Complete List of the Over 250 Ethnic Groups in Nigeria by States

How many ethnic group do we have in nigeriahas been a popular question from several quarters. The answer to that is, Nigeria is a multi-ethnic and multi-linguistic country. She has over 250 ethnic groups within her boundaries, with most of these ethnic groups having very close ties with her neighbouring countries.

Though Yoruba, Igbo and Hausa are the three major ethnic groups known by most Nigerians, there are actually over 250 other ethnic groups in Nigeria aside from the famous three?

For many, understanding Nigeria is simple. The Northerners are Hausa; Southwest belong to the Yorubas, and Igbos own the South East. Well, approaching things from this perspective is not only untrue but also unfair to the other ethnic groups in those regions.

So, do yourself a favour and get familiar with this list of the over 250 ethnic groups in Nigeria.

PS: Guess which state has the highest number of ethnic groups in Nigeria

Clue: It’s in the North

Read on to find out

Read Also: 7 Interesting Nigerian Historical Facts

List of Ethnic Groups in Nigeria

I. Abia

1. Igbo

II. Adamawa

1. Babur (Pabir)/Bura 

2. Bachama

3. Banso (Panso)

4. Batta

5. Baya 

6. Bilei 

7. Bille

8. Botlere 

9. Bwatiye 

10. Bwazza

11.  Daba 

12. Daka 

13. Palli

14. Fulani (Fulbe)

15. Ga’anda 

16. Gira 

17. Gizigz

18. Gombi 

19. Gude

20. Gudu 

21. Gwa (Gurawa)

22. Gwamba 

23. Holma 

24. Hona 

25. Ichen 

26. Jibu 

27. Jirai 

28. Kaka 

29. Kambu 

30. Kamwe

31. Kanakuru (Dera)

32. Kanuri

33. Kilba

34. Kurdul

35. Lakka

36. Lala

37. Longuda (Lunguda)

38. Mambilla

39. Margi (Marghi)

40. Maffa

41. Mbol

42. Mbula

43. Muchaila

44. Mundang

45. Ngweshe (Ndhang.Ngoshe-Ndhang)

46. Njayi

47. Pire

48. Shuwa

49. Sukur

50. Teme

51. Tur

52. Ubbo

53. Vemgo

54. Verre

55. Wagga

56. Wurbo

57. Yandang

58. Yungur

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III. Akwa Ibom

1. Anang 

2. Andoni

3. Eket

4. Ibeno 

5. Ibibio 

IV. Anambra

1. Igbo

2.. Igala

3. Anioma

V. Bauchi

1. Angas

2. Bambora (Bambarawa) 

3. Banka (Bankalawa) 

4. Bara (Barawa) 

5. Barke 

6. Bele (Belewa) 

7. Buli 

8. Burak 

9. Buta (Butawa) 

10. Chama (Chamawa Fitilai) 

11. Chamo 

12. Dadiya 

13. Daza (Dere, Derewa) 

14. Deno (Denawa) 

15. Ouguri 

16. Duma (Dumawa) 

17. Fulani (Fulbe)

18. Galambi 

19. Geji 

20. Gera (Gere, Gerawa) 

21. Gingwak 

22. Gubi (Gubawa) 

23. Gyem 

24. Hausa

25. Jaku 

26. Jara (Jaar Jarawa Jarawa-Dutse)

27. Jere (Jare, Jera, Jera, Jerawa)

