People & Culture

Western and Central Africa, the birthplace of the blacks, is a vast region with diverse cultures, beliefs, languages, and lifestyles.

Stretching from the westernmost point of Africa, across the equator, and partly along the Atlantic Ocean till the Republic of Congo in the South, it encompasses 22 countries that spread across semi-arid areas in the Sahel, large coastal areas on the Atlantic Ocean, and along the Gulf of Guinea and tropical forest covering many countries from Guinea to the Republic of Congo, through Côte d’Ivoire, Cameroon, and Gabon.

Home to about half a billion people, the sub-region has seen its population multiplied by 4 in the last 50 years. The population is mostly concentrated in the coastal areas, while landlocked countries generally experience lower density. The region has experienced accelerated urbanization, with cities hosting 48% of the population. With respectively 3.7 million and 3.1 million inhabitants, Abidjan and Dakar are the largest francophone cities in the world after Kinshasa and Paris, and Lagos is among the largest English-speaking agglomerations in the World. And this rapid urbanization is expected to continue in the coming years. With 12% of its population being under the age of 15, Western and Central Africa has one of the youngest populations in the world.

Many countries are resource-rich and export commodities such as Oil (Gabon, Nigeria, Republic of Congo), Cocoa (Côte d’Ivoire, Ghana), and Cotton (Benin, Burkina Faso). The agriculture and food sector remains however central in most countries and provides income and employment opportunities to 82 million people. The sub-region is rich in resources and brimming with opportunities. It has experienced high economic growth from the mid-2000s, powered by high commodity prices across natural resource-rich, before slowing down over the recent period. The combined GDP at a market price of the 22 countries is estimated close to $711 billion in 2019. In this short write-up, we shall consider The Yoruba People.

The Yoruba

The Yoruba have become truly global: in terms of their locations in different parts of the world; the representations of various aspects of their culture (including religion, art, music, dress, and cuisine), in these locations; the emergence of distinctive Yoruba Orisa traditions in the Americas; the physical presence, in various parts of the world, of the descendants of Yoruba people taken as slaves and now as to voluntary migrants in the contemporary era; and the integration of Yoruba in African studies, Diaspora Studies, the Black Atlantic, and Atlantic history. Therefore, the places that the Yoruba call “home” have expanded far beyond the geographic space of southwestern Nigeria.

The Yoruba people are a West African ethnic group that mainly inhabits parts of Nigeria, Benin, and Togo that constitute Yoruba land. The Yoruba constitute around 45 million people in Africa, are a few hundred thousand outside the continent, and bear further representation among members of the African diaspora. The vast majority of the Yoruba population is today within the country of Nigeria, where they make up 15.5% of the country's population according to CIA estimations, making them one of the largest ethnic groups in Africa. Most Yoruba people speak the Yoruba language, which is the Niger-Congo language with the largest number of native speakers.

In Africa, the Yoruba are contiguous with the Yoruboid Itsekiri to the southeast in the northwest Niger Delta, Bariba to the northwest in Benin and Nigeria, the Nupe to the north, and the Ebira to the northeast in central Nigeria. To the east are the Edo, Ẹsan, and the Afemai groups in mid-western Nigeria. To the northeast and adjacent to the Ebira and northern Edo, groups are the related Igala people on the left bank of the Niger River. To the southwest is the Gbe speaking Mahi, Gun, Fon, and Ewe who border Yoruba communities in Benin and Togo, to the west they are bordered by the Kwa speaking Akebu, Kposo of Togo, and to the northwest, by the Kwa speaking Anii, and the Gur speaking Kabiye, Yom-Lokpa and Tem people of Togo. Significant Yoruba populations in other West African countries can also be found in Ghana, Benin, Ivory Coast, and Sierra Leone.

Outside Africa, the Yoruba diaspora consists of two main groupings; the first being that of the Yoruba dispersed mainly to the western hemisphere between the 16th to 19th centuries, notably to Cuba and Brazil, and the second consisting of a wave of relatively recent migrants, the majority of whom began to migrate to the United Kingdom and the United States following some of the major economic and political changes encountered in Africa in the 1960s to 1980s. The Yoruba have traditionally been among the most skilled and productive craftsmen of Africa. They worked at such trades as blacksmithing, weaving, leatherworking, glassmaking, and ivory and wood carving.

Welcome to Nigeria’s South West
(birth-place of The Yoruba)

The Yoruba people in the six states in southwest Nigeria occupy an important position in the Nigerian civilization. The Yoruba are heirs both to an ancient and cultured civilization known for its artistic triumphs, extraordinary oral literature, a complex pattern of gods, and urban lifestyle. In the recent past and until now, the civility of an average Yoruba is well advanced. Great thanks to all the early Yoruba leaders for bequeathing an imperishable legacy in the fields of economics, politics, culture, and education, to the generations (including incoming) of this region.

