Hinduism in Nigeria - Hindus of Indian Origin in Nigeria

Hindus of Indian Origin in Nigeria

India and Nigeria were both part of the British Empire. Indians, both Muslims and Hindus alike, were brought to Great Britain's African colonies to work on the railroads. However, most of the Indian population, along with other foreigners from across the Empire, fled to either the United Kingdom, the United States, or back to their country of origin during the Nigerian Civil War.

The Government of Nigeria follows a liberal and non-discriminatory policy in the grant of citizenship to resident foreign nationals. It is not surprising, therefore, that there are as many as 8,000 Nigerians of Indian origin in the country. It is believed that there are as many as 500,000 Indians (both foreign and native-born) in Nigeria.

Starting from the 1970s, the Nigerian government and several private sector agencies began to hire a large number of Indian doctors, teachers, engineers and other professionals. Towards the end of the 1980s, many of the Indian experts decided to return to India when, with the substantial reduction in the country’s oil revenues, the country began to face severe economic problems. In spite of this, there are still as many as 217,000 Indian expatriates in Nigeria.

Altogether, including Nigerians of Indian origin and expatriates, there are 25,000 Hindus in Nigeria. Most are resident in Lagos, the former capital of Nigeria.