West+African+Group

**NIGERIA**  Wikipedia. (2010). Nigeria//, The Free Encyclopedia//. Retrieved April 19, 2010, from [] On the website I found important information regarding the Nigerian. Nigerian cuisine, like West African cuisine in general, has a lot of variety. Many different [|spices], [|herbs] and flavourings are used in conjunction with [|palm oil] or [|groundnut] oil to create flavoured sauces and soups often made very hot with [|chili peppers]. Nigerian feasts are colourful and lavish, while aromatic market and roadside snacks cooked on barbecues or fried in oil are plentiful and varied.Nigeria's national sport and the country has its own [|Premier League] of football. Also Nigeria's [|national football team], known as the Super Eagles, has made the [|World Cup] on three occasions [|1994], [|1998], and [|2002], won the African Cup of Nations in [|1980] and [|1994], and also hosted the Junior World Cup.The name //[|Nigeria]// came from a river named "[|Niger River]" running through the country. This name came from Flor[|a Shaw], the future wife of [|Baron Lugard], a [|British colonial] administrator at the time during the late 19th century.The majority of population is black. Also Nigeria is a member of the CommonWealth of Nation. Nigeria is the 12th largest producer of petroleum in the world and the 8th largest exporter. Nigeria is a fedral republic modelled on the United States. Also human right violations is a serious problem in Nigeria that involves government officials; for example:extrajudicial killings and use of excessive force by security forces; impunity for abuses by security forces; arbitrary arrests; prolonged pretrial detention; judicial corruption and executive influence on the judiciary; rape, torture and other cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment of prisoners, detainees and suspects; harsh and life‑threatening prison and detention center conditions; human trafficking for the purpose of prostitution and forced labor; societal violence and vigilante killings; child labor, child abuse and child sexual exploitation; female genital mutilation (FGM); domestic violence; discrimination based on sex, ethnicity, region and religion; restrictions on freedom of assembly, movement, press, speech and religion; infringement of privacy rights; and the abridgement of the right of citizens to change the government.This information was helpful to me to get a sense of some nigerian culture when working with a Nigerian student. Some places where Nigerians go to eat in New York are located in Queens and Brooklyn. (J ury) **__ History __** Metz H. (1991). Nigerian Introduction. The Library of Congress Country Studies. . Retrieved on 3/14/2010From: [] From this link I learned how t he European slave trade that occurred in Africa as early as the late fifteenth century and that crested between the 1650s and the 1850s had a significant impact on Nigeria. The slave trade had been the area’s primary attraction for the European powers, but palm oil and cocoa also played an inportant role in why Nigeria was so attractive. The link also gives information about Britain's intervention that later halted the slave trade. The Dutch, British, and other countries stuggled with Portugal to control the lucrative slave trade that was organized out of Nigeria. By the 1700s, the British controlled most of the coastal region. The tide changed after Britain abolished slavery and sought to eliminate slave trading. In 1861, Nigeria was made a British colony and in 1906, land east of the Niger River was incorporated into the colony. Slowly, Britain began to prepare the country for self-rule. In 1946 Britain divided Nigeria into three parts, each with an advisory assembly. Finaly on October 1st, 1960 Nigerian achieved independence from British after years of ruling; mentioned from the Library of Congress Country Studies // __** Nathalie S. **__ //
 * CULTURE**

Kwasi-Sarkodie, M. (2009) Nigerian Americans. C ountries and their Cultures. From: h [|ttp://www.everyculture.com/multi/Le-Pa/Nigerian-Americans.html] When I started my research I did not know anything about the country of Nigeria. When I finished reading this link I knew a great deal about the history of this country, which started before British colonization of the country. I learned how Nigeria obtained its name. I found it interesting that Nigeria was named after the Niger River. Another interesting fact was the Portuguese were the first Europeans to inhabit the land. Before thePortugese and British arrived, native armies were gained control (by war) to become more powerful and took control of the neighboring kingdoms that existed. Mostly I was shocked to learn how before the slave trade many African civilizations including Nigerians sold their handicapped and delinquent children to war captives, according to Kwasi. This was a great link. It taught me about Nigeria’s rich history and cultures which include religion, language, norms and family dynamic. By learning so much about Nigeria from this link, I believe it can and will help me in my career. As a future Counselor, it is good for me to have some basic knowledge about my client's background/culture which can help me to help him or her during the therapy session specially when I plan on working at New York City public school. Also it helps me to have a sense of his or her worldview. **__ Nathalie S __**


