is that is
used to be a tropical rainforest, but because of
deforestation, it is now a savannah. Almost the whole
population of Western Nigeria lived in villages 20 years
ago. Now, most of them have moved to the region's largest
cities Lagos and Ibadan.
Ethnic Groups
They Yoruba make up the largest ethnic group in
Western Nigeria. The Yoruba came around 100 B.C.E. Each
tribe way back then had their own king and dialect. A
dialect is a language that a certain group that speaks a
certain language. Most are Christian and there are some
Muslims. Today, 1/5 of Nigerians speak Yoruba.
Culture
The Yoruba have mostly moved from the country to the
city for jobs and housing. Some have prospered from their
move but some have not. The cities rich live in apartments
and 1 story houses. The cities poor live in shacks with no
electricity, running water, or garbage service. These
shacks are on the outskirts of the city and have been named
Shantytowns. In the country, the Yoruba make homes with mud
bricks, and steeply sloped tin roofs. The Yoruba that live
in the country use buckets to collect rainwater for
everyday water needs (washing, cooking, drinking, etc.).
Economy
As I mentioned earlier, people moved to the city for
better jobs. This is an important part of Western Nigeria’s
economy. In the more rural areas, Yoruba women sell beads,
yams, baskets, and many more resources and crafts at street
markets. The money that they earn from these street markets
is brought home to support their families. I found an
interesting connection with the Yoruba women selling beads
and yams at street markets and the woman started microenterprises from last unit.
Eastern Nigeria
Physical Environment
Eastern Nigeria has a very interesting story that
connects all of its people’s heritage. Eastern Nigeria is
on the Gulf of Guinea beside another bay called the Bight
of Biafra. The Benue River forms the northern border of
Eastern Nigeria and the Niger River forms the western
border. As you can see, rivers border all of the regions.
Eastern Nigeria receives more rainfall than any other
region in Nigeria! Long ago there were forests but now
there are swamps. Today, the Niger Delta takes the place of
Eastern Nigeria’s ancient forests. The Niger Delta then
goes into the Gulf of Guinea.
Ethnic Groups
The Igbo are the largest ethnic group in Eastern
Nigeria. They settled 1,000’s of years ago and were some of
the few tribes in Nigeria that didn’t develop kingdoms. The
Igbo lived in villages run by elders rather than having a
government system. There are more than 300 Igbo dialects!
There was a dark time in the Igbo’s history; this is when
they tried to separate from Nigeria to form a country
called Biafra. This brought a war to the region. Today, the
Igbo actually celebrate their connection with the country
of Nigeria.
Culture
In the city, homes are made with mud bricks and metal
roofs. In swampy areas, people build their houses on
stilts. There is so much water in those swampy areas that
people usually canoe from place to place and have ladders
to reach their porches! Most women, men, and children wear
clothing made with colorful cloth. Mask dancing is an
important part of the culture in Eastern Nigeria. You would
usually see a lot of mask dancing at important ceremonies.
Economy
The oil industry is a very important part of Eastern
Nigeria’s economy. Farming used to be a main Economic
activity but now the Oil Industry is taking over. The
eastern Nigerians way of life has been altered for the
better by this oil industry. There is a lot more money
going around and that means more jobs. Education has also
improved because of the oil industry.
Compare and Contrast
As you can see, although Northern, Eastern, and Western
Nigeria are in the same country, they have many differences
between them. I found Northern Nigeria and Eastern Nigeria
to be very different. One major difference I noticed was
their climates. Northern Nigeria has a very desert like
climate and Eastern Nigeria has a very wet and swampy
climate. On the other hand, one similarity I noticed was
that their homes were built according to climate. Northern
Nigeria had their homes built with mud and leaves. Eastern
Nigeria’s Swampy areas were built with stilts and latters
to keep the water out. Eastern And Western Nigeria are very
different but they also have some similarities between
them. They both are on the Gulf of Guinea and they both are
beside bays. Eastern Nigeria is beside the Bight of Biafra
and Western Nigeria is beside the Bight of Benin. A
difference is that Eastern Nigeria’s first tribes settled
way before Western Nigeria’s tribes. Western Nigeria and
Northern Nigeria are similar along the lines of climate but
very different with religion. Both regions have a somewhat
desert like climate. The two regions religion differs
because in Northern Nigeria most people are Muslim but in
Western Nigeria most people are Christian.
Conclusion
As you have read, Nigeria is a very diverse place.
Form religion to ethnic groups to environment all the way
down to economics, each region is different. By now, I hope
that you have seen some of the similarities between these
groups too. I think that it is remarkable that 3 regions,
being so different could come together and live with one
another. If you really think about it, without northern
Nigeria or maybe Eastern Nigeria or even Western Nigeria,
Nigeria wouldn’t be what it is today. So Nigeria is far
from a flashcard, it is a place of many cultures that I
think the world could learn from.