Nigerians in India
Nigeria India
Total population
10,000[1][2]
Regions with significant populations
New Delhi · Mumbai · Chennai · Bangalore · Kolkata · Jaipur · Kanpur · Hyderabad · Lucknow · Ranchi · Visakhapatnam · Raipur · Ahmedabad · Ludhiana · Patna · Bhubaneswar · Mysore · Faridabad
Languages
Igbo · Nigerian English · Other languages of Nigeria · Indian languages
Religion
Protestantism, Roman Catholicism and Islam
Related ethnic groups
Nigerian people

Nigerians in India form one of the largest African communities in the country. As of November 2013, there are about 10,000 Nigerians living and working in India. They live in cities such as New Delhi, Mumbai, Chennai, Bangalore, Kanpur, Hyderabad and Lucknow .[1][2]

Demographics

It is estimated that there are more than 2,500 Nigerians living in Delhi, 3,000 in Bangalore, and with another 4,000 spread across the rest of the country. Neither the Indian police nor the Nigerian High Commission has details of the number of Nigerians currently residing in India.[3] Many Nigerians are also found in several unauthorized colonies like Munirka, Uttam Nagar and Mukherjee Nagar.[4]

Inter-ethnic relations

Some Nigerians enter India illegally via Bangladesh.[5][6]

Around 500 Nigerians are held in various jails across India.[2][7]

Organizations

The All India Nigerian Students and Community Association (AINSCA), a non-official arm of the Nigerian embassy helps members of the community living in India. It liaisons proactively with Delhi police to nab unscrupulous elements in the community.[8] It also shields its members involved in illegal sex trafficking from repercussions.[9] Eddie, the chairman of AINSCA was filmed by BBC Africa Eye as one of the traffickers.

See also

References

  1. ^ a b "Why are Nigerians leaving India's Goa state?". BBC. 18 November 2013. Retrieved 20 November 2015.
  2. ^ a b c "‘More than 500 Nigerians in Indian jails’", Vanguard, 11 January 2012.
  3. ^ "Fall from Race", India Today, 18 June 2011.
  4. ^ "On Delhi’s vilified Nigerian migrants Archived 2016-08-26 at the Wayback Machine", Sunday Guardian, 16 October 2011.
  5. ^ "Why Are Nigerians Illicitly Landing in India's Northeast from Bangladesh?".
  6. ^ "Nigerians held in Meghalaya".
  7. ^ "Goans annoyed with Nigerians, their way of life: CM Parsekar". Panaji, India: Indian Express. May 31, 2016.
  8. ^ "Being African in India: 'We are seen as demons'". Aljazeera. Retrieved June 26, 2016.
  9. ^ "Imported for my body: Trafficked to India for sex". BBC News.
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