 * RELIGION & BELIEFS**

Ogbaa, K. (2003). //The Nigerian Americans. // Westport, CT: Greenwood Publishing Company. According to the author there are three major ethnic religions Esins Ibile in Yoruba, Igo Mmuo in Igbo, and Bori in Hausa; they are structured by three theological belief concepts like the greater God, men at three levels of existence (Human beings on earth, dead-living ancestors in the spirit world, and unborn children in the womb ( invisible and visible forces). This book helped me understand a bit more the Nigerians religion and beliefs.This information can be helpful when working with a Nigerian student who has this type of beliefs.(Jury)

Associated Press (2010). Hundreds killed in nigeria religious violence. //USA TODAY //, 1. Retrieved from []  This news article I think is great because it provides insight regarding the views of religion in Nigeria. From the article I can use the information of religion violence being something serious in Nigeria. And that there is a serious conflict between groups of Christian and Muslims, which is leading to the death of many women and children. Also the article brings awareness that this issue of religion violence has been taking place in Nigeria for more than a decade. I think this article is very helpful and insightful to research more. (Jury)

International Religious Freedom Report (2007).Nigeria.Bureau of Democracy, Human Rights, and Labor. []  Inter-religious tension between Christians and Muslims does exist in some areas, and conflicts of a seemingly socioeconomic or political nature often divided people along religious lines. Some members of Jehovah's Witnesses freely practiced their religion and were generally accepted in society, there were isolated cases of societal abuse of Witnesses who chose not to participate in local age grade associations for religious reasons. By investigating on both links I learned that religion and beliefs are a major conflict matter in Nigerian that many times leads to violence. This is helpful information to know in the future when working with students from Nigerian; because understanding their religion and beliefs helps when working with the client in the engagement stage of counseling. (Jury)

**LANGUAGE**

Boomie (1998). //Languages & intro//. Retrieved from http://www.motherlandnigeria.com/languages.html From this webiste I was able to learn that English is the official language in Nigerian. But there are three main languages in Nigeria; for example, Yoruba, Ibo, and hausa. I think this website is helpful; although more research needs to be done.(Jury)

Wikipedia. (2010). Nigeria//, The Free Encyclopedia//.April 19, 2010, from []The major languages spoken in Nigeria represent three major families of [|African languages] – the majority are [|Niger-Congo] languages, such as [|Yoruba], [|Igbo], the [|Hausa language] is [|Afro-Asiatic]; and [|Kanuri], spoken in the northeast, primarily [|Borno State], is a member of the [|Nilo-Saharan family]. Even though most ethnic groups prefer to communicate in their own languages, English, being the official language, is widely used for education, business transactions and for official purposes. English as a first language, however, remains an exclusive preserve of a small minority of the country's urban elite, and it is not spoken at all in some rural areas. With the majority of Nigeria's populace in the rural areas, the major languages of communication in the country remain indigenous languages. Both links helped me gain a better understanding that there is more than one language in Nigeria; and this is important to know when working with a Nigerian student, that they may speak more than one language.(Jury)

Adebisi, Y. (2010). //Nigeria: contending with foreign language in homes//. Retrieved from http://allafrica.com/stories/201003081067.html From this site I learned that in Nigeria the number of languages currently estimated to 521. This number includes 510 living languages, two second languages without native speakers and nine extinct langugages. In some areas of Nigeria, ethnic groups speak more than one language. To reach a balanced consensus, the official language of Nigeria, English, the former colonial language, was chosen to facilitate the cultural and linguistic unity of the country. The major languages spoken in Nigeria are Hausa, Igbo, Yoruba, Fulfulde, Kanuri and Ibibio. Overall, by researching about Nigerian language on three sites, I learned that even though English is the offical language, there is more than one language spoken. This helpful information when working with a Nigerian student.(Jury)

