Nigerian Culture: A Broad Overview

Nigeria is not at all the place I thought it was. After doing just some quick research on the basics of Nigerian culture, I quickly learned a lot that I would never have expected. For example, there are more than 50 languages spoken in Nigeria itself. One of these is even a very basic form of English, called Pigdin English. There are in fact a lot of famous English language literature writers who come from Nigeria because the English language is so commonly spoken there. Looks like Chimamanda Adichie is no exception after all.

I also found it interesting how large of a role soccer plays into Nigerian culture. Personally, I grew up in a European family, and so I was raised on soccer. But I love to be reminded of how universal  soccer is and how it brings people together from all across the world. It's funny to me to see mentioned online that that there is a large Nigerian support group for my personal favorite soccer team, Arsenal.


There are over 250 Ethnic groups found in Nigeria. The most common religion is Muslim, with about 50% of the population practicing it. Nigerian society is dominated by family ties. Even extended familly will work together as a unit through life. Nigerians value many forms of art, including ivory/wood carving, grass weaving, and glass and metal works.

http://www.kwintessential.co.uk/resources/global-etiquette/nigeria.html
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Culture_of_Nigeria
http://www.mapsofworld.com/nigeria/culture/