28. Jimbin (Jimbinawa) 

29. Jukun 

VI. Bayelsa

1. Epie

2. Isoko

3. Izon (Ijaw)

4. Urhobo

VII. Benue

1. Akweya-Yachi 

2. Egede (Igedde) 

3. Etolu (Etilo)

4. Idoma

5. Jukun

6. Ufia

6. Utonkong

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VIII. Borno

1. Babur (Pabir)/Bura

2. Baggara Arabs

3. Buduma

4. Bura/Babur (Pabir)

5. Chibok (Kibaku)

6. Chinine

7. Dghwede

8. Fulani (Fulbe)

9. Gamergu-Mulgwa

10. Gavako

11. Gwoza (Waha)

12. Hausa

13. Kanakuru (Dera)

14. Kanembu

IX. Cross River

1. Abayon

2. Adim

3. Adun

4. Agbo

5. Akaju-Ndem (Akajuk)

6. Anyima

7. Bachere

8. Bahumono

9. Bekwarra

10. Bette

11. Boki (Nki)

12. Efik

13. Ejagbam

14. Ekajuk

15. Ekoi

16. Etung

17. Idoma

18. Ikom

19. Iyala (Iyalla)

X. Delta 

1. Anioma

2. Igbo

3. Ika

4. Isoko

5. Isekiri (Itsekiri)

6. Izon (Ijaw)

7. Urhobo

XI. Ebonyi

1. Igbo

XII. Edo

1. Anioma

2. Bini (Edo)

3. Ebira

4. Ebu

5. Esan (Ishan)

6. Etsako

7. Etuno

8. Igala

9. Izon (Ijaw)

10. Uwanno

XIII. Ekiti

1. Yoruba

XIV. Enugu

1. Igala

2. Igbo

XV. FCT

1. Gwari (Gbagi)

2. Tiv

XVI. Gombe

1. Fulani (Fulbe)

2. Tangale

3. Tula

XVII. Imo

1. Igbo

XVIII. Jigawa

1. Auyoka (Sub-Hausa)

2. Fulani (Fulbe)

3. Hausa

XIX. Kaduna

1. Attakar (ataka)

2. Ayu

3. Bassa

4. Bina (Binawa)

5. Fulani (Fulbe)

6. Gure

7. Gwandara

8. Gwari (Gbagi)

9. Gwong (Kagoma)

10. Ham (Hyam, Jaba, Jabba)

11. Hausa

12. Kadara

13. Kafanchan

14. Kagoro

15. Kaje

16. Kajuru

17. Kamaka (Karnukawa)

XX. Katsina

1. Fulani (Fulbe)

2. Hausa

XXI. Kano

1. Fulani (Fulbe)

2. Hausa

XXII. Kebbi

1. Achipa (Achipawa)

2. Dakarkari

3. Danda (Dandawa)

4. Duka (Dukawa)

5. Fulani (Fulbe)

6. Hausa

7. Kamaku (Karnukawa)

8. Kambari

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XXIII. Kogi

1. Bassa

2. Bunu

3. Ebira

4. Ebu

5. Gbedde

6. Gwari (Gbagi)

7. Idoma

8. Igala

9. Ijumu

XXIV. Kwara

1. Fulani

2. Baruba (Batonu)

3. Yoruba

XXV. Lagos

1. Awori

2. Egun (Gu)

3. Yoruba

XXVI. Nasarawa

1. Afo (Eloyi)

2. Alago

3. Gade

4. Gwari (Gbagi)

5. Hausa

XXVII. Niger

1. Baruba (Batonu)

2. Bassa

3. Baushi

4. Boko (Bussawa, Bargawa)

5. Dakarkari

6. Fulani (Fulbe)

7. Gade

8. Gurmana

9. Gwandara

10. Gwari (Gbagi)

11. Hausa

12. Kadara

13. Kamaku (Karnukawa)

14. Kambari

XXVIII. Ogun

1. Awori

2. Egun (Gu)

3. Yoruba

XXIX. Ondo

1. Ebira

2. Izon (Ijaw)

3. Yoruba

XXX. Osun

1. Yoruba

XXXI. Oyo

1. Yoruba

XXXII. Plateau

1. Afizere

2. Amo

3. Anaguta

4. Ankwei

5. Bada

6. Bashiri (Bashirawa)

7. Bassa

8. Berom (Birom)

9. Bokkos