<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 18px; line-height: 27px;">**EDUCATION**

Jibril M.(2003). African Higher Education: An International Reference Handbook. // Indiana University Press, // 492-499. Retrieved on 3/14/ 2010 ** From: **[|http://www.bc.edu/bc_org/avp/soe/cihe/inhea/profiles/Nigeria.ht] In Nigeria the origins of higher education started since 1934, said Jibril. The government has built universities for the people for a better education. There are private universities and city colleges in Nigeria. For example there were colleges for midwifery, nursing, and polytechnics. According to Jibril, federal and state government are the main managers of higher education. This link has provided me with some knowledge about the Nigeria’s Universities' history. I learned the more universities that were built, the greater the demand was for higher education. More Nigerians were getting educated every year and also enrollment in universities doubled. The best part of this link was the information given about the federal government's law to abolish of tuition payment for all undergrad students. Also I learned how males are more likely to receive a doctorate degree than females. In addition, there are certain field of studies, such as engineering, where the number of males enrolled doubles the amount of females. As a future counselor if I had a female client/student that came from Nigeria, this website would really help me with some basic knowledge about the education in Nigeria; and also how important education is to a Nigerian immigrant. **__ Nathalie S __**.

Nigeria Student Association. (year) // York University. Student Center; Toronto Ontario M3J 1P3 //** Retrieved on 3/14/2010. From: []** I was excited to find this link because after learning about Nigeria’s education system back in Africa, I was able to learn about the life of Nigerian students away from their homeland. Many Nigerians are living here while getting their education. They not only come to America, but to other countries such as Canada. This website was organized by Nigerian students from Canada who are trying to stay connected with each other. They also provided some basic information about their country. From their website I found out that Nigeria is a multi-ethnic and multi-religious country. Even though these students have classes and school work, their main goal of their Association is to help each other (Nigerians) with their transition from Nigeria while they are getting an education in countries foreign to their own. ( // York University // ).This is helpful because in the future if I have a student or client who’s feeling homesick or would like to connect with other Nigerians, I could provide him or her with this website. I could use these links as references to understand issues they might be facing in America. This will allow me to determine which direction the counseling session should go when helping that student. I could refer them to the Nigerian Community Help Center located on West 46 street in New York In addition, from this website I learned about the family dynamic which is important in the Nigerian culture. I also was intriguied how the grandmother, father, and mother each give the baby a name ( // York University.) // It is common for Nigerians to leave their families and come to United States for better lives; however it is a very painful separation. As a result, they go back as often as possible and sometimes right after they are done with their studies. When Nigerians move to America they like to save money to send for their families back in Nigeria, said Munzali. This is good information for me just in case I have a Nigerian student to counsel, I would know how he or she was given the name and how special it is. **__ Nathalie S __**.


 * NIGERIANS IN US**

Osofisan S. (2002). // Dying In America //. Nigerians In America. Retrieved on May 2nd, 2010. From: []

O. N. (2007). // What Does It Mean To Be a Nigerian Woman in America? Nigerians in America. // Retrieved on May 2nd, 2010 From: []

Kabba A. (2002) African Abroad: //Daddy, Don't be a Fool!// Gotham Gazette // From: [] // These three websites are about the experiences Nigerians face. The Study wasn't made only by the Nigerians living in New York, but from Nigerians living in different parts of the United States. I am aware that my study should have only focused in New York, however when I came across these links and read the words from Nigerians all over the United States it was important for me to use them. As a Future Counselor I do want to have the knowledge about the issues face Nigerians in different part of the country. Based on these links the Nigerians do want to keep their traditions and passed them down to their children. They do not want their children to be "to Americanized". **__ Nathalie S. __**

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 * ARTS**

media type="youtube" key="eKOri00uQQo" height="385" width="480" YouTube Video: (Jury) Nigerians Celebrating Their Independance Day In New York: [|http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eKOri00uQQ]