Popular harmful stereotypes about Nigerian women — and their likely origins

In Nigeria, stereotypes don’t just live in jokes and social media banter, they shape how people see and treat women.

Many of these harmful ideas are tied to ethnic identities, meaning that a Yoruba woman, an Igbo woman, a Hausa woman, or an Akwa Ibom woman can walk into a room already carrying labels she didn’t choose for herself.

The sad part is that these myths are so popular they’ve become cultural shorthand, recycled in music, Nollywood, gossip, and casual conversations.

But where do they actually come from, and why do they stick so stubbornly? Let’s break down some of the most common ones.

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Yoruba Women

If there is any ethnic group of women that carries the heaviest weight of stereotypes, it is Yoruba women. Some of the most repeated ones include:

“Yoruba women bleach their skin.”

This stereotype links Yoruba women with skin-lightening practices, partly because of Lagos and Ibadan’s long history as urban, fashion-forward hubs where cosmetic trends spread quickly. The reality is that women from all backgrounds use bleaching creams, but Yoruba women have been unfairly singled out as poster figures for it.

“They are not beautiful/they are ugly.”

This idea reflects a long history of tribal rivalry and cultural bias. Labelling Yoruba women “ugly” has been less about reality and more about reinforcing negative perceptions to elevate women from other ethnic groups.

“They are dirty.”

This stereotype, often circulated in jokes about hygiene, probably stems from historical urban overcrowding in Yoruba-dominated cities. Yet it unfairly reduces individuals to conditions of environment rather than personal character.

“They are diabolical.”

Yoruba spirituality, rooted in Ifa and Orisha worship, has long been demonised by colonial religion. Yoruba women’s association with traditional practices has fueled this “witchy” stereotype, casting them as more likely to be diabolical or manipulative.

She is still more beautiful than an aversge yoruba lady. She is still natural without over bleached skin. Her body is proportionate without chicken legs and trella tyre sized artificial buttocks like yoruba women. https://t.co/DXqirbTDFR

— Rita (@ritexany44) August 28, 2025

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It’s not colorism. It was tribalism. Yoruba women were called dirty, ugly, can’t cook, razz etc. https://t.co/HLtATefCQ4

— Tomilola (@tomilola_majek) August 9, 2025

Omo how did we Yoruba women allow that narrative that we are ugly to fly

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