THE NIGERIAN PEOPLES AND CULTURE: AN HISTORICAL OVERVIEW

Abstract

Nigeria derives its name from the Niger, one of the major rivers that traversed it. The name was
given by the British colonial officials, who were responsible for the creation of modern Nigeria as a
political and territorial entity that we know today. Nigeria has passed through many stages in
history before developing into a nation-state (a country). Prior to the colonial period, much of what
is today Nigeria was divided into empires, kingdoms, chiefdoms and communities identified with
different cultural and ethnic groups having unique customs, traditions and languages. This paper (a
theoretical research) examines the process of the peopling of the Nigerian area by exploring among
others, the traditions of origin of a number of ethnic and cultural groups in Nigeria using different
written sources on the subject.