Immigrant Communities in Yorubaland: A Case Study of the Ebira Community in Ibadan, Southwestern Nigeria

Abstract

The relations between host communities and migrants in Nigeria have received significant attention. Over decades, the nature of the relationship between host communities and migrants has been characterised by conflict and cooperation. However, as population movement remains one of the most intricate features of every human settlement, the need to examine migrants’ communities in their host environment cannot be underestimated. In Yorubaland, Ibadan is one of the major towns that received a large influx of migrants beginning in the aftermath of the Yoruba Civil War and during the colonial period. As a major colonial administrative centre, Ibadan was a major point of destination for migrants in colonial Nigeria. Hence, the article examines the Ebira community in Ibadan. It employs a historical research methodology that relies on primary sources gathered through oral interviews and secondary data gathered through existing written works on host-migrant relations in Nigeria. Findings show that the relations between the Ebira migrant community and the host community have been characterised by peaceful co-existence and inclusiveness, which allow the migrants to thrive and contribute their quota to the socio-economic and political development of Ibadan.