Lessons from the Yoruba to Other Nations
Since this is my last article in this series of “What Makes Yoruba Tick,” I think it’ll be of help to ask how the Yoruba could be a blessing to the world especially to other ethnicities in Nigeria.
The Yoruba people offer profound lessons in character development, religious harmony, and communal responsibility that are particularly relevant to the world and Nigeria’s diverse ethnic landscape. Central to these lessons is the Omoluabi philosophy, which prioritizes moral integrity over material wealth and views personal character as the foundation of a stable society
- The Omoluabi Ethos(the Yoruba value system): Character Over Wealth
The primary lesson from the Yoruba is the Omoluabi concept, which defines an ideal person of high moral standing. Unlike modern trends that often celebrate financial success above all else, Yoruba traditional values place money as the sixth and final tier of achievement, behind attributes like integrity, hard work, and honor
The full list of the six traditional Yoruba value system in their order of importance is:
- Làákà’yè (Knowledge, Wisdom, and Understanding): The practical application of intellect, wisdom, and understanding (ogbón and ìmò òye) to life.
- Ìwà Omolúàbí (Integrity and Good Character): The second and arguably most fundamental is Ìwà (character/integrity), known as Omolúàbí, which emphasizes being a person of one’s word, integrity and high moral standing.
- Akínkanjú (Valour/Bravery): The third is bravery, courage, or valour (Akin/Akínkanjú), regarded as crucial for leaders and for defending the community.
- Anísélápá-Dignity of labour (Visible Means of Livelihood/Hard Work): The fourth is having a visible, legitimate, and lawful profession—hard work that ensures sustenance without cheating or forcefulness.
- Ìyì (Honour/Good name, Reputation): The fifth is honour, prestige, and high public reputation.
- Owó tàbí orò (Money/Wealth): The final tier is wealth or money.
Yoruba culture emphasizes that if wealth is placed ahead of the first five, the person is not honorable nor esteemed in the society. As the Yoruba saying goes, “if you set out to look for money and you meet honour on the way, then you don’t need the journey anymore,” as the honor would eventually earn you more wealth greater than money.
Omoluabi
Let’s look more deeply into what the Yorubas mean when they talk of Omoluabi virtues, because this is the backbone of the Yoruba moral codes. Omoluabi even though is listed as the second in the list after knowledge, yet it is the general term used to signify everything together.
Omoluabi is the essence of virtues to a Yoruba. Often when you hear Omoluabi they are referring to all the six points in the value system and more. But still Omoluabi is a distinctly different virtue that stands alone and deserves a deeper look.
- Integrity (Iwapele): A core trait of an Omoluabi is being a person of one’s word, where character is seen as the truest form of beauty
- “Iwa l’ewa” (Character is beauty): The core of Yoruba culture is Omoluabi, which describes a person of honor, integrity, humility, and hard work. It teaches that good moral character is superior to wealth or appearance.
- Action-oriented Integrity(Ìṣe-òtítọ́): combining character (ìwà) with correct action (ìṣe).A true Omoluabi acts in the best interest of the community, prioritizing the collective over personal gain.
- Dignity in Labor (Ise): There is a strong emphasis on having a “visible means of livelihood” that is legally and socially approved, discouraging wealth gained through cheating or exploitation
- Truth and Honesty (Otito): Trustworthiness is taught as a foundational value that affects every facet of life, from personal friendships to national governance
- Religious Tolerance and Peaceful Coexistence
The Yoruba provide a global blueprint for religious tolerance . In many Yoruba households, it is common to find Christians, Muslims, and traditionalists living together and participating in each other’s celebrations without conflict
- Kinship Over Creed: The concept of Ebi (family/lineage solidarity) acts as a buffer against religious discord, as shared blood ties are considered more important than sectarian differences
- Unifying Platforms: Cultural festivals like Ojude-Oba in Ijebu, the Osun-Osogbo Festival often attract participation from all faiths, reinforcing community unity
- Restorative Justice: Traditional conflict resolution focuses on “reconstructing social bridges” and reconciliation through elder mediation, rather than just assigning guilt or punishment
- Dialogue-based Governance: Traditional Yoruba society uses Àgbéjọ́ró—a practice of resolving community issues through dialogue and consensus led by elders and chiefs (Obas/Baales).
- Inclusive Decision Making: This system ensures that all members, regardless of ability, are involved in community activities, fostering social cohesion and reducing conflict.
- Unity Over Division: The proverb “Àgbájọ ọwọ́ lafíí sọ̀yà” (Collective effort spurs progress) highlights that unity is strength, which is essential for national and local development.
- Focus on Merit over Tribalism: The Yoruba value system generally prioritises having a “visible means of livelihood” and honouring character over mere wealth or ethnic origin.
- Respecting Diversity: The Yoruba philosophy of inclusion and diversity, stemming from their traditional belief systems, promotes a peaceful coexistence with neighbours.
- Communal Responsibility and Inclusion
The Yoruba culture emphasizes that the well-being of the individual is inextricably linked to the well-being of the community
- Communal Parenting: The proverb “oju merin nii bi omo, igba oji nii wo” (it takes two people to give birth, but many to train a child) highlights the collective responsibility for child-rearing, which fosters a safer and more supportive environment
- Responsibility to the Family Name: Children are trained that their actions represent their families, encouraging social accountability.
- Radical Hospitality: Yoruba tradition dictates preparing more food than needed to accommodate unexpected guests or travellers, who are often welcomed and fed even if the host is away
- “Esusu” (Cooperative Savings): The Yoruba tradition of Esusu or Àjọ involves voluntary, mutual-aid associations where members contribute money, fostering collective economic growth.
