Yemoja is a major water deity from a religion that is found primarily in southwestern Nigeria, and the adjoining parts of Benin and Togo, commonly known as what?
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Yemoja Yemoja (Yoruba: "Yemọja" ) is a major water deity from the Yoruba religion. She is an orisha and the mother of all orishas, having given birth to the 14 Yoruba gods and goddesses. She is often syncretized with either Our Lady of Regla in the afrocuban diaspora or various other Virgin Mary figures of the Catholic Church, a practice that emerged during the era of the Trans-Atlantic slave trade. Yemoja is motherly and strongly protective, and cares deeply for all her children, comforting them and cleansing them of sorrow. She is said to be able to cure infertility in women, and cowrie shells represent her wealth. She does not easily lose her temper, but when angered she can be quite destructive and violent, as the flood waters of turbulent rivers.
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Yoruba religion The Yoruba religion, comprising the traditional religious concepts and practices of the Yoruba people, is found primarily in southwestern Nigeria and the adjoining parts of Benin, and Togo, commonly known as Yorubaland. Yoruba religion is ancestral or partially ancestral to the Afro-American religions Santería, Trinidad Orisha, Umbanda, Brujería, Hoodoo, Candomblé, Quimbanda, Orisha, Xangô de Recife, Xangô do Nordeste, Comfa, Espiritismo, Santo Daime, Candomblé, Abakuá, Kumina, Winti, Sanse, Cuban Vodú, Dominican Vudú, Louisiana Voodoo, Haitian Vodou, and Vodun. Yoruba religious beliefs are part of "itan", the complex cultural concepts which make up the Yoruba society.
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Benin Benin ( or - ; ; French: "Bénin" ] ), officially the Republic of Benin (French: "République du Bénin" ) and formerly Dahomey, is a country in West Africa. It is bordered by Togo to the west, Nigeria to the east, and Burkina Faso and Niger to the north. The majority of its population lives on the small southern coastline of the Bight of Benin, part of the Gulf of Guinea in the northernmost tropical portion of the Atlantic Ocean. The capital of Benin is Porto-Novo, but the seat of government is in Cotonou, the country's largest city and economic capital. Benin covers an area of 114,763 square kilometers and its population in was estimated to be approximately /1e6 round 2 million. Benin is a tropical nation, highly dependent on agriculture, with substantial employment and income arising from subsistence farming.
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List of indigenous peoples of Rivers State Rivers State is the sixth-largest geographic area in Nigeria according to 2006 census data. The state has an indigenously diverse population with major riverine and upland divisions. The dominant ethnic groups are: Ikwerre, Ijaw and Ogoni. Upland Rivers State covering about 61% is composed mainly of Ikwerre and Ogoni, although there are many other minority people in the region. The riverine, including most of the state's towns and villages surrounded by water is moderately inhabited. It covers approximately 39% of the total land mass and holds a significant Ijaw population.
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West African Vodun Vodun (meaning "spirit" in the Fon and Ewe languages, ] with a nasal high-tone "u"; also spelled Vodon, Vodoun, Vodou, Voudou, Voodoo, etc.) is practiced by the Ewe people of eastern and southern Ghana, and southern and central Togo; and the Kabye people, Gen-speaking people, and Fon people of southern and central Togo, and southern and central Benin. It is also practiced by some Gun people of Lagos and Ogun in southwest Nigeria. All the aforementioned peoples belong to Gbe-speaking ethnic groups of West Africa, except the Kabye.
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Ogugu Ogugu is a community of Igala-speaking people in the Olamaboro Local Government Area of the Kogi State in north central Nigeria. Ogugu people have a culture that has been misunderstood by other Igalas. It is called Ibegwu, literally meaning ancestors. It is believed that ancestors watch over their progeny to stop them from doing mischief. For instance, an Ogugu man can not be a party to premeditated murder. He would be 'arrested' by Ibegwu. He would be struck by some mysterious ailment, the cure to which is a public confession and performance of the necessary rituals for cleansing. According to the ancestral rules, a married woman cannot have an affair with any other man. The same punishment cited above applies. Some have argued that if a man has the liberty to flirt, a woman should also have the same right. They are predominantly subsistence farmers.
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Obodo Obodo originates from the Igbo Language, meaning "City". Igbo Language is the Language of the Igbo people, One of the most popular and most Industrious tribes in the Eastern Nigeria. The word "Obodo" is very popular among the Igbo People of Nigeria and all over the News of Nigeria .The word ""Obodo"" has been used in Igbo people's names like Christian Obodo and in names of towns, places and communities like Obodo Owubinubi, Obodo Ukwu, Obodo Ahiara etc.
