Culture of Nigeria This article needs additional citations for verification . Please help improve this article by adding citations to reliable sources. Unsourced material may be challenged and removed. Find sources: "Culture of Nigeria" – news · newspapers · books · scholar · JSTOR (September 2014) (Learn how and when to remove this template message ) The Benin ivory mask from the Metropolitan Museum of Art . The culture of Nigeria is shaped by Nigeria 's multiple ethnic groups . The country has 527 languages, seven of them are extinct.[1] Nigeria also has over 1150 dialects and ethnic groups. The six largest ethnic groups are the Hausa and Fulani in the north, the Igbo in the southeast, and the Yoruba predominate in the southwest, the Tiv people of North Central Nigeria and the Efik - Ibibio . The Edo people are most frequent in the region between Yorubaland and Igboland . Many of the Edo tend to be Christian. This group is followed [clarification needed ] by the Ibibio /Annang /Efik people of the coastal south southern Nigeria and the Ijaw of the Niger Delta. Nigeria's other ethnic groups, sometimes called 'minorities', are found throughout the country but especially in the north and the middle belt. The traditionally nomadic Fulani can be found all over West and Central Africa. The Fulani and the Hausa are predominantly Muslim while the Igbo are predominantly Christian and so are the Efik, Ibibio, and Annang people. The Yoruba are equally likely to be either Christian or Muslim. Indigenous religious practices remain important to all of Nigeria's ethnic groups, and frequently these beliefs are blended with Christian beliefs, a practice known as syncretism . Major Nigerian Ethnic Cultures Language distribution around 1979. Hausa (in yellow) and other Chadic languages . Area of Yorubas. Igbo in the Southeast. Edo in the South. Ijaw (Ijo). Efik-Ibibio Culture The Efik-Ibibio culture of coastal southeastern Nigeria has a significant contribution to the Nigerian culture, especially the culture of southern part of Nigeria. A brief summary is as follows: Efik-Ibibio language: This language is spoken in Akwa Ibom State and Cross River State . It has various dialects such as the Annang dialect, Oron dialect, and many others. The Efik-Ibibio language has a significant influence on the languages and names of people of southern Nigeria. Protectors : The Efik-Ibibio culture was protected by a secret society, the Ekpe , that was indigenous to southeastern Nigeria. The "Ekpe", meaning 'Lion', became a popular symbol in the Efik-Ibibio culture which later became popular in other Nigerian ethnic cultures. Writing : Nsibidi is the popular ancient indigenous writing of the Efik people was invented by the Ekpe of the Efik-Ibibio people. Food: Located in the coastal southeastern Nigeria by the Atlantic Ocean, the Efik-Ibibio people are blessed with various edible vegetables. Their food is popular throughout the entire Nigeria including the popular Afañg soup, Edikang Ikong soup, pepper soup, Ukwoho, Atama,Eritañ, jollof-rice, etc., etc. Bini Eghosa the queen of Bini Yoruba Culture The Yorubas are located on the western region of Nigeria. Igbo Culture The eastern part of Nigeria is the home of the Igbos, who are mostly Christians. Their traditional religion is known as Omenani . Socially they are led by monarchs known as Eze Igwes . These figures in turn are expected to confer subordinate titles upon men and woman that are highly accomplished. This is known as the Nze na Ozo title system. People of title are usually well-spoken, highly respected and well recognized in their communities. Hausa-Fulani Culture The Hausa-Fulani live in Northern Nigeria. Nigerian literature See also: Nigerian literature Nigeria is famous for its English language literature . Things Fall Apart, by Chinua Achebe, is an important book in African literature . [2] With over eight million copies sold worldwide, it has been translated into 50 languages, making Achebe the most translated African writer of all time. [3][4] Nigerian Nobel laureate Wole Soyinka described the work as "the first novel in English which spoke from the interior of the African character, rather than portraying the African as an exotic, as the white man would see him." [5] Apart from the speakers of standard English, a large portion of the population, roughly a third, speaks Nigerian pidgin, which has a primarily English lexicon . It has become a common lingua franca as a result. Pidgin English is a creolized form of the language. For instance, "How you dey" means "How are you". The Palm Wine Drinkard, a popular novel by Amos Tutuola , was written in it.