CULTURE OF NIGERIA

The culture of Nigeria is shaped by Nigeria's multiple ethnic groups. The country has over 250 different languages and cultures. However, the three largest are the Hausa-Fulani who are predominant in the north, the Igbo who are predominant in the south-east, the Yoruba who are predominant in the southwest. The Benin tribes are predominant in the region between Yorubaland and the Niger Delta. 80 percent of the Benins tend to be Christian while the remaining 20 percent worship deities called Ogu. These are followed by the Ibibio/Annang/Efik people of the coastal southeastern Nigeria and theIjaw of the Niger Delta.

The rest of Nigeria's ethnic groups (sometimes called "mini-minorities") are found all over the country but especially in the densely populated south. The Hausa tend to be Muslim and the Igbo, Christian. The Efik, Ibibio, Annang people are mainly Christian as Christianity and Western system entered Nigeria through their capital city Calabar. The practitioners of both Christianity and Islam are found among the Yoruba. Indigenous religious practices remain important, especially in the south, and are often blended with Christian beliefs.

Nigeria is famous for its English language literature and its popular music. Since the 1990s the Nigerian movie industry, sometimes called "Nollywood" has emerged as a fast-growing cultural force all over the continent. All over the country, and even increasingly in the conservative north, western music, dresses and movies are ever popular.

Nigerian food embellishes a rich blend of traditionally African carbohydrates such as Yam and Cassava as well as vegetable soups made from native green leaves. Praised by Nigerians for the strength it gives, Garri is a powdered Cassava Grain that can be readily eaten as a meal and is quite cheap. Yam is either fried in oil or pounded to make a Mashed Potato like Yam pottage. Nigerian beans, quite different from green peas, is widely popular. Meat is also popular and Nigerian Suya, a barbecue like method of roasting meat, is a well known delicacy. Bush meat, meat from wild game like deer andgiraffes is also popular. Fermented palm products is used to make a traditional liquor, Palm Wine, as is fermented Cassava.Soccer (often referred to as "football") is extremely popular throughout the country and especially among the youth, both field soccer and professional international soccer, has developed into a cult of unity and division. Supporters of Manchester United, Arsenal football club, Liverpool and Chelsea often segregate beyond the traditional tribal and even religious divide to share their common cause in English Premier League teams. The Nigeria national football team, nicknamed the Super Eagles, is the national team of Nigeria and is controlled by the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF). According to the FIFA World Rankings, Nigeria ranks 22nd and holds the third highest place among the African nations behind Cameroon (11th) and Côte d'Ivoire (16th). The highest position ever reached on the ranking was 5th in April 1994.

The music of Nigeria includes many kinds of folk and popular music, some of which are known worldwide. Traditional musicians use a number of diverseinstruments, such as the Gongon drums.

Other traditional cultural expressions are found in the various masquerades of Nigeria, such as the Eyo masquerades, the Ekpe and Ekpo Masquerades of the Efik/Ibibio/Annang/Igbo peoples of coastal south-eastern Nigeria (the former Ekpe secret society of the Calabar Kingdom - inventor of Nsibidi script), and the Northern Edo Masquerades. Yoruba wooden masks are used in the Gelede masquerades.