Every country is unique but when it comes to Nigeria it becomes spectacular. To understand Nigeria is to understand Nigerian tribes and their worldviews. It is such a mixed bag of people in Nigeria. Little wonder why there are frequent misunderstandings in the country. The people have irreconcilable differences but that’s not beyond navigation.

Over time, there have been attempts to make Nigeria one but I think it is more important to start appreciating our differences. Maybe our greatest beauty lies in those differences whereby we can find meaning in life itself. Nigeria is sharply divided into diverse blocks depending on how you look at it. On one side is the majority Christian East then the majority Muslim North and the West which has a balanced population of Christians and Muslims. Now in the middle belt (a region regarded as north-central but more like central Nigeria), there’s also a balanced population of Christians and Muslims.

With the East being predominantly Christian while the core North is predominantly Muslim, the middle belt and west have nearly the same population of Christians and Muslims. This divides Nigeria into two predominant religions (Christian and Muslim) but far from these religious aspects, the West is closer to the East in terms of worldview, especially regarding education and other aspects of civilization. The West and the East are also together considered as the South. This is when Nigeria is looked at from two geographical divide perspectives.

The three major Nigerian tribes and their worldviews and Regional dominance

We have grouped Nigeria into three regional worldviews. These worldviews grouping is geographical. Other aspects of Nigerian life can also have geographical influence. Influence is progressive and people who live near another influencer may inherit worldviews from neighboring influence. The three worldviews in Nigeria can be looked at this way.

• The core Northern worldview: The Northern worldview is a religious and contented one. Islam is the major religion. The major language is Hausa and the people approach life from a simple contented manner. Western education while being popular among the elite is not always very appreciated by the majority of the regular people.

They yearn for Arabic education or something more Islamic. Religious fundamentalism is very common which has led to the rise of terror groups like Boko haram, Islamic State West Africa, and others. Northerners are hardworking with farming as a major occupation. Some of them especially the Fulanis engage in nomadic cow herding.

It does seem like in the core Northern worldview the biggest achievement in life is Islam. Most Northerners will place their religion over any other thing.

• Western Nigeria Worldview: The West of Nigeria has the Yorubas as the dominant tribe. The Yorubas have a decent Christian and Muslim population. Over time religious differences no longer matter to the Yorubas. Both the Yoruba Christians and their Muslims are not extremists. The Yorubas also have one of the highest numbers of practitioners of the African religion. The Yoruba doesn’t pay much attention to their religion. They seem to hold their culture and nationality more seriously.

Yorubas appreciate their culture, language, and other heritage so much and this has become a defining factor of their worldview. They believe in the Oduduwa nationalism. Some of them are even agitating for a breakaway Oduduwa Republic out of Nigeria. They believe in their land and in their tribes. Among the three major ethnic groups in Nigeria, Yorubas are the least when it comes to traveling and living in other parts of the country. The majority of them prefer to live and work in Yorubaland.

The Yorubas are also very much in love with Western education and modern civilization. They are also excellent in farming, business, and entertainment.

• Eastern Nigerian worldview: Eastern Nigeria is a majority Christian geography. The Igbo is the major nationality in the East. The Easterner is a freethinker. Despite a strong Christian presence, the Easterner prefers freedom and equity to any other value. Among the major Nigerian tribes and their worldviews, the Igbos’ love for freedom is the most visible. There is a strong sense of nationalism. The Easterners fought a three-year bloody war to secede from Nigeria into the defunct Republic of Biafra. Today there’s a resurgence of the Biafran agitation.

This resurgence is partly blamed on the purported Igbo marginalization by the Nigerian government. The worldviews of the Igbos are those of freedom, equity, and industry. Igbos have excelled in different sectors. This includes a strong presence in the areas of trade. Education is highly treasured among the Igbos. They have emerged as one of the most educated tribes in Africa.

Like other Nigerian tribes, the Igbos are attached to their culture. The Igbos’ business and industrial ingenuity saw the introduction of the Igbo apprenticeship system a business model that has produced several millionaires in Igboland and even recognized and studied in the Harvard Business School.

Conclusion

Worldview is important in understanding any people. In Nigeria, the people have such a diverse worldview. The three worldviews mentioned are just the most common. More and more worldviews exist in Nigeria. It is important to try to understand Nigeria even though it is complex for Nigerian to understand Nigeria talk more of outsiders. Nigerians are beautiful people who just need to accept each other’s differences.

There are a lot more interesting things about the Nigerian tribes and their worldviews. Since this article focused on the three major tribes, it can’t be regarded as exhaustive. Several unique and beautiful people coexist in Nigeria in such a wonderful arrangement.

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