The Top Ten CultureClues for Doing Business in Nigeria.

Africa’s most populous, crowded, diverse, and complicated country presents challenges for anyone doing business there. But fundamental to the economic, environmental and political issues, are the cultural ones. Get a grasp on these first, and you’ll survive the rest a lot more easily.

#10. As is the case for many nations in Africa that were created by Europeans at the end of the European colonial era, Nigeria is a country in name only, a nationstate made up of conflicting ethnic, linguistic, religious groups, often competing for control over the resources of this vast nation. Nevertheless, there are some general statements we can make about Nigerian culture that are critically important for non-Nigerians working in the country to understand, beginning with a recognition and respect for this complicated diversity. There are four major ethnic groups, each very different, speaking different languages and representing different religious, social and economic interests. Your Nigerian colleagues will probably not identify openly to westerners as members of these groups, but you can be sure their association with their group powerfully influences their agendas and behaviors.

The four major groups are:

• FULANI: mainly in the north, representing Islamic interests.
• YORUBA: mainly in the southwest, influential in the media and finance.
• HAUSA: The largest ethnic group, mainly in central Nigeria, representing Christian national…