The Yorubas

Written by Patrick Dele Cole 

Dr. Cole, a former ambassador, wrote from Lagos.

THE Yoruba town of Ibadan is largest native market in Africa. The Yorubas engage in the business of planting and trading in Cocoa, Palm produce, timber, rubber, and kola nuts, apart from their normal food crops. They are good businessmen and women, some of whom dealt in timber, cocoa, kola nuts, trading from Lagos to Bathurst (now Banjul), in The Gambia, and South Congo; whist the Ijebus, Ijesha and the Oyo speaking Yorubas deal in general merchandise.

They have high entrepreneurial ability; and they are also the leaders in the professions, such as Law, Insurance, Banking, Medicine, Accountancy, Architecture, Engineering, etc. The Yorubas are in International Businesses - Ogunlesi, Doherty, Odutola, Bank - Anthony, Harry Akande, Adenuga, Otudeko etc.

They again equally excel in Arts and Drama. Wole Soyinka, Bobby Benson, Victor Olaiya, Hubert Ogunde, Ojo Ladipo, Titiola, Dapo Adelugba, Ola Rotimi, to mention just a few, are of the Yoruba stock. They were also front runners in the News and Entertainment Media in Nigeria. Examples abound in the Publications of the Akede Eko, Daily Times, Punch, Nigerian Tribune, Daily Sketch, etc.; whilst the Western Nigerian Television (WNTV) was the first Television Service in Africa;, which was supplemented by the Western Nigeria Broadcasting Service (WNBS), with the Radio Service.

They are, yet again, trend setters in fashion; and are well ahead in Education; having started with Free Primary Education in 1955 under Western Region Government of Chief Obafemi Awolowo, which gave them an edge as regards mass education, thereby creating a gap between Yorubas and the rest of Nigeria, that is still yet to be bridged.

The Ph.Ds of Ekitis are well known, and they far outstrip other Nigerian groups in higher education, and their rate of female education far outstrips the respective rates of the other groups, particularly at that tertiary level.

Large scale prosperity had made it possible for Yorubas to have a major say in the development of Nigeria. They have abundance in political willingness, political astuteness, and incredibly ambitious/enterprising. The combination of the above qualities has led them three times to the Leadership/Presidency of Nigeria, and the 4th MKO Moshood Abiola's presidency was aborted by the Babangida military administration, which declared its annulment. The Yorubas have managed to live more harmoniously with the other groups, as well as among themselves. In fact, religion-wise, the Yorubas are heterogeneous, as one Yorubas family may have all the three religions within the same one family fold, namely, Christianity, Islam, and Traditional Religion.

The Yorubas seem to have a deeper social life than others, regardless of the degree of outward manifestation of Westernization. They are culture enthusiasts. Yorubas are well cultured people, and even, those of them who do not speak the language, just like the majority who speak the language, understand the custom, etc, learning at an early age how to kneel down, prostrate, etc., at all levels. The Yorubas have a greeting for all occasions : For example, for walking, standing, selling, travelling, working, resting, etc.

The Lagos Yorubas (the Lagosians), who were the least educated of the Yoruba race, missed out on the 1956 Awolowo Free Universal Primary Education (FUPE). I had a friend, Mr. Lamikanran, who was my boss in BP. He told me a story which reinforces the wisdom that the best form of defence is attack. The office had 10 Yorubas. One retired and was replaced by an Ibo.

The remaining nine held a meeting to complain about the onslaught of tribalism in BP!! The Yorubas have no fear of succeeding in Nigeria; are prepared to go it alone - so confident are they that will make it. No other ethnic group in Nigeria, are prepared to accept a break up, the Yorubas would be happy to go it alone, and are confident of success.

There are some who was argue that paragraph is clearly a misrepresentation of the Yoruba character and national aspirations. As regards the first issue, the BP tale, certainly does correctly portray the true Yoruba trait. They are not an exclusive/selfish people, like some of the other ethnic groups of Nigeria. As regards the second issue, of the three (3) major ethnic groups of Nigeria, only the Yorubas have not threatened the corporate existence of Nigeria.

At its inception, the Second Military Coup Leader declared that: There was no basis for unity; whilst another ethnic group attempted to secede from Nigeria, which led to the Biafrian War. Despite all the vicissitudes the Yorubas suffered during the NADECO period of the Abacha Regime, it is on record that the Yorubas never expressed any secessionist view.

Rather, they kept on demanding for a Sovereign National Conference which would enable the Nigerian people truly determine the form and nature of their association with one another within the Nigerian national entity. Where then is the evidence of the Yorubas wanting to go it alone apart from the other ether ethnic groups? They remain, as of today, the only one of the three major ethnic groups that has not threatened the unity and corporate existence of Nigeria.

The Yorubas have their own Traditional clothing Industry, at which they produce the Adire and Aso Oke cloths, etc

Awolowo's Yorubas legacy remains enduring. He pushed the ethnic group forward, to become second to none in all areas of human endeavour. Chief Awolowo was not universally liked by all Yorubas, and several fought him to the death. But his influence on them remains pervasive.

The Yorubas in the Diaspora

The Yorubas in London took early advantage to buy houses originally allocated to them for having children in the U.K. Margaret Thatcher in the 1980s tightened the regulations allowing people born in England or of English parentage to claim domiciliary status and citizenship. She also introduced selling of Council accommodation to those who occupied them.

Nigerians in the U.K. bought the Council flats they lived in; and since then have been able to transport members of their families to the U.K. on the basis of house ownership and British citizenship. Moreover, the Yorubas are the majority of those having houses in the U.K., they were serious minded and worked hard.