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Komoé River The Komoé River is a river in West Africa. The river originates on the Sikasso Plateau of Burkina Faso, flow through the Cascades de Karfiguéla, forms a short section of the border between Burkina Faso and Ivory Coast until it enters Ivory Coast, where it is the major drainage for northeastern portion of that country before emptying into the Atlantic. The banks of the Komoé are shaded by riparian forests along most of it length providing an important habitat for wildlife and a source of agricultural water. Where reliable floodplains form in Ivory Coast, rice may be grown. A portion of the river in northern Ivory Coast is the source of the vegetative richness that earned that area a UNESCO World Heritage Site designation, Comoé National Park.
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Eshu Eshu (known as Echú or Exú in Latin America and Esu in Nigeria) is an Orisha in the Yoruba religion of the Yoruba people (originating from Yorubaland, an area in and around present-day Nigeria). As the religion has spread around the world, the name of this Orisha has varied in different locations, but the beliefs remain similar.
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History of Nigeria The history of Nigeria can be traced to prehistoric settlers living in the area as early as 11000 BC. Numerous ancient African civilizations settled in the region that is today Nigeria, such as the Benin Empire, the Kingdom of Nri and the Oyo Empire. Islam reached Nigeria through the Hausa States during the 11th century, while Christianity came to Nigeria in the 15th century through Augustinian and Capuchin monks from Portugal. The Songhai Empire also occupied part of the region. Lagos was invaded by British forces in 1851 and formally annexed in 1861. Nigeria became a British protectorate in 1901. Colonization lasted until 1960, when an independence movement succeeded in gaining Nigeria its independence.
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Etsakọ people Etsakọ people are one of the major ethnic groups in Edo State, Nigeria. They presently occupy three local government areas of Edo State; these are Etsako East, Etsako West and Etsako Central, with Agenebode, Auchi, and Fugar, as their administrative headquarters. In some quarters the people of Owan are also referred to as Etsako. The Etsakos,Owans, and Akoko-Edo people are often referred to as the Afenmai. This is due to their close linguistic and historical relationship. Local tradition of origin often trace their migration from Benin due to the tyrannical desposition of the Oba of Benin. Which many oral traditionalists attribute probably to the 14th century. It is believed their ancestors must have settled in South Ibie before groups started moving to populate the other area they occupy. It is one of the three major ethnic groups in today's Edo State, and the most populous ethnic group in Edo North. The loyalty of an Etsako man firstly is to His home/homestead, Village, Clan, and ethnic group. Also strong affinity between the Etsako people and their neighbors can be deduced in some customary rites, borrowed words, and even migration pattern. A good example is the "Ajinebode" myth of the Idah Igala who believe that the early founder or ruler of Idah was "Ajinebode". This coincidence is worthy of further Historical elucidation since the mighty River Niger divides Idah in present-day Kogi State and Agenebode in Edo State.
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Ewe people The Ewe people (Ewe: "Eʋeawó" , lit. "Ewe people"; or " Eʋedukɔ́ ", lit. "Ewe nation","Eʋenyigba" Eweland;) are an African ethnic group. They are the largest ethnic group in Togo (32%), the third largest ethnic group in Ghana (14%), and are a minority ethnic group in southern Benin, Ivory Coast and Nigeria. They speak the Ewe language (Ewe: "Eʋegbe" ) which belongs to the Niger-Congo family of languages. They are related to other speakers of Gbe languages, such as, the Fon, Gen, Phla Phera, and the Aja people of Togo and Benin.
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List of rulers of Remo The western half of the Ijebu Kingdom in Nigeria is known as Remo. It was initially settled roughly around the second half of the 15th century and was consolidated into a major sector of the kingdom with its own dominant ruling family around the early 16th century. This is a list of the Akarigbo's of Remo, who in many present day sources can also be referred to as the Oba or King of Sagamu (pronounced shagamu
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National Church of Nigeria The National Church of Nigeria (previously known as the National Ecumenical Centre and officially known as the National Christian Centre) is the primary Christian place of worship in Nigeria, a country with a substantial Christian population.
