Yoruba Ethnic Group Research Articles

Ethnic Relations: A Study of Hausa Community in Ogbomoso, Nigeria - (1924 - 1967)

This work is a study of the inter ethnic relations between the Hausa and Yoruba ethnic groups in Ogbomoso. The main objective of the work is to study the phenomenon of inter ethnic contact between the Hausa and Yoruba ethnic groups in Ogbomoso. Inter ethnic contact could lead to conflict or integration. In this work, studies have shown that, unlike the process of the establishment of Hausa community Ibadan, the establishment of Hausa Community in Ogbomoso did not experience violent inter ethnic conflicts. This was due to the peculiar nature of the inter-ethnic relations between the two groups as well as longer period of contact.

Individual genomes diversify

The link between a person's genetic ancestry and the traits — including disease risk — that he or she exhibits remains elusive. Routine sequencing of the genomes of an African and an Asian individual offer a step forward. The power of the latest massively parallel synthetic DNA sequencing technologies is demonstrated in two major collaborations that shed light on the nature of genomic variation with ethnicity. The first describes the genomic characterization of an individual from the Yoruba ethnic group of west Africa. The second reports a personal genome of a Han Chinese, the group comprising 30% of the world's population. These new resources can now be used in conjunction with the Venter, Watson and NIH reference sequences. A separate study looked at genetic ethnicity on the continental scale, based on data from 1,387 individuals from more than 30 European countries. Overall there was little genetic variation between countries, but the differences that do exist correspond closely to the geographic map. Statistical analysis of the genome data places 50% of the individuals within 310 km of their reported origin. As well as its relevance for testing genetic ancestry, this work has implications for evaluating genome-wide association studies that link genes with diseases.

Provenance studies of Esie sculptural soapstone from southwestern Nigeria

A group of soapstone statues found near the village of Esie in southwestern Nigeria is one of the largest collections of prehistoric sculpture found in sub-Saharan Africa. The statues were found at Esie by people of the Igbomina sub-grouping of the Yoruba ethnic group when they settled in the Esie area some 300 years ago. The origin of the statues remains unknown. Several areas of soapstone in the Nigerian Schist Belt are considered as potential source areas for the Esie statues. Mineral assemblages, textures, and compositions of talc, cummingtonite, and chlorite from some of the statues suggest a source for the statue soapstone from the Agbonda area, the closest proposed source area to Esie. However, mineralogic data from one of the statues are unlike any of the proposed source areas. The result of our study, together with earlier studies of Stevens, Hambolu and Onabajo provides strong evidence that the soapstone statues were carved from local ultramafic rocks from Esie area.

Cultural and religious components in Nigerian parents’ perceptions of the aetiology of cleft lip and palate: Implications for treatment and rehabilitation

The present study was conducted to find out the perceptions of mothers from two Nigerian ethnic groups who had children with cleft lip and palate (CLP) about the aetiology of the defect. Mothers of 16 children with CLP from the Yoruba ethnic group who attended the maxillofacial clinic of the Obafemi Awolowo University teaching hospital in southern Nigeria and 20 children with CLP from the Hausa/Fulani ethnic group who attended the maxillofacial clinic of the University of Maiduguri teaching hospital in northeastern Nigeria were interviewed over an 8-month period. We used standardised interviews including questions with ethnographic components to allow us to collect information about traditional beliefs about clefts. Interviews were recorded on tape for later analysis. Thirteen of the 16 parents from the Yoruba group attributed the aetiology of CLP to supernatural forces (evil spirits and ancestral spirits), while 16 of the 20 Hausa/Fulani parents attributed it to the “will of God”. Twelve of 16 Yoruba parents had consulted traditional healers for treatment before coming to the hospital. Various plants and animal products were used to treat clefts and 10 of the Yoruba parents were referred to the hospital for further treatment by the traditional healers. Cultural and religious factors seem to have an important role in the explanations, labels and treatment that followed the birth of a child with CLP in this environment. There is a need for greater collaboration and sharing of information between modern medical practitioners and traditional healers.

Perception of labour pain among the Yoruba ethnic group in Nigeria

SummaryIn Nigeria, it is generally assumed that labour is well tolerated and pain relief is not usually considered an important part of intra-partum care. This prospective study was carried out to assess mothers' perception of labour pain and determine any factor that may influence it. During the period of study, 281 women who delivered at Wesley Guild Hospital Ilesa, Nigeria were interviewed within 2 h of delivery to assess the severity of labour pain and desire for analgesia. Perception of labour pain was assessed using a 3-point verbal rating. The majority (68.3%) of women described labour pain as severe with only 5.3% describing it as mild. More than 86% of the women would want the pain relieved. Perception of pain was not influenced by age, parity and educational level. Management of pain in labour should form an important part of intra-partum care as is the case in developed countries.

Pregnancy in Rhesus Negative Women in Kaduna, Northern Nigeria

Objective: To determine the incidence, review some anamnestic and bio-demographic characteristics of the women and pregnancy outcome. Study design: An eight year retrospective review of pregnancies in Rhesus- negative women in a University teaching hospital. Results: There were a total of 10572 deliveries and 76 rhesus negative pregnancies during the period, giving an incidence of 0.7%. The Yoruba ethnic group was the highest contributor of patients (44.73%), while the Southern minority ethnic groups the lowest contributors (3.9%). About 51% of the patients were of ABO Blood group O. Sixty four (84.2%) of the patients have had previous pregnancies and only 8(12.5%) of these received Anti- D(Rhogam) prophylaxis. Seventy two (94.7%) of the pregnancies were booked and 70.8% of them booked after 20 weeks of gestation. Antibody screening was done in 56.6% of the pregnancies. The incidence of izoimmunisation was 9.1%. Neonatal jaundice occurred in 9.2% of the babies. There was one perinatal death. Only in 19(25%) of the pregnancies was Rhogam administered after delivery. Conclusion: Rhesus negative pregnancies constitute a small number of our clinical load and the incidence of izoimmunisation appear to be very low. Setting up of dedicated Care centers to enhance good quality care and also enable a didactic pool of patients for postgraduate training is advocated. Key Words: Rhesus Negative, Pregnancies, Isoimmunisation,Incidence, Antibody screening, Anti-D Prophylaxis, Kaduna, Nigeria. [Trop J Obstet Gynaecol, 2004;21:21-23]

