Ethnic Minority Groups in Nigeria – Current Situation and Major Problems – by Abdul Raufu Mustapha
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The estimated population of Nigeria in 2001 is 126.6 million, making the country the most populous in Africa. The percentage of each ethnic group in the national total is the subject of intense political contestation. Virtually all post-colonial censuses have produced contested results. Table 1, based on the 1963 census, gives an idea of the 12 largest ethnic groups in Nigeria. The 3 ethnic majority groups make up about 54 percent of the population [Bangura, nd]. Agheyisi [1984, 235-6] argues that there are 'about 400' language groups in Nigeria and suggests that, minus the 9 largest groups, the remaining 390 languages are spoken by 20 percent of the population, with over 300 'minor' languages spoken by only 7 percent of the population. The numerical and political preponderance of the three majority ethnic groups, and the tendency for many ethnic minority groups to cluster – politically, linguistically and culturally - around the big three have given Nigeria a tripolar ethnic characteristic. A paradox of modern Nigerian politics is the resilience of this tripolarity in the face of repeated political engineering efforts by different regimes in the cause of nation-building.
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Population of Speakers of the 12 Largest Language Groups.
| Language | 1963 Population | % of Total | 1986 Population (projected) |
| Hausa | 11,653,000 | 20.94 | 23,233,000 |
| Yoruba | 11,321,000 | 20.34 | 22,571,000 |
| Igbo | 9,246,000 | 16.61 | 18,434,000 |
| Fulfulde | 4,784,000 | 8.60 | 9,538,000 |
| Subtotal | 37,004,000 | 66.49 | |
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| Kanuri | 2,256,000 | 4.05 | 4,498,000 |
| Ibibio | 2,006,000 | 3.60 | 3,999,000 |
| Tiv | 1,394,000 | 2.50 | 2,779,000 |
| Ijaw (Izon) | 1,089,000 | 1.96 | 2,171,000 |
| Edo | 955,000 | 1.72 | 1,904,000 |
| Nupe | 656,000 | 1.18 | 1,314,000 |
| Urhobo | 639,000 | 1.15 | 1,274,000 |
| Igala | 582,000 | 1.05 | 1,160,000 |
| Subtotal | 46,581,000 | 83.70 | 92,875,000 |
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| Others | 9,073,000 | 16.30 | |
| TOTAL | 55,654,000 | 100.00 |
Source: Jibril, Munzali: 1991, 111]
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