Nigerian Culture
By Deji Osobukola
Nigeria has an estimated population of 120 million people however the number of males outnumbers the total number of females by 3.4 million.
Nigeria has a reported 527 languages although the official languages are English, Hausa, Igbo and Yoruba. However, education and official business are conducted in English.
The Nigerian flag has 3 vertical bands; a left green band, a middle white band and a right green band. The green bands represent agriculture and the white band symbolises peace.
Nigeria was under the British rule from 1906 to October 1st 1960 when it gained independence.
There are three main ethnic groups in Nigeria, The Hausa’s, The Igbo’s and The Yoruba’s but there are about 250 ethnic groups in total.
Nigerians are religious people and believe that everyone should follow a faith. The two most common religions in Nigeria are Christianity and Islam.
In Nigerian culture, the woman does most of the domestic chores – cooking, cleaning, childcare etc. They are also key players in the area of small business and trading, operating street stalls and local shops.
Education is highly valued in Nigeria and the women have more access to a better level of education compared to women in other developing countries. The average Nigerian perceives education as the key to success.
Nigerians are very communal; they enjoy having friends and families around, partying & dancing and celebrations are always held elaborately and in large groups.
Most Nigerians get married in churhes, mosques and registries, although traditional weddings are also marked, where the bride and groom adorn traditional attires
It is considered rude to interrupt people when they are speaking so you are expected to wait your turn if you want to say something.
Respect is deeply ingrained in Nigerian culture where adults engender respect from the young. You seldom find a child talking back to an adult.
Nigerians are very fashionable people and definitely like to dress to impress
Although they are considered bad habits, it is acceptable for men to smoke and drink but frowned upon when women smoke or drink.
