The Most Educated Tribe In Nigeria – #Facts

Education, they say, is key, but the key to what?

Let us leave that aside…some words definers describe education as ‘the process of receiving or giving systematic instruction’ in a defined place like a school.

So tell me, which is the most educated tribe in Nigeria?

Those who had higher attendance in school? Or wait, those who teach?..hmm…

Out of the said over 300 tribes in Nigeria, there are 3 major tribes recognized in Nigeria: The Hausas, The Igbos, and the Yorubas.

A quick detour, tribes are divisions of a country, with each division consisting of people with similar descent.

Evidence of education could be recorded from the time of Adam telling Eve the names of the animals in the Garden of Eden.

Education has been the life support of traditions passed down from generation to generation and non-extinction of cultures.

Islamic education was recorded to have been taught to a minimum of 5 years old children in the North.

In the other cardinal points of the country, etiquette or let me say cultural/moral education was taught.

Then it happened, with the entrance of colonial masters into Nigeria; western-type of education took its first feet into the country and kept arranging both feet in front of each other to the east, west, north, and south.

Which Is the Most Educated Tribe In Nigeria?

First, let me warn you.

Don’t be sentimental about this, read through, analyze the facts, be open-minded, and at the end of it all, you’ll be the judge.

Ready?

The Yoruba Tribe

The Yoruba tribe is a major tribe and one of the largest ethnic groups in Nigeria.

Popular legend has it that a god sent his first son, Orishala, to earth with a rope, snail shell filled with sand, and fowl.

The first son, on approaching the gate saw a party going on and decided to partake in it as a private send forth for himself.

Also Read: Full list of the top 10 richest musicians in Nigeria

He had one too many drinks and fell asleep and his younger brother, Odua, saw that as a window and took what his father gave his elder brother.

Using the rope he got to earth, poured out the sand and placed the fowl on it to do its usual thing of scattering; and so it was claimed the earth was formed.

As opposed to this legend, Femi Fani-Kayode tells of Yoruba history linked to Cush, the son of Ham, third son of Noah, the famous ark builder.

All these did not deter the Yoruba tribe from accepting western education readily when it came in.

Even the first higher institution, University College, now the University of Ibadan, was built on the Yoruba terrain.

Of the five pioneering universities in the country, three universities are on Yoruba soil: University of Ibadan, University of Ife, and the University of Lagos.

Also Read: Top 10 Best Nigerian Universities

A ranking of youngest Ph.D. holders in the country as of the year 2015, by Legit, has 3 out of 5 to be of the Yoruba tribe.

Samuel Ajayi Crowther was not only a Yoruba man but the first Anglican bishop that compiled the first Yoruba dictionary.

Prior to the entrance of colonialization, this tribe ranked among the most urbanized people in Africa.

And while the numbers in schools were not the highest as at the beginning of the cleansing of western education, today contrasts that; as even the highest number of professors has been recorded in Ekiti state.

Also Read: Maximum of 2 kids to every Nigerian parent, should this hold?

Igbo Tribe

The Igbos were the most enthusiastic, most welcoming of western education and education took giant leaps in establishing itself in the eastern region.

Every action has a consequence, with education came better hopes for tomorrow and the zeal to have something worthwhile than what was given.

Hence, the jealousy and hate grew for the defiance they had, they got the brunt of this sword but would not stay low just like an average educated Nigerian will not take things an illiterate will take.

The war to liberate them from the shackles on them later led to the stripping of what they had and the placement of stronger bars.

The famous Biafra war took more than commonly seen things, it destroyed schools and hospitals and much more in its wake.

Crippling the sturdy legs of education in this region that welcomed it with open arms and a big grin, when it was more than what could be borne, they gave in but more salt was added to their wounds.

The money was gone, to earn more meant getting employment but hmm…alas, they were accepted as Nigerians in writing but not in deeds.

Also Read: Top 10 richest kid celebrities in Nigeria

They were the student that made uncle beat everyone in the class, application letters were rejected, and they were treated worse than ex-convicts.

The hunger pangs were not reducing and stealing was more grievous and so the light bulb came on, all roads led to the self establishment; sole proprietorship.

It is undeniably true that our eastern brothers are ‘epitomes’ of business; I would not blame them rather applaud them for rising from the ashes like a phoenix.

One would understand how the flair of education soon died down amongst them since it did not help them rather bounded them with stronger chains.

All these scenes did not deter the first professor in Nigeria, Professor Chike Obi, to be of the Igbo tribe.

Hmm…but the question still remains unanswered, which is the most educated tribe in Nigeria?

Hausa Tribe

This tribe is regarded as the largest ethnic group in Nigeria and commonly referred to as the northerners. Their taste in fashion and style is cultural.

Time and change, both not constant, are important factors that are vital to the evolvement of education.

While other tribes progressed with the acceptance of western education, the northerner built enmity with such change that sought them out.

Despite being one of the educative tribes, Islamic education, initially, education was seen as a religious obligation and so learning standards were according to that of the religion.

It is no wonder; it got on the defensive with the foreign education, with the northerners shutting their minds to it.

One could blame the rift between these two forms of education on the colonization of the country…let us not forget the sordid scenes of this rule that is appalling to their beliefs.

Not excluding the fact that the popular religion was in contrast to Islam, infidel, they would say.

IBN TAYMIYYA has been cited as follows ‘he who speaks other languages while he can speak Arabic is a sign of hypocrisy’…what?!

The little argument, you see some of this Hausa fail in classes related to western education and come out in flying colors in Islam related studies.

Bello Umar explained their piling treasures in Aljannah or making up for misdeeds has shut their eyes to see the good in western education but Islam propagating agendas.

Today, our heads are grateful to stop shaking their pity for a mundane heart-wrenching sight.

The numbers of educated people of the Hausa tribes are gradually increasing and might have been higher if their attachment to the past coupled with the love of subduing meat had not superseded their zeal for the acquisition of knowledge.

The Hausa tribe boasts of the youngest professor in Nigeria, professor Ahmad Ibrahim Doko.

Also Read: Top 20 richest Nigerian actresses

Let us not forget Google dictionary went further to describe education as an enlightening process and if I remember vividly enlighten means having a clearer understanding of things.

With such achievements from all major tribes, I put it to you, wise ones; which is the most educated tribe in Nigeria?

Let’s have your comments in the box provided below.