Political and Economic Life in Yoruba

Some Yoruba communities are literally city-states, encompassing just one urban area with its rural hinterland. However, most consist of several towns and many villages. Egba, with its present capital of Abeokuta, has the largest population of nine million, but there are many others.

The economy of Yorubaland is based on a vigorous combination of farming and trading which ranges from local marketing of farm produce to international dealing. Typically, Yoruba towns today consist of farmers, traders, office workers and professionals. The usual British division between town and country does not apply in Yorubaland. Farmers make the daily trek to the farm. There is comparatively little commuting into town to work.

Daily life centres on the farm and its products, now as it did in earlier centuries. The major staple product is yam, hut also cassava, maize, rice, and a variety of vegetables (tomatoes, onions, okra, eggplant, etc) are grown for local consumption. The major cash crops are cocoa, oil palm; also kola nuts and cotton, although the latter to a greater extent in the 19th century than more recently.

The Olli or King of Ife is acknowledged by all Yoruba as their pre-eminent ritual figure-head, but this is by no means the most powerful political office. There are a certain number of Yoruba Kings or Obas whose office-holders have the authority to wear a beaded crown.

This number is not static. Traditionally it was 16, a most auspicious number in Yoruba thought, but in a famous judgement in 1903, 21 were recognised by the Oni. Subsequently, others have been added to the list. The political power of any Yoruba Oba is now severely circumscribed by the Nigerian constitution and the prevailing political climate, but all retain considerable ritual authority.

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Produced by The Telematics Centre at Exeter University © 2001