The Nigerian Dwarf goat is one of two ature goat breeds in this country originating in West Africa.
There are several recognized breeds of small and dwarf goats in West Africa, and it is from these native African herds that the first "ature" goats were imported into the United States. Although illegal imports are suspected earlier, the first documented imports arrived in this country in the 1930's and 1940's, for the benefit of several private and public zoos and preserves.

There were two distinct types of small goats imported, one being short, cobby, with short legs, and the other being more slender, with a longer body and proportionally longer legs and a more streamlined appearance. In the earlier years, in fact until about the 1960's and 1970's, little distinction was made between the cobbier type that became the African Pygmy goat, and the more dairy-type goat that became known as the Nigerian Dwarf.

Over the years, selective breeding has resulted in the two distinct breeds that are recognized today in the United States: the African Pygmy Goat and the Nigerian Dwarf.