▁and ▁bond ▁together ▁in ▁re bell ion . ▁ ▁After ▁the ▁sla very ▁abol ition ▁in ▁ 1 8 6 5 , ▁many ▁modern ▁Niger ian ▁imm igr ants ▁have ▁come ▁to ▁the ▁United ▁States ▁to ▁purs ue ▁educational ▁opportun ities ▁in ▁under grad uate ▁and ▁post - grad uate ▁institutions . ▁This ▁was ▁possible ▁because ▁in ▁the ▁ 1 9 6 0 s ▁and ▁ 1 9 7 0 s , ▁after ▁the ▁B ia fra ▁War , ▁Niger ia ' s ▁government ▁fund ed ▁scholar ships ▁for ▁Niger ian ▁students , ▁and ▁many ▁of ▁them ▁were ▁admitted ▁to ▁American ▁univers ities . ▁While ▁this ▁was ▁happening , ▁there ▁were ▁several ▁military ▁cou ps ▁and ▁brief ▁periods ▁of ▁civil ian ▁rule . ▁All ▁this ▁caused ▁many ▁Niger ians ▁to ▁em igr ate . ▁ ▁Most ▁of ▁these ▁Niger ian ▁imm igr ants ▁are ▁of ▁Y or uba , ▁Ig bo ▁and ▁I bib io ▁orig ins . ▁Today , ▁most ▁African ▁Americans ▁share ▁ancest ry ▁with ▁the ▁Y or uba ▁people . ▁ ▁Notable ▁people ▁▁ ▁Sci pio ▁V aug han ▁A def un mi ▁K are em ▁Abd ul - J ab bar ▁Nas ▁Br end on ▁A yan b ade jo ▁Rock mond ▁Dun bar ▁F emi ▁E mi ola ▁Gl enda ▁H atch ett ▁Henry ▁Louis ▁G ates ▁Jr . ▁Ang é lique ▁Kid jo ▁De L ish a ▁Mil ton - J ones ▁A de w ale ▁Og un ley e ▁H ake em ▁O la ju won