Children of Odùduwà
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The Yoruba people, or Ìran Yorùbá, are an ethnic group that inhabits western Africa, mainly Nigeria and the Republic of Benin. The vast majority of Yoruba's are from Nigeria, where they make up 16% of the country's population, making them one of the largest ethnic groups in Africa. Most Yoruba people speak the Yoruba language, which - according to the Encyclopadia Britanica - is the Niger-Congo language with the largest number of native speakers. Significant Yoruba populations in other West African countries can be found in Ghana, Ivory Coast, and Sierra Leone.
The Yoruba diaspora consists of two main groupings; one of them includes relatively recent migrants, while the other dates to the Atlantic slave trade.
The Oral history of the Yorubas recount Odùduwà to be their progenitor and reigning ancestor of their crowned kings.
He came from the east, sometimes understood from Ife traditions to be Oke-Ora and by other sources as the "vicinity" true East on the Cardinal points, but more likely signifying the region of Ekiti and Okun sub-communities in northeastern Yorubaland in central Nigeria.
After the death of Oduduwa, there was a dispersal of his children from Ife to found other kingdoms. Each child made his or her mark in the subsequent urbanization and consolidation of the Yoruba confederacy of kingdoms, with each kingdom tracing its origin due to them to Ile-Ife.
The Yoruba are among the most urbanized people in Africa. For centuries before the arrival of the British colonial administration most Yoruba already lived in well structured urban centres organized around powerful city-states centred around the residence of the Oba. In ancient times, most of these cities were fortresses, with high walls and gates.
The Yoruba present the highest dizygotic twinning rate in the world with 4.4% of all maternities. They manifest at 45 to 50 twin sets (or 90 to 100 twins) per 1,000 live births. This is possibly because of a high consumption of a specific type of yam containing a natural phytoestrogen that may stimulate the ovaries to release an egg from each side.
The Yoruba are a very expressive people who celebrate major events with colorful festivals and celebrations known as ayeye. Masquerades are an important feature of Yoruba traditional artistry. They are generally known as Egúngún.
The Yorubas were one of the first groups in West Africa to be introduced to Christianity on a large scale.Christianity, along with western civilization, came into Yorubaland in the mid-19th century through the Europeans, whose original mission was commerce. The first European visitors were the Portuguese, they visited the Bini kingdom in the late 16th century. Islam came into Yorubaland around the 14th century, as a result of trade with Hausa and Wangara merchants. Due to this, Islam is traditionally known Yorubas as Esin Imale i.e. religion of the Malians.
Afro-beat musician, Fela Anikulapo Kuti; Nobel Laureate - Professor Wole Soyinka; Billionaire businesswoamn Folorunso Alakija; Actor - Adewale Akinnuoye-Agbaje, Olusegun Obasanjo, Nigeria's former President and ex Military Leader, Herbert Macaulay - Nigerian nationalist, politician, journalist and musician; Yemi Osinbajo - Nigeria's Vice President to President Muhammadu Buhari; Boxer - Anthony Joshua; NBA basketballer Hakeem Olajuwon.
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