10. Buji

11. Burma (Burmawa)

12. Bwall

13. Challa

14. Chip

15. Chokobo

16. Doemak (Dumuk)

17. Fulani (Fulbe)

18. Fyam (Fyem)

19. Fyer (Fer)

20. Qanawuri

21. Geruma (Gerumawa)

22. Goemai

23. Gusu

24. Irigwe

25. Jere (Jare, Jera, Jera, Jerawa)

26. Jidda-Abu

27. Jukun

28. Kantana

29. Kenern (Koenoem)

30. Kulere (Kaler)

31. Kwalla

32. Kadung

33. Kwaro

34. Kwato

35. Limono

36. Mabo

37. Mada

38. Mama

39. Memyang (Meryan)

40. Milighili (Mighili)

41. Montol

42. Munga (Mupang)

43. Mupun

44. Mushere

45. Mwahavul (Mwaghavul)

46. Ngas (Angas)

47. Ninzam (Ninzo)

48. Nokere (Nakere)

49. Nunku

50. Pai

51. Pyapun (Piapung)

52. Rindire (Rendre)

53. Ron

54. Rukuba

55. Saya (Sayawa Za’ar)

56. Shangawa (ShanKadunagau)

57. Shan-Shan

58. Sikdi

59. Sura

60. Tarok

61. Tiv

62. Yergan (Yergum)

63. Yuom

XXXIII. Rivers

1. Abua (Odual)

2. Andoni

3. Anioma

4. Bille

5. Ebana (Ebani)

6. Egbema

7. Ekpeye

8. Engenni (Ngene)

9. Etche

10. Gokana (Kana)

11. Ibani

12. Igbo

13. Ikwerre

14. Izon (Ijaw)

15. Joinkrama)

16. Kalabari

17. Ke

18. Kugbo

19. Obolo

20. Ogoni

21. Ogba

22. Okirika

23. Udekeama

XXXIV. Sokoto

1. Fulani (Fulbe)

2. Hausa

XXV. Taraba

1. Bakulung

2. Bali

3. Bambuko

4. Banda (Bandawa)

5. Betso (Bete)

6. Bobua

7. Chamba

8. Chukkol

9. Dangsa

10. Diba

11. Fulani (Fulbe)

12. Gengle

13. Gornun (Gmun)

14. Gonia

15. Gwom

16. Hausa

17. Jahuna (Jahunawa)

18. Jero

19. Jonjo (Jenjo)

20. Jukun

21. Kaba (Kabawa)

22. Kanuri

23. Karimjo

24. Kenton

25. Kodei

26. Kona

27. Kugama

28. Kunini

29. Kuteb

30. Kutin

31. Kwanchi

32. Lama

33. Lamja

34. Lau

35. Mbum

36. Mumuye

37. Munga (Lelau)

38. Ndoro

39. Ngweshe (Ndhang.Ngoshe-Ndhang)

40. Nyandang

41. Panyam

42. Pkanzom

43. Poll

44. Potopo

45. Sakbe

46. Sate

47. Shomo

48. Tarok

49. Tigon

50. Tikar

51. Tiv

52. Vommi

53. Waka

54. Wurkun

55. Yandang

56. Yott

XXXVI. Yobe

1. Affade

2. Bura-Pabir

3. Bade

4. Bole (Bolewa)

5. Buru

6. Chibok (Kibaku)

7. Fulani (Fulbe)

8. Kanuri

9. Karekare (Karaikarai)

10. Manga (Mangawa)

11. Ngizim

12. Shuwa

XXXVII. Zamfara

1. Fulani (Fulbe)

Conclusion

There you have it, the list of over 250 ethnic groups in Nigeria. According to 2020 findings, Yoruba is the biggest ethnic groups in Nigeria, claiming 23% of the population, and Hausa is a close second with 21%. Others are as follows:

Igbo – 18%

Ijaw – 5%

Fulani – 3%

Ibibio – 2.8%

Tiv – 2.2%

Kanuri – 1.7%

Others – 23%

Source: The World Factbook

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