Yorubas - Music and Parties

EFFERVESCENT, vivacious, an almost hedonistic Commitment to pleasure, enjoyment. They make no apology for enjoyment and are open about it. At a Yoruba party, there is a sing-along ability - everybody seems to know the words, and the party goers are in full and fine voice, as they belt out song after song.

Women and girls, including our daughters see parties as a time to show off. Musicians will call out or sing out the name of each celebrant and celebrity, when he or she has the floor. Such celebrant or celebrity then sprays a lot of money, preferably, newly minted notes, in a simple and enjoyable way. The non-celebrants thereby indirectly contribute towards cost of the party, and to show affection or closeness to the celebrant. Also the floor is given to other show offs. Even so, a good guest comes with a cheque or cash in an envelope to the party.

Parties are also opportunities to find a marriageable partner, when one's parents have been unable to secure a spouse.

The Entertainment Industry is quintessentially Yoruba. They were the first to put up canopies, the use of which has now become country wide. Lagos has over 30 Event/Entertainment Centres, some of which are owned by non-Yorubas; whilst the majority are Yoruba owned.

The Yoruba love of entertainment has also stimulated other Industries in the areas of clothing, (like damask, aso oke, Ankara, woudin, and headties, etc.), hair, cosmetics, etc.

The Yoruba Party Catering Philosophy is different from that of other cultures: Thus, among the Yorubas, each member of the family, who can, creates a spending point - brother, sister, etc. These parties encourage the Catering Industry as a whole.

Sometimes with different headgears or even asoebi, so guests know who is their host or hostess.

Each member of the family has different attire. They have separate kitchens and food stalls, different musicians - depending on how big the occasion is. Here I am referring to a really big party, with sibling from a polygamous marriage.

The clothes are of many designs, some of which are unique for the occasion. Matching jewelry, shoes, handbags, and specialist head ties – some of which (like head ties) are so specialized that it is named after a celebrity, e.g., Sagoe head tie.

Style consciousness, including the use of colour in attires; promotion of elegance are all hallmarks of Yorubas culture.

The Yorubas introduced "political "parties. I duff my hats to Yoruba musicians: There is no song, in any language, which is popular that they won't sing - from Victor Olaiya's Anyigana, and Bakwodaya, and Rex Lawson's Berebote, Asewo, etc.

James Brown's king of soul - it's a man's world, P square - Igwe, and Chop my Money, African Beauty Queen by 2 face, Victor Uwaifo's Jolomi, etc.

If you are throwing a party, one of the secrets of having a successful party is when the revelers sing along with the band or music playing. For a party, you provide catering, wine, beer and other drinks, and music. Over a hundred people do this weekly in Lagos. Yorubas have a mini carnival every weekend - The beauty of the Yoruba Language from the mouth of an expert - the cadences, the lyrics, are legendary.

The Orikis, which to the uninitiated, sound like a different language, depict the historical antecedents, particularly their ancestry, and achievements of the respective families; and the average Yoruba man and woman are keenly aware of their history, and they follow the orikis of their families. These Orikis many times correct facts, and their interpretations do help to clear misunderstandings, as well as erase misrepresentations about people and their families. Sometimes mischievous, praise singers, in reciting the Orikis, would say something less complimentary about a person's ancestor, especially if the member of the families is parsimonious to the singer.

Yorubas have brought Theatre Arts to the ghettos where the ordinary people live. Many praise singers are careerists - this is all they do. There are professional masters and mistresses of ceremonies, at traditional weddings, wake keeping, receptions after burials. The late M.K.O. Abiola told us that he paid his school fees through being a professional street singer.

The depth of some of the dialects of the Yoruba Language, in some respects, is similar to those of the Ibo Language. Many Igbos from Nsukka, Afikpo, Owerri, Abriba when they speak their dialects. etc are not understood by other Igbos. But the Nsukka, Afikpo, Owerri people are able to step down a gear to union Ibo to be understood.

Among the Yorubas, the Ijebus, the Ekitis, the Ondos speak a brand of Yoruba which is unintelligible to the uninitiated. But they can switch to what can be called, the Union Yoruba, which is spoken by the people of Oyo, Oshogbo, Ogbomosho, and Ibadan, to be understood. (Probably the analogy will be the Queen's English and the Cockney of East London, or the Scottish Language. I must confess that I do not always understand what they say).

Among the Yorubas, there is an incredible network of information as to where the parties are: musicians like Christmas or other traditional events/occasions, rather than a designated Party as such. Uninvited musicians only come to facilitate with important people only on such ceremonial occasions, area boys, etc., flock to these venues, adding the element of unpredictability to a joyous occasion. Sometimes, the situation gets too boisterous as each singing group tries to occupy and retain his territory.

Of course, there are other ethnic groups who also do what the Yorubas do - but not as lavish or as common as the Yorubas. A good Yoruba socialite has, at least, three or four parties to go to every weekend. Some of these occasions demand three or four Aso Ebis, e.g., a funeral, may demand one Aso Ebi for the Service of Songs, one for the Burial (that is, the Church and the Interment); one for the Reception after the Burial, and another for the Outing Ceremony. It is not unusual for a family to have a party some years after the patriarch's or matriarch's demise; the excuse, is that the dead person has been lying in one position for too long, and he or she has to be turned to another side!!

The male Yorubas in this kaleidiscop of colour and cacophony of noise at parties come out in simple white Sokoto (trousers) and jumper or even white Agbada. The only concession they make is a head gear, cap that is the Aso oke. The Italians or French invented the chutch bag.