- Respect for Seniority: Respect for elders is not just a gesture but an obligatory part of social order, ensuring that the wisdom of older generations influences the future
- Environmental Stewardship
Yoruba values include a deep-seated respect for nature, viewing humans as custodians rather than conquerors of the environment
- Sacred Conservation: Age long practices used to protect sacred groves, such as the Osun-Osogbo Sacred Grove, demonstrate early indigenous methods of sustainable resource management
- Sustainable Living: Traditional beliefs promote harmony with nature, emphasizing that every action interacts with the ecosystem, a concept that aligns with modern eco-friendly and circular economy principles.
- Cultural Preservation and Identity
- Language and Proverbs: Yoruba is a tonal language rich in oral literature, proverbs, and praise poetry (oríkì), which are used to teach morality and historical values.
- “Yoruba Ronú” (Yoruba Think): Yoruba Reflects is my preferred translation. This philosophy encourages self-reflection and the prioritising of cultural identity, urging people to honor their Omoluabi ethos and values rather than abandoning it for modernity.
- Resilience through Arts: The use of traditional attire Aso ebi, Gelé, Aso Oke (Agbada/Iro), food, and festivals (like Ọ̀ṣun-Ọ̀ṣogbo) helps maintain a strong sense of identity, even in the diaspora.
By formalising the pedagogy of Iwa Omoluabi in schools, as suggested by leaders like Vice President Yemi Osinbajo, these values can serve as a “cultural therapy” to address modern challenges like corruption and national division in our larger home of Nigeria.
My Final Word
This project has been a great task in research, investigation, studies, exploration and inquiry. I have also tried to read a few comments from people who think that this is an attempt to promote tribalism or Yoruba supremacy. No my motives and intentions are far from such, as a matter of fact the whole concept of Yoruba culture is against propagation of supremacy of one entity over the other.
Now let me tell you what inspired me to go on this journey. Here is the truth:
A few months ago my daughter Zoe sent me a soul wrenching message where she thanked me and her mother for all they got from us and their upbringing. At the end of that message she now revealed her main concern which is, I’ll try to paraphrase her. We know we are Nigerians and Africans but we don’t know our history, who are we as Adelaja, where do we come from, who are Yoruba people, why are we different from others, why are we the way we are, what are the things we don’t know about ourselves?
These questions I did not expect from my children especially from Zoe, because they grew up in a completely European environment. Even Zoe as a university student was only one of less than 10 Africans in her university and city in general. This her question however made me to realize that our diaspora children born overseas feel a certain identity void that must be addressed urgently.
As simple as that question seems from my daughter, it was easy for me to relate it to the crisis of identity black children go through in diaspora. Usually the first generation of Africans abroad know who they are and why they’re overseas. Unfortunately the second generations are often lost between their parents identity and their present status as foreigners in a strange land.
The statistics are humbling.
Black people make up approximately 12 per cent to 13 per cent of the prison population in England and Wales, despite representing only about 4 per cent of the general population. This signifies a substantial overrepresentation, with Black individuals being over three times more likely to be in prison than their white counterparts.
Black Americans comprise approximately 13 per cent of the US population but represent about 37 per cent to 40 per cent of the incarcerated population. Black individuals are incarcerated at nearly five times the rate of white Americans, with approximately one in 81 Black adults in the US serving time in state prison.
The question from Zoe opened my eyes to the fact that no one is immune from such an identity crisis. Our normal posture is we know who we are in Christ, God is our father. Yet our children have to deal with the reality of growing up in societies where they look different from everyone else around them.
As a matter of fact it reminds me that a year earlier my son had confronted me with similar inquiries but in a different way. He told me that he started creating our family genealogy tree, hence he needed me to answer a few questions which I did and moved on with my life.
It is not until I got a similar question from Zoe that I began to connect the dots. Hence this my series. These articles and the subsequent book are meant to connect every Yoruba man or woman to their true identity as “Omo Kaaro Oojire”. I hope it’ll be a blessing to Yoruba people everywhere both at home and abroad. It is now left for the Yoruba people and others to judge if it has been a worthy effort or not.
Before I drop my pen, let me honour the man who is the greatest influence and inspiration for the modern day Yoruba-Chief Obafemi Awolowo. This honour is in ending this series with one of his most precious gifts to Yoruba nation. Namely the Yoruba National Anthem, he is credited to have written it not simply as a symbol, but as a vision statement for the Yoruba people. In it we see, his dreams, his aspirations, and his vision for the destiny of the Yoruba nation. I hope and pray that our generation and the generations to come will rise up to the occasion to make Yoruba and all the black race great.
YORUBA ANTHEM
“Isé wa fún Ilè wa,
Fún Ilè ìbí wa,
K’á gbega, k’á gbega,
k’a gbega fun aiyé rí.
Ìgbàgbó wa ni wípé,
Ba se b’erú la b’omo
K’a sisé, k’a sise
K’a sisé k’a jolà.
Ìsòkan àti òmìnira,
Ni keja ká mã lepa,
‘Tèsíwájú òpò ire
Àti ohun tí ó dára.
Omo Óoduà dìde,
Bósí ipò ètó re,
Ìwo ni ìmólè
Gbogbo Adúláwò.”
YORUBA ANTHEM
(ENGLISH VERSION)
“There is work (a great task) for us to do
For our motherland
Let’s uplift it, let’s uplift it
Uplift it for the world to see
Our belief is that;
The way a child was born, so was a slave
Let’s work, let’s labour
Let’s work, so we can together prosper
Unity and freedom
Should be our pursuit
March on for bountiful success
And for all that is good
Child of Oodua arise
Take your rightful place
For you are the light (radiance/glory of the black race)
Of the black race.”
For the love of God, Church and Nation.
Sunday Adelaja is a Nigerian born leader, transformation strategist, pastor and innovator. He was based in Ukraine