5 Indigenous Nigerian Tribes at Risk of Being Forgotten and the Efforts to Preserve Their Language

Introduction

Nigeria, Africa’s most populous nation, is renowned for its immense cultural and linguistic diversity. The country boasts over 500 distinct languages and hundreds of ethnic groups scattered across its 36 states. While major tribes like the Hausa, Igbo, and Yoruba dominate the political, social, and economic scenes, many smaller indigenous tribes are facing the threat of extinction, especially in terms of language and cultural identity.

The forces of urbanization, globalization, intermarriage, and dominant culture assimilation have led to a steady decline in the use of native tongues among these lesser-known groups and tribes. Without urgent intervention, several Nigerian languages and cultural practices may disappear entirely within a few decades.

According to the ‍UNESCO Atlas of the World’s Languages in Danger, over 250 languages in Nigeria are facing various levels of endangerment, including those spoken by small tribes such as the Hyam, Fyam, and Shuwa Arabs. These languages risk disappearing unless deliberate preservation actions are taken.

This article sheds light on five endangered tribes in Nigeria, explores the reasons for their decline, and highlights the efforts being made to preserve their languages and heritage.

1. Ijegun Tribe – Lagos State

The Ijegun people are a lesser-known ethnic group located around the Ijegun and Ijedodo areas of Lagos State. Though surrounded by the bustling activity of Nigeria’s commercial capital, the Ijegun tribe has retained traces of its indigenous identity through customs, beliefs, and oral language traditions.

Language Status

The Ijegun language is an endangered dialect of the broader Awori-Yoruba cluster. Due to the dominance of Yoruba and English in Lagos, the Ijegun language is seldom spoken among the younger generation. Many elders lament that their children and grandchildren do not understand or speak their native tongue.

Threats to Survival

• Rapid urbanization and the spread of Lagos metropolis.
• Lack of formal documentation or orthography for the dialect.
• Influence of dominant Yoruba language and English in schools and media.

Preservation Efforts

Local elders have begun organizing monthly heritage meetings to teach children about their roots, while advocacy groups in Lagos are campaigning for inclusion of Ijegun cultural history in school curricula. Some NGOs are recording oral histories from Ijegun elders to digitally preserve the language.

2. Jaba (Ham) People – Kaduna State

The Jaba people, also known as Ham, reside in the southern part of Kaduna State, particularly in Kwoi, Nok, and surrounding communities. They are historically linked to the Nok Civilization, one of Africa’s earliest known cultures, famed for its terracotta sculptures.

Ham traditional atire [Miracle John]

Language Status

The Hyam language, spoken by the Ham people, is recognized as one of the endangered languages in Nigeria. While some members of the older generation still speak it fluently, younger Ham people are shifting to Hausa and English for education and communication.

Threats to Survival

• Lack of written materials in Hyam.
• Inter-ethnic marriages and migration to cities.
• Neglect of indigenous language in formal education.

Preservation Efforts

The Ham Language Development Committee (HLDC) has launched literacy programs and translated Bible portions into Hyam.

Efforts are being made to document traditional folktales and proverbs for educational use.

Cultural festivals are being revived to promote language use in communal gatherings.

3. Shuwa Arabs – Borno and Yobe States

The Shuwa Arabs, also known as Baggara Arabs, are a nomadic tribe that migrated centuries ago from North Africa into Nigeria’s northeast. They are mostly found in Borno and Yobe States, engaging in cattle rearing and trading.

Language Status

The tribe speaks Shuwa Arabic, a dialect of Arabic that differs significantly from classical Arabic and is distinct to the Lake Chad Basin region. In recent years, insecurity in the Northeast and displacement due to insurgency have led to a loss of cultural cohesion and language transmission.

Threats to Survival

• Boko Haram insurgency has displaced many Shuwa Arab families.
• Assimilation into dominant Kanuri and Hausa communities.
• Low literacy levels and absence of Shuwa Arabic in formal settings.

Preservation Efforts

Some community leaders have partnered with NGOs to record oral histories and document the grammar of Shuwa Arabic. There are calls for refugee and IDP education programs to incorporate Shuwa Arabic language and culture into curricula for displaced children.

4. Ura People – Plateau State

The Ura people, also referred to as Fyam, are a minority tribe in Plateau State, primarily residing in the Mangu and Pankshin local government areas. They are one of the many small groups/tribes that make up the complex ethnic mosaic of central Nigeria.

Language Status

The Fyam language is part of the larger Plateau language family and is highly endangered. According to language preservation reports, there are fewer than 10,000 fluent speakers, and most are above 50 years of age.

Threats to Survival

• Dominance of Hausa in the region.
• Lack of literacy in the native tongue.
• Migration and lack of cultural pride among youths.

Preservation Efforts

A group of linguists from Jos University is working with Ura elders to develop an orthography for Fyam.

Christian missionaries have translated some religious materials into Fyam to encourage usage during worship.

The tribe hosts an annual Fyam Day Festival, where young people are encouraged to perform drama and music in their language.

