Nigerian Canadians

Nigerian Canadians

Total population
51,835 (2016 census)
Regions with significant populations
Brampton, Calgary, Winnipeg, Regina, Edmonton, Toronto, Windsor
Languages
English, Igbo, Yoruba, French, Nigerian Pidgin
Religion
Christianity · Islam

Nigerian Canadians are Canadian citizens and residents of Nigerian origin and descent. Nigerians began migrating to Canada during the 1967–1970 Biafra War. Nigerians were not broken out separately in immigration statistics until 1973. 3,919 landed immigrants of Nigerian nationality arrived in Canada from 1973 to 1991.

There is a significant number of Nigerians living in the Greater Toronto Area, especially in Brampton and Etobicoke. In the 2016 Census, 51,800 people identified themselves as Nigerians, with over half living in Ontario. There are many more Nigerians in Canada, who identified themselves by their tribe instead of their country - such as 9,600 as Yoruba, 5,600 as Igbo, and 1,900 as Edo. There has also been a steady increase in the number of Nigerians living in the western cities of Canada, such as Calgary, Edmonton, and Winnipeg.

Demographics

Province	Nigerians
Ontario	26,560
Alberta	13,010
Manitoba	3,860
Quebec	2,820
British Columbia	2,615
Saskatchewan	1,715
Nova Scotia	445
Newfoundland and Labrador	360
New Brunswick	230
Prince Edward Island	130
Northwest Territories	50
Nunavut	20
Yukon	15

Notable people

Academia, Science and Medicine

• Olusola Adesope professor of STEM education and educational psychology
• Adeola Olubamiji, technologist, specializing in medical applications of 3D printing
• Chika Stacy Oriuwa, physician and advocate for medical education reform

Athletes and Sportspeople

• Natalie Achonwa, basketball player
• Simidele Adeagbo, skeleton racer
• Elijah Adekugbe, soccer player
• Sam Adekugbe, soccer player
• Caleb Agada, basketball player
• Mobolade Ajomale, sprinter
• Tesho Akindele, soccer player
• Ayo Akinola, soccer player
• Akim Aliu, ice hockey player
• Olu Ashaolu, basketball player
• Oshiomogho Atogwe, football player
• Albert Awachie, football player
• Nanyak Dala, rugby player
• Hakeem Dawodu, mixed martial artist
• David Defiagbon, boxer
• Mike Edem, football player
• Melvin Ejim, basketball player
• Mohammed Elewonibi, football player
• Cyprian Enweani, sprinter
• Olu Famutimi, basketball player
• Israel Idonije, football player
• Daniel Igali, wrestler, Olympic gold medalist
• Jarome Iginla, retired ice hockey player and Hockey Hall of Fame inductee
• J. R. LaRose, football player
• Ese Mrabure-Ajufo, football player
• Rumun Ndur, ice hockey player
• Alex Ogbongbemiga, football player
• Amen Ogbongbemiga, football player
• Temitope Ogunjimi, rugby sevens player
• Eugene Omoruyi, basketball player
• Nakas Onyeka, football player
• Demi Orimoloye, baseball player
• Oluwaseun Oyegunle, soccer player
• Oluseyi Smith, sprinter
• Fikayo Tomori, soccer player
• Iké Ugbo, soccer player
• Masai Ujiri, president of basketball operations for the Toronto Raptors
• Stella Umeh, gymnast

Media, Film and Television

• Bukky Abaniwonda, actress
• Dayo Ade, actor
• Alfons Adetuyi, film and television director and producer
• Robert Adetuyi, screenwriter and film director
• Aisha Alfa, comedian and actress
• Rukiya Bernard, actress
• Rosey Edeh, news anchor, former track and field athlete
• Rogers Ofime, filmmaker and producer
• Enuka Okuma, actress
• Oyin Oladejo, actress
• Greta Onieogou, actress
• Raufikat Oyawoye, winner of The Great Canadian Baking Show season 4
• Shadia Simmons, actress

Musicians

• Archie Alleyne, jazz drummer
• Dax, rapper, singer and songwriter
• Tebey, country and pop singer-songwriter
• Tobi, rapper and singer
• WondaGurl, hip-hop producer

Writers and Authors

• Pius Adesanmi, writer and essayist
• Francesca Ekwuyasi, novelist
• Tolu Oloruntoba, poet
• Cheluchi Onyemelukwe, novelist
• Ken Wiwa, journalist and author

Government

• Uzoma Asagwara, Manitoba MLA for Union Station
• Kaycee Madu, Alberta MLA for Edmonton-South West; cabinet minister

Other

• Bunmi Banjo, business executive, head of Google's Digital Skills for Africa program
• Samuel Oghale Oboh, architect, first Black president of the Royal Architectural Institute of Canada

See also

• Black Canadians
• Nigerian Australians
• British Nigerians
• Nigerian Americans

Sources

• Ogbomo, Onaiwu Wilson (1999), "Nigerians", in Magocsi, Paul R. (ed.), The Encyclopedia of Canada's Peoples, University of Toronto Press, ISBN 978-0-8020-2938-6, archived from the original on 2009-10-08
• "Ethnic Origin (232), Sex (3) and Single and Multiple Responses (3) for Population, for Canada, Provinces, Territories, Census Metropolitan Areas and Census Agglomerations", 2001 Census - 20% Sample Data, Statistics Canada, 2001, retrieved 2010-08-17
• Adekola, S (2017). "From Brain Drain To Brain Train – A Transnational Case Analysis Of Nigerian Migrant Health Care Workers" (2017). Theses and Dissertations (Comprehensive). http://scholars.wlu.ca/etd/1987
• Ethnic Origin (279), Single and Multiple Ethnic Origin Responses (3), Generation Status (4), Age (12) and Sex (3) for the Population in Private Households of Canada, Provinces and Territories, Census Metropolitan Areas and Census Agglomerations, 2016 Census - 25% Sample Data, Statistics Canada, 2016, retrieved 2020-12-22

External links

• Comparing Nigerians and Canadians: Insights from Social Survey Research, 1990-2005