Nigeria, the land of plenty

Kehinde and Taiwo dancing hand in hand Taiwo and Kehinde Olabode Ejiogbe: now and then Drums could be heard in a distance as we approached the open compound of the Ejiogbes. Two slender white-clad silhouettes, those of two Obatala followers, were dancing forward in our direction, sometimes hand in hand, sometimes not, but synchronised at all time. Taiwo and Kehinde Ejiogbe, the stone carver twins of Inisa, Osun state, were now greeting us and welcoming us in an open courtyard where a marquee had been arranged with rows of plastic chairs. Taiwo's simple lines I had met the Ejiogbe Twins about a year ago in Iragbiji and had bought some of their carvings which I still like very much. So it was natural to go and meet them again in their abode. The compound was decorated with the many stones carved by the Twins. Taiwo's works were displayed on the lawn separating the road from the house. Large pieces with an asiatic touch in the simplicity of lines of the carvings. ...

walking to the Agidan Hill Oke Agidan (Agidan hill) is located near Oyo town. It is a dome-shaped rock which dominates the flat land around it. The land belongs to the Alaafin of Oyo and for a while it was not permitted to cultivate it. Nowadays things are changing and the rock is surrounded by fields of cassava and yam. Fortunately, a few trees remain standing and give the landscape some allure. The rock itself is host to several shrines dedicated to various yoruba divinities. Once a year, around April, a large pilgrimage takes place. The starting point of the pilgrimage is a grove where multiple tents have been erected to offer pilgrims food, drinks and ritual items such as kola nuts, bitter-kola nuts, some plastic beads bracelets (almond green and brown) or Ifa chains (mix of nuts and beads) for divination. Oya, buy my nuts! Pilgrims are coming all the way from Oyo town on motorbikes, mini-buses, cars, some possibly walk. Drums are providing rhythm to the place. An ecle...

The Wawu of Badagry While visiting Badagry, we discovered a city with a lot of heritage, with a particular focus on slave-trade about which three museums are covering. There are a lot for a town of the size of Badagry. The town a good number of buildings of brazilian influence. They were erected by returning slaves after the abolition of slavery. There are also a few colonial buildings such as the house that hosted the British administration and which is overlooking the lagoon. The city also counts several traditional compounds. There is the one of the Akran ,  the head of Badagry Kingdom who is referred to as Aholu. He is revered as the Ruler of Badagry. In a different area stands the compound of the Wawu of Badagr y.  The Wawu family, according to High Chief WAWU, descended from Ile-Ife and settled at Ouidah (Whydah) in Benin Republic. Later the Ifa oracle asked them to return through Gberefu to their present location in Badagry.   The Wawu is famous because h...

with Chief schnapps, it is easier to communicate with the spirits Oyo, the city where the Alaafin is residing, is hosting many compounds dedicated to the gods of the Yoruba religion. A number of families are residing inside the compound under the authority of an elder and priest called Baba. Somewhere in the compound is a shrine dedicated to a particular yoruba deity. These days the ancient religion of the Yorubas is in a complex situation. Islam and Christianity have become the mainstream religions which have made significant inroads in the population while the ancient cult of the Yorubas is being worshipped discretely by a minority of people. A few years back being an official worshipper could get you excluded from attending school, says Paula the cultural attache to the Alaafin, but this is gradually changing. Obviously monotheist cults are incompatible with ancient religions but in practice many muslims and christians will somehow have a form of relationship with the ancient c...