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Christianity in Nigeria Christians in Nigeria comprise between 50% and 67.4% of the population. Christians are dominant in the southern and central region in Nigeria. According to the Pew Research Center, Nigeria has the largest Christian population of any country in Africa, with more than 85 million persons in Nigeria belonging to the church with various denominations. The numbers of Christians in Nigeria has grown from 21.4% in 1953 to 49.3% in 2010.
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Mali Mali ( ; ] ), officially the Republic of Mali (French: "République du Mali" ), is a landlocked country in West Africa. Mali is the eighth-largest country in Africa, with an area of just over 1240000 sqkm . The population of Mali is /1e6 round 1 million. Its capital is Bamako. Mali consists of eight regions and its borders on the north reach deep into the middle of the Sahara Desert, while the country's southern part, where the majority of inhabitants live, features the Niger and Senegal rivers. The country's economy centers on agriculture and fishing. Some of Mali's prominent natural resources include gold, being the third largest producer of gold in the African continent, and salt. About half the population lives below the international poverty line of $1.25 (U.S.) a day. A majority of the population (90%) are Muslims.
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Western Apoi tribe The Western Apoi tribe of the Ijaw people lives in Ondo State, Nigeria. The tribe (also called Ijaw Apoi) consists of nine settlements: Igbobini, Ojuala, Ikpoki, Inikorogha, Oboro, Shabomi, Igbotu, Kiribo and Gbekebo. The Apoi inhabited higher ground than most of the other Ijaw tribe. The Apos speak the Yoruba language as they no longer speak the Ijaw language, and are bordered to the north by the Ikale Yoruba and to the west by the Ilaje Yoruba. The clan also shares a border with the Arogbo Ijaw to the south and the Furupagha Ijaw to the east across the Siluko River.
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Fête du Vodoun Traditional Day or Fête du Vodoun (literally Vodoun Festival, also known as Traditional Religions Day) is a public holiday in Benin that celebrates the nation's history surrounding the West African religion of Vodoun. The celebration is held annually on January 10 throughout the country but most notably in the city of Ouidah. Beginning with the slaughter of a goat in honor of the spirits, the festival is filled with singing, dancing and the imbibing of liquor, especially gin. Vodoun was officially declared a religion in Benin in 1996 and the festival has attracted thousands of devotees and tourists to Ouidah to participate in the festivities ever since.
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Amadioha Amadioha is the Alusi (god) of thunder and lightning of the Igbo people of southeastern Nigeria. He is amongst the most popular of Igbo deities and in some parts of Igboland, he is referred to as Amadiora, Kamalu (which is short for "Kalu Akanu"), Kamanu, or Ofufe. Astrologically, his governing planet is the Sun. His color is red, and his symbol is a white ram. Metaphysically, Amadioha represents the collective will of the people. He is often associated with Anyanwu, who is the Igbo god of the Sun. While Anyanwu is more prominent in northern Igboland, Amadioha is more prominent in the southern part. His day is Afo, which is the third market day of the Igbo four-day week.
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Oku people (Sierra Leone) The Oku people, also commonly known as Oku Mohammedans or "Aku Mohammedans"in Sierra Leone and as the "Aku Marabou" or "Oku Marabou" in the Gambia, are an ethnic group in Sierra Leone and the Gambia. The Oku people are the descendants of liberated Africans of Yoruba descent from Southwest Nigeria who were liberated or came to Sierra Leone as settlers in the mid 19th century and formed a distinctive ethnic group The Oku are virtually all Muslims and are known for their conservative muslim population. The British colonial government provided official recognition to the Oku Mohammedan community as a distinctive community in Sierra Leone. Although the Sierra Leone government officially considered the Oku people as members of the Creole ethnic group, many Sierra Leoneans consider the Oku people as a distinctive ethnic group.
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Benin Empire The Benin Empire was a pre-colonial empire located in what is now southern Nigeria. Its capital was Edo, now known as Benin City, Edo state. It should not be confused with the modern-day country called Benin, formerly called Dahomey. The Benin Empire was "one of the oldest and most highly developed states in the coastal hinterland of West Africa, dating perhaps to the eleventh century CE", until it was annexed by the British Empire in 1897.
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Nigerian cuisine Nigerian cuisine consists of dishes or food items from the hundreds of ethnic groups that comprise Nigeria. Like other West African cuisines, it uses spices and herbs with palm or groundnut oil to create deeply flavoured sauces and soups often very spicy hot with chilli peppers. Nigerian feasts are colourful and lavish, while aromatic market and roadside snacks cooked on barbecues or fried in oil are plentiful and varied.