Abstract 

This study explores the intercultural communication experiences and identity conflicts of Hausa speakers residing in Igbo land, Enugu State, Nigeria. The study was anchored on Social Identity Theory (SIT). The study examines three research questions related to the nature, challenges and identity conflict.  As an exploratory study, purposive sampling was employed to conduct in-depth interviews with 20 Hausa-speaking residents of Enugu State, which were then analysed using thematic analysis. Findings describe the nature of their experiences as multilayered and complex, characterised by cultural differences, discrimination, adaptation and resistance. The rise of using negative stereotypes and derogatory labels describing Hausa people as unintelligent and terrorists (Aboki, Yarinya, Onye Hausa, herdsmen, and Boko Haram) reflects negative development. The study also highlights the identity conflict faced by a group called Yan Kasa, Hausa children born and raised in Igbo land who, having acculturated some Igbo traits, face identity conflict and rejection from both Hausa and Igbo communities. The findings contribute to an understanding of how minority groups struggle between cultures and highlight the need for intercultural communication competence in multicultural settings.

Key Words: Intercultural Communication, Identity conflict, Hausa, Igbo and Stereotype

About the Author

*Isah Nasidi, Ph.D., is a lecturer in the Department of Mass Communication, Baze University, Abuja, Nigeria.

^JCMR Journal of Communication and Media Research, Vol. 18, No. 1, April 2026, pp. 170-181.

© Association of Media and Communication Researchers of Nigeria (AMCRON).

Article Citation

Nasidi, I. (2026). Intercultural communication experiences and identity conflict among Hausa-speaking people living in Igbo land, Nigeria. Journal of Communication and Media Research, 18 (1): 170-181.

Full Article

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