Borgu in the Atlantic Slave Trade

slaves for internal West African (and ultimately trans-Saharan) markets. This involvement in the slave trade had diverse aspects, in which Borgu might figure as both a victim and a beneficiary of the trade. First, inhabitants of Borgu were among those enslaved and sold. In the early seventeenth century, the Timbuktu jurist and scholar Ahmad Baba included Borgu and Bussa (along with Yoruba, Mossi, Kotokoli, Gurma, and other ethnic groups) in a list of non-Muslim peoples whom it was legitimate to take as slaves.4 Some of those who were sold were enslaved by neighboring countries at war with Borgu, as in the invasions by Songhay documented in 1505/6 and 1555/6.s Besides external aggression, slaves from Borgu may have included some people enslaved within Borgu, either in intra-Borgu conflicts or through judicial or other nonmilitary mechanisms, and sold by Borgu traders. Second, Borgu traders presumably also sold captives taken in wars with neighboring peoples. And third, Borgu also operated as a middleman in the trade in slaves between other regions, though explicit evidence for this is lacking before the nineteenth century.6 Asante, for example, imported slaves from Hausaland and other neighboring territories which became part of the Sokoto Caliphate, and these must have been brought, at least for the most part, along the same routes by which kola and gold passed in the opposite direction, via Borgu.7 By the late eighteenth century, Borgu was also involved in trade with the Europeans at the coast to the south, as a minor but significant supplier of slaves for the trans-Atlantic trade.' Recently published research on the history of Borgu, however, has not given any great attention to its involvement in the Atlantic slave trade.9 This neglect no doubt reflects primarily the fact that the role of Borgu in the Atlantic slave trade is not very well documented, principally because for most of the history of this trade Borgu remained beyond the limits of the direct knowledge of Europeans. This paper attempts to draw together the

Industrialization and Kinship: A Comparative Study of Some Nigerian Ethnic Group

This paper is an analysis of three Nigerian ethnic groups, their kinship structures, and their efforts at industrialization. We argue that in Nigeria, kinship and historical development have necessitated alternative approaches to industrialization, which do not comply with the Western model of urbanization and the transition to - nuclear families. The Yoruba, Igbo, and Ibibio ethnic groups are each reviewed in turn with regards to their kinship patterns, the resources available to them, and their traditional occupations, which are considered the determining factors in their orientation to industry. The Yoruba, who have a tradition of non-industrial urban residence, are the most industrialized, as industries are predominantly urban based. The Igbo, are taken to be less industrial than the Yoruba, as they have refined their indigenous craft skills into smallscale service industrie’s. Finally, the lbibio, are considered the least industrial as they have continued their primary occupation of farming in government run plantations. In assessing Nigeria’s industrialization process, we introduce the concept of “ethnic industrialization” which suggests that the various ethnic groups of Nigeria direct their industrializing activities to certain types of industry in accord with their own social, cultural, and historical development.

SEX-IDENTIFICATION AND SEX-TYPING IN SOME NIGERIAN CHILDREN'S DRAWINGS

Sex-identification and sex-typing were examined in some Nigerian primary school children using Draw-A-Person. Subjects were from the Yoruba ethnic group. Sex-role differentiation in the Yoruba culture was outlined. The effects of sex and social class on sex-identification and sex-typing were examined. The results suggest that Yoruba girls are less likely to show own-sex identification than Yoruba boys (p<.001) and that this tendency is more marked for low-income than ‘elite’ girls (p<.01). Regarding sex-typing, marginal sex differences were observed though the number of drawings amenable for analysis was too small for meaningful statistical comparisons.

Yoruba etnic groups or a Yoruba Ethnic Group? A review of the problem of ethnic identification

In spite of the upsurge of interest in anthropological studies in the last half century, ethnologists and kindred scientist have not been able to agree on what criteria to use for identifying an ethnic group.

Epidemiology of periodontal disease in Western Nigerians in relation to socio-economic status

An epidemiological survey was carried out in the Yoruba ethnic group of Western Nigeria in 1965. The survey was undertaken to determine the relation of periodontal health to socio-economic status, and included 941 persons. The age groups between 5 and 19 yr comprised 53 per cent and 95 per cent of the low and high socio-economic communities respectively. Russell's Periodontal Index (PI) and the Simplified Oral Hygiene Index (OHI-S) comprising the Debris and Calculus Indices (DI-S and CI-S) were recorded. Evaluation of the nutritional status of the communities was carried out by studies of the dietary intakes and the biochemical estimation of blood haemoglobin, serum proteins and serum ascorbic acid levels. In both communities, CI-S and age were closely correlated with PI. At all ages, the same level of CI-S was associated with a higher PI score in the low than in the high socio-economic group. Multiple correlation analysis indicated some residual variation in PI not accounted for by age, CI-S and DI-S, and this was more evident in the low socio-economic group. Clinical, dietary and biochemical studies suggested marked deficiencies of essential nutrients in the low socio-economic group. The survey showed that, in addition to the oral hygiene, due attention should be paid to the host state and his environment in planning prophylactic measures for periodontal lesions especially in malnourished populations.