One of the most resources oriented and endowed of the 36 States that made up Nigeria is the southwest region. There are limitless things that make the six southwest states, comprising Lagos, Ogun, Oyo, Osun, Ondo, and Ekiti – in Nigeria stand out. These include:

*Abundance of economic opportunities that is readily available to be tapped and exploited by would-be investors (foreign and indigenous). All one needs to do is to identify the area of interest.

*Strategic location and positioning of the 6 States. It has Lagos State, the former capital of Nigeria and the fastest growing and commercially viable State in Nigeria, and even in Black Africa.

*The age-long civility and hospitable nature of Yoruba people are unprecedented.

*These are States where opportunities avail whomever that finds himself or herself there. No matter the race, color, or creed; you can make headway in your chosen endeavors.

*The South West region recognized for its pacesetting position in Nigeria:

- First television station in Africa
- The premier University in Nigeria
- First Teaching Hospital in Nigeria
- Liberty Stadium, the first Stadium built in Africa
- Cocoa House, the first skyscraper built in Africa

*Presently, the six of Nigeria’s Southwestern States have visionary democratic structures in place, led by visionary, purposeful leaders and astute administrators.

To our African Diasporas, we want to say without any iota of doubt that there is no contention about it, where you are now is relatively the best place to live, in terms of the comforts and infrastructures in these nations. Mind you, Africa today is the best place to make or get wealth. Wealth is a function or reward for service. Presently, it is here in Africa that your long-time acquired skills, experiences, and services are highly required; more importantly, you can be sure that your newly acquired knowledge and experiences will be adequately rewarded. Check this out!

A well-trained African doctor from Europe, the United States of America, or Russia with a well-equipped medical outfit situated in Lagos or Abuja or Accra or Pretoria will earn good dividends on the capital outlay. Aside, it is possible for you to have an investment in your fatherland while still in your place of abode. All you need to do is to have a legal and a professional manager or administrator.

Dressing/Consumers/Fashion

Traditional Clothes

The Yoruba have peculiar types of clothes that make them distinct from other cultures. They have Aso ibile, the traditional clothes of various types and shades. Both male and female have different types, and it is an aberration then for a man to wear a woman’s clothes and vice versa. Before the advent of the Europeans to the Yoruba land, only hand woven clothes were available. The Yoruba started from using ‘ibante’ (a piece of thick hand woven cloth). It is only used for covering the private parts of both male and female. Ibante is made from a type of cloth called ‘kijipa’. (It is a tarpaulin – like cloth). It is usually very thick and can withstand any stress. Later on, people started wearing normal cloth that is made from ‘aso-oke’. Some of these types of aso-oke materials include ‘etu’, ‘petuje’, ‘san-an-yan’,’ alaaari’ and so on. For men’s wear, they have ‘buba’,’ esiki’ and ‘sapara’, which are regarded as ‘ewu awotele’ or under wear, while they also have ‘dandogo’, ‘agbada’, ‘gbariye’, ‘sulia’ and ‘oyala’, which are also known as ‘ewu awoleke’ or over wears. They also have various types of ‘sokoto’ or native trousers that are sown alongside the above-mentioned dresses. Some of these are kembe, gbanu, sooro, kamu, sokoto elemu, etc. A man’s dressing is incomplete without a cap. Some of these caps include, but are not limited to, Gobi, tinko, abeti-aja, alagbaa, oribi, bentigoo, onide, and labankada. The tailors and the designers have various styles and patterns that they do to these caps and the various dresses mentioned above. All these add to the aesthetic values of these traditional wears and the person who put them on. It must be noted that the culture of under wears, as in pants, brassiere etc. is a culture borrowed from the Europeans.

Women also have different types of dresses. The most commonly found are iro and buba or wrapper with a blouse–like loose top with the sleeve almost getting to the wrist. Women also have gele or head gear that must be put on whenever the iro and buba is on. Just as the cap is important to men, women’s dressing is incomplete if gele is not put on. This gele is wound twice round the head and tucked on one side. It may be of plain cloth or costly as the women can afford. Apart from this, they also have iborun or ipele. It is like a miniature wrapper that is hanged on the left shoulder of women. At times, it is tied round their waists over the wrapper. Unlike men, women have two types of under wears that we call tobi and sinmi. Tobi is like the modern day apron with strings and spaces in which women can keep their money. They tie this tobi around their waists before putting on the iro. Sinmi is like a sleeveless T-shirt that is worn under before wearing any other dress.

