OPINION
August 5, 2025
By Bolarinwa Ayoola
The Yorùbá civilization has undoubtedly endured for millennia, with a rich history and culture passed from generation to generation. This includes the transfer of indigenous technology and the oral transmission of historical accounts. According to historians, Ile-Ife, the cradle of the Yorùbá people, is believed to have existed between the 5th and 6th centuries BCE. Yorùbá historical narratives present the story of creation from the Yorùbá perspective. The Yorùbá people believe that Ifè is the origin of all humanity and that human beings dispersed from there to all corners of the world. A commonly and fondly used expression is, “Ife oodaye ibi ojumo tii mo wa’le aye,” which describes Ifè as the place where day breaks before spreading to the rest of the world.
Although the Yorùbá civilization has survived for ages, it is currently under threat of extinction. While Yorùbá people remain proud of their heritage, many unknowingly contribute to its decline. Evolution is a natural part of human life, and the Yorùbá culture has certainly evolved over the centuries. However, it has also been heavily influenced and diluted through contact with European and Arab civilizations.
These influences have eroded the once-rich culture and strong institutions of the Yorùbá people, raising serious concerns about whether the civilization will survive beyond the next one and a half centuries. Over the past two hundred years, Yoruba culture, once the anchor of civilization preservation has been significantly weakened by Western and Arab ideologies. This erosion has led to confusion and identity crises among many Yorùbá descendants. While many still wear Yorùbá attire, enjoy Yoruba food, and uphold the principles of Omoluabi, they are often disconnected from the core of the culture, especially its belief systems. These belief systems are the foundation from which fashion, cuisine, medicine, and values once emerged.
Today, most Yorùbá families identify as either Christian or Muslim, with little or no regard for traditional Yorùbá beliefs.
In attempting to justify the abandonment of Yorùbá values in favour of foreign religions and ideologies, many erroneously claim that culture consists only of food, fashion, and art, excluding belief systems and spirituality. In truth, culture encompasses shared values, norms, beliefs, art, rituals, languages, and more.
Merriam-Webster defines culture as the shared and evolving system of customary beliefs, values, behaviours, and knowledge that shapes the identity and way of life of a group, whether determined by race, religion, geography, or social affiliation. It includes traditions, social practices, artistic expressions, moral systems, and learned experiences passed from one generation to the next. Similarly, the Cambridge Dictionary describes culture as the attitudes, behaviours, opinions, and other shared traits of a particular group within society. It is the way of life, especially the general customs and beliefs of a group at a particular time.
Both definitions emphasize elements such as shared identity, attitudes, behaviours, beliefs, customs, and lifestyles. Attitudes reflect the mental and emotional perspectives individuals hold toward people, events, and experiences, shaping how they respond within their cultural environment.
Behaviours include the observable actions and practices that express a group’s social expectations, such as greetings, clothing styles, and roles in society. Beliefs are deeply held convictions or accepted truths that guide thought and conduct, including religious and moral ideas. Customs are established and repeated practices often connected to rituals and traditions that strengthen cultural identity, such as naming ceremonies and rites of passage. Together, these components define how a group lives, relates, and makes sense of the world.
Many Yorùbá people accept this broader definition of culture but have selectively excluded customary beliefs. These beliefs refer to widely accepted ideas rooted in the traditions and values of a community. They influence how people interpret events, relate to others, and respond to moral and spiritual matters. These beliefs are reinforced through rituals, taboos, folklore, and social practices.
The exclusion of customary beliefs has created a pathway for foreign ideologies to infiltrate Yorùbá culture, posing a real threat to the survival of the civilization. Many Yorùbá families have adopted foreign religions that reshape their worldviews and cultural expressions. While some attempt to preserve aspects of Yorùbá identity, the influence of foreign beliefs often creates internal conflict. The result is a gradual loss of identity as people abandon traditional names, belief systems, and ceremonies in favour of foreign alternatives.
Historically, Yorùbá people took pride in names that reflected cultural identity. Today, however, Arabic and European names have become dominant, replacing once-cherished indigenous names. Cultural elements such as traditional naming ceremonies and burial rites are being substituted with foreign practices. As these traditions are lost, Yorùbá identity continues to diminish with each passing generation.
The basic criterion for identifying a Yorùbá person has been biological connection to Yorùbá ancestry. This means having Yorùbá parents and naturally inheriting the identity by birth. Such individuals typically carry Yorùbá names and display the cultural attributes of Yoruba upbringing, such as language, greetings, dress, values, and beliefs. In simple terms, a Yorùbá person can be identified through their name, manner of greeting, attire, language, behaviour, and values that distinguish them from others.
However, one can also become Yorùbá through cultural assimilation. Historically, especially during the Òyó Empire, many non-Yoruba individuals were integrated into Yorùbá society by adopting the customs, language, and values of the people.
This raises an important question: who is truly Yorùbá? While ancestry or assimilation may qualify someone as Yorùbá, the true indicator lies in how well the person preserves cultural identity, upholds Yorùbá beliefs, and embraces the social norms and values of the people.
Today, many Yorùbá people bear names such as Johnson Praise or Abdulkareem Sanusi, which reflect European or Arabic identities. A name like Kareem Adetona represents a hybrid identity and often reflects internal cultural conflict. The abandonment of traditional names for reflecting traditional values, languages, spiritual beliefs, and ceremonial practices not only erodes Yorùbá culture but threatens its continued existence.
Collective interests (National interests) are essential to the survival of any society. One of the responsibilities of a Yorùbá person is to pursue the collective interests of Yorùbá land and its people. A true Yorùbá patriot is one who works to preserve and promote Yorùbá development.
Those who ignore this duty, especially in matters of cultural preservation and territorial protection, cannot be regarded as truly Yorùbá. In fact, a naturalized person who genuinely promotes Yorùbá culture is more Yoruba than a genetically connected individual who actively participates in its erosion.
A notable historical example is Susan Wenger, an Austrian woman who became deeply connected to Yorùbá culture and adopted its beliefs. Known as Adunni Olorisa, she became a Nigerian citizen and devoted her life to the preservation and advancement of Yorùbá traditions. Her work in promoting the Ọṣun Osogbo Festival brought global recognition to Yoruba spirituality and enhanced the international profile of Ọṣun State. By contrast, figures like Bishop Ajayi Crowther, though Yorùbá by birth, worked actively to dismantle Yorùbá spiritual systems in favour of European Christian values.
The task of preserving and protecting Yorùbá civilization is crucial. It is therefore essential for all Yorùbá descendants to recognize the danger posed by the ongoing decline and to re-evaluate their individual and collective roles. Reviving Yorùbá cultural practices must begin with prioritizing traditional names, elevating indigenous weddings over foreign religious styles, and restoring native burial and naming rites. Yorùbá people must also develop an active interest in their belief systems, with the goal of standardizing and refining them to meet both physical and spiritual needs. Religious and spiritual tourism presents a powerful opportunity, and Yorùbá land holds enormous potential in this regard.