5. Apoi Tribe – Ondo and Bayelsa States

The Apoi people are an Ijaw subgroup found in Ondo and Bayelsa States, particularly in the riverine communities. While they share some cultural links with the Ijaw, they possess unique dialects and traditions that set them apart.

Apoi tribe

Language Status

The Apoi dialect of Ijoid language is rapidly fading, especially in Ondo State where Yoruba influence is strongest. Many Apoi youths speak Yoruba, English, or Pidgin and struggle to converse in their ancestral language.

Threats to Survival

Heavy influence of dominant Yoruba culture in Ondo State.

Flooding and displacement of riverine communities.

Lack of formal documentation or language instruction.

Preservation Efforts

Elders have begun recording traditional songs, riddles, and tales, hoping to pass them on to future generations. Efforts are ongoing to collaborate with Niger Delta cultural organizations to include Apoi language in regional cultural preservation plans.

Why Language Loss Matters for Nigeria’s Cultural Identity

Every language is more than just a set of words; it is a living archive of a people’s identity, worldview, history, and knowledge system. When a language dies, a significant portion of the people’s intangible cultural heritage disappears with it including folklore, oral history, medicinal knowledge, and traditional governance systems.

Key Consequences of Language Loss:

1. Loss of Cultural Memory

Traditional stories, rituals, and proverbs passed down through generations are lost when the language that encodes them fades.

2. Disruption of Community Bond

Language serves as a glue for intergenerational communication. When children cannot speak their parents’ or grandparents’ language, family bonds and social values weaken.

3. Erosion of Indigenous Knowledge Systems

Indigenous farming techniques, healing practices, and local philosophies are often encoded in native languages. Losing the language disrupts this knowledge transfer.

4. Marginalization and Identity Crisis

People from small ethnic groups who lose their language often face identity crises or feel culturally inferior, leading to further assimilation and loss of pride.

What Government and Institutions Can Do

Despite the alarming decline in indigenous languages across Nigeria, there are tangible steps that both government institutions and private stakeholders can take to preserve and promote the cultural richness of smaller tribes.

1. Inclusion in School Curricula

1. Local governments should mandate the teaching of indigenous languages at the primary school level.
2. Schools in areas with significant minority populations can employ native speakers as language instructors.
3. Textbooks should be translated into indigenous languages.

2. Documentation and Archiving

1. The National Institute for Nigerian Languages (NINLAN) can lead a campaign to document endangered languages through audio, video, and written formats.
2. Collaboration with universities and linguists to create dictionaries, grammar guides, and folklore books.

3. Cultural Festivals and Language Days

1. Establish official language and culture days for minority tribes, celebrated at state and national levels.
2. Provide grants for indigenous art, music, and storytelling competitions.

4. Media Inclusion

1. Encourage national and local broadcasters to air news and cultural programs in minority languages.
2. Create digital content like YouTube channels, podcasts, and children’s animations in these languages.

5. Legal Recognition and Protection

1. Recognize more indigenous languages officially at the state level and protect their rights in the constitution.
2. Offer incentives for indigenous-language publications such as books, newspapers, and radio shows.

How Communities Can Help Preserve Their Languages

While institutional support is essential, the true revival of language and culture begins at home. Communities, elders, and youth must take ownership of their heritage.

1. Speak the Language at Home

Parents should prioritize speaking the native language to their children daily.

Grandparents can play a key role in teaching proverbs, stories, and songs.

2. Use in Religious Worship

Encourage churches, mosques, and traditional worship centers to use the indigenous language in preaching, prayers, and songs.

3. Create Community Language Clubs

Organize language literacy workshops, story nights, and cultural events where young people can learn through fun interactions.

Use WhatsApp, Facebook, and YouTube to promote indigenous content.

4. Record and Share

Record elders telling stories or performing rituals and share them online.

Translate modern concepts and everyday conversations into the language and share as memes, short videos, or blog posts.

Organizations Working to Save Indigenous Nigerian Languages

Several NGOs, academic institutions, and local movements are actively involved in preserving Nigerian languages. Here are a few:

• Centre for the Study of Nigerian Languages (CSNL) – Based in Bayero University Kano, it specializes in language documentation and research.

• Living Tongues Institute for Endangered Languages – A global NGO that partners with local communities to document languages.

• Endangered Languages Documentation Programme (ELDP) – Funds language preservation efforts in Nigeria.

• The Igbo Language Preservation Project – Focused on revitalizing Igbo, but provides a template for other tribes.

• The Ham Language Development Committee (HLDC) – Actively working on preserving the Hyam language in Southern Kaduna.

Conclusion

The cultural wealth of Nigeria does not lie only in its oil or natural resources, it lies in its people, languages, and traditions. Forgotten tribes like the Ijegun, Jaba, Shuwa Arabs, Ura, and Apoi may be small in number, but they represent irreplaceable threads in the fabric of Nigeria’s identity.

The fight to preserve their languages is not just an academic exercise. It is a race against time to ensure that future generations do not wake up one day to find their ancestral voices silenced. It is a call to parents, communities, government, and even tech creators to make space for every Nigerian language, no matter how small, in schools, homes, media, and the digital world.

Reviving these languages means reviving our collective soul as a nation. And it begins with just one word, spoken, written, or remembered.