Modern Clothes

In the contemporary period, the Yoruba wear various types of clothing because of their interactions with other cultures, especially through education, trade, travel and religion. This is why it is possible to see some Yoruba people with suits and ties and some others with heavy turbans on hot sunny afternoons. The Yoruba wear modern clothings like shirts and trousers, skirts and blouses, suits, gowns that are all borrowed from the Europeans. They also wear caftan, babanriga, Senegalese boubou and the likes that are all borrowed from the Arabs and other cultures in Africa. It must be noted, however, that most of the materials used for sowing the above dresses vary. While some of these fabrics include various types of lace materials, guinea brocade materials, ankras, linens and others that are imported into the country, the Yoruba also make use of adire and batiks that have their roots in Yoruba land. All these are also used for sewing various types of dresses. The colors of the various types of clothing described above vary. While some combine many of the primary and secondary colors, others are just single color like blue, green, white, red, yellow, and so no. Despite these developments, the Yoruba are still patronizing a fraction of their traditional wears. For men, only agbada, buba, sokoto and various types of fila or caps are still in use. Women also wear only iro, buba, and gele. Tobi and sinmi are no longer in use. Majority of others discussed above cannot be commonly found in the cities. Relics of these are still been found in the villages and the country sides.

Oyotunji African Village:

A Small Yoruba Nation in America

During the slave trade era, many Africans were taken as slave abroad. The first Yoruba people who arrived to the United States were imported as slaves from Nigeria and Benin during the Atlantic slave trade. This ethnicity of the slaves was one of the main origins of present-day Nigerians who arrived to the United States, along with the Igbo. In addition, native slaves of current Benin hailed from peoples such as Nago (Yoruba subgroup, although exported mainly by Spanish, when Louisiana was Spanish) -, Ewe, Fon and Gen. Many of the slaves imported to the modern United States from Benin were sold by the King of Dahomey, in Whydah. While going, some left with their culture and tradition which they continued with in the strange land where they found themselves. They continued with the culture and tradition of their fathers so as to maintain their identity.

The Yorubas in slavery are among the Africans that maintained their culture in the strange land and it was handed down to their children from generation to generation. Many of their children, after the abolition of the slave trade, have married children of their former masters thus having children of mixed blood, that notwithstanding, they still carry on with their African culture in the foreign land since most of them cannot trace their root back to Africa. The Yoruba culture has been one of the prominent and most celebrated one throughout the world till date.

In faraway United States of America, there is a Yoruba community named Oyotunji African Village. It is located near Sheldon, Beaufort County, South Carolina. Oyotunji is regarded as North America’s oldest authentic African village. It was founded in 1970 and is the first intentional community in North America, based on the culture of the Yoruba and Dahomey tribes of West Africa. It has survived 48 years of sustaining the Yoruba traditional sociology and values in the diaspora. The village is named after the Oyo Empire, and the name literally means “Oyo returns” or “Oyo rises again” or “Oyo resurrects”. The village occupies 27 acres of land.

Oyotunji was founded by His Royal Highness Oba (King) Waja, Ofuntola Oseijeman Adelabu Adefunmi I, was born Walter Eugene King on October 5, 1928, in Detroit, Michigan, USA. A graduate from Cass Technical High School, Oba Waja’s exposure to African religion began when he became associated with the Katherine Dunham Dance Troupe at the age of 20. He later travelled to Haiti where he discovered more about the Yoruba culture. Armed with a new understanding of the African culture, he found the order of Damballah Hwedo, Ancestor Priests in Harlem NY. On August 26, 1959, Oba Waja became the first African born in America to become fully initiated into the Orisa-Vodun African priesthood by African Cubans in Matanzas, Cuba. This marked the beginning of the spread of Yoruba religion and culture among African Americans. He later found the Sango Temple in New York and incorporated the African Theological Arch Ministry in 1960. The Sango Temple was relocated and renamed the Yoruba Temple. In 1970, Oba Waja found the Yoruba Village of Oyotunji in Beaufort County, South Carolina, and began the careful re-organisation of the Orisa-Vodu Priesthood along traditional Nigerian lines. To further his knowledge of Yoruba culture, he travelled to Abeokuta in Nigeria in 1972 where he was initiated into the Ifa priesthood by the Oluwa of Ijeun at Abeokuta, Ogun state, in August of 1972. He was later proclaimed Alase (Oba-King) of the Yoruba of North America at Oyotunji Village in 1972.

He passed away on Thursday, February 10th 2005 at Oyotunji African Village in Beaufort County, South Carolina. And Since Adefunmi’s death in 2005, the village has been led by his son, Oba Adejuyigbe Adefunmi II..till date. The Oba title is referred to as “Oloyotunji” of Oyotunji.

(Reference: The Story of Oyotunji, a small Yoruba nation in America, by Seun Adeyemi)