Would you want to know how many Nigerians live in the USA?
In that case, you are most welcome to participate in our discussion today. We shall be counting on the population of Nigerians living in the US over the years.
Not merely that, but including the regions with a significant population of Nigerians.
How Many Nigerians Live In America Currently?
Aside from the fact that Nigeria is the most populous country in Africa, it also has the largest number of migrants in the US.
Nigerians see the United States as a nation filled with golden opportunities, which has led to a massive increase in Nigerian migrants to the United States in search of greener pastures.
However, Nigerians in the US are quite striking in terms of labor and education relative to other migrants.
How Did Nigerians First Get into the US?
The Atlantic slave trade from the 17th to the beginning of the 18th century was the first thing that brought the existence of Nigerians to the United States.
Nigeria’s coastal areas were the primary route of slave exports to West Africa and other regions. However, the majority of the slaves came from the Bight of Biafra.
Consequently, most of the Igbo were taken as slaves in Virginia and Maryland from the coast of Calabar. In fact, of the 37,000 slaves who were brought to Virginia and Maryland in the 18th century, some 30,000 were Igbo.
These slaves were subsequently relocated to Kentucky.
While on the other hand, Yoruba and other ethnic groups in Nigeria have been trafficked across the Badagry coastline.
400 years later, Africans living in the US could no longer follow their ancestors, due to lack of documentation simply because they are slaves.
How about the 1960s and 1980s?
From the time of Nigeria’s independence in 1960, some financially dynamic Nigerians began to move to the United States to seek education and other employment opportunities.
Around 1965, the Immigration and Nationality Act was enacted to allow other nationals outside Northwest Europe into the United States. This created another pathway for the tip of the Nigerians in the USA.
Due to major political turmoil and economic stagnation in Nigeria in the 1970s, many Nigerians emigrated to the US.
This is because the “Migration Policy Institutes” allow Nigerians to remain in the U.S. for a longer period, with little incentive to return.
Thus, around 1984, the Nigerian population grew significantly by 10,000.
Present-Day Population of Nigerians in the United States
Between 2010 and 2019, the number of Nigerians traveling to the United States rose by 79 percent.
In case you’re not aware, the former Nigerian population in the U.S. was officially 219,000.
But before 2019, the number climbed to 345,000. So far, the population of Nigerians living in the United States remains above that level.
Where Can I Find Nigerians in the US?
Some regions that are home to many Nigerians living in the US include Texas, Maryland, New York, Houston, Chicago, Atlanta, Los Angeles, and Indiana’s Marion Country.
Some of the areas we just mentioned include places where there is a larger population of Nigerians.
Nigerians living in the ‘Diaspora Organization Americas’ have their head offices near Washington DC.
Nigerians Living in Texas
It is rather surprising that among the 10 countries with Nigerians as the largest number of migrants, Texas appears to detain the largest number of Nigerians.
When you check places like Harris country, you will find approximately 28,000 Nigerians. Fort Bend also has approximately 13,300 residents who were born in Nigeria.
12,000 Nigerians live in the Dallas region and 8,300 in the Tarrant region.
Places like Houston host much of the petrochemical industry, which is one of the sources of attraction for Nigerian immigrants.
If you don’t know, Nigerians have bigger organizations that represent Nigerian communities. Among these are the “Nigerian Foundation of Houston” and the “Nigerian Ladies Association of Texas”.
Nigerians Living in Maryland
There are approximately 16,300 Nigerians of origin residing in the country of Prince George, which is said to be the second-largest community that shelters Nigerians in the United States.
In Baltimore country, there are approximately 8,300 Nigerians. Some of the organizations belonging to Nigerian women from Maryland include the “Nigerian Igbo Catholic Community” and the “Nigerian Women Association, Maryland Metro Inc.”
Nigerians Living in Chicago
Chicago ranks fourth with the largest Nigerian-born population living in the USA with approximately 13,100 Nigerians. The majority of Nigerians living in Chicago reside mainly in the north of the region.
This is because there are a significant number of fruits and vegetables that they can use to meet the needs of other African clients.
However, still in Chicago, you can find lots of Nigerians in Cook’s country and Illinois. Some of the religious centuries of Islam and Christianity in Chicago are dominated by Nigerians.
Nigerians live in the Los Angeles, State of California
After the population of Nigerians in Chicago, you can find a considerable number of Nigerians in this area as well.
We have approximately 11,900 Nigerians living in Los Angeles.
New York City
The number of Nigerians living in New York exceeds that of Chicago, Los Angeles, and Maryland. The number of Nigerians residing in New York is estimated at 20,600.
Places like Atlanta, Georgia, have around 10,000 Nigerians while New Jesse Essex Country shelters around 9,400 Nigerians born.
Finally, Indiana’s Marion Country has the least number of Nigerians with a population of about 5,000.
A Couple of Facts about Nigerian immigrants in the United States
- Here are some interesting facts about Nigeria’s immigrant population in the United States.
- In 2017, Nigerian residents sent around USD 6.2 million to Nigeria. This figure exceeded that of any other African country.
- By 2016, about 59% of Nigerians living in the United States had completed their undergraduate education and more.
- In 2015, 50 percent of the Nigerian populations living in the United States were Muslim, and 48.1 percent were Christian. That’s more or less the same number in Nigeria.
There is practically nowhere in the United States where you will not find a Nigerian.
I just want you to know how famous this country is.
As we have mentioned above, there are more than 345,000,000 Nigerians in the US. You also discovered where the Nigerian population is significant in the US.
The next time you go to America, you know where to find your Nigerian brother.