Omoluabi: A Way of Life

The culture of an individual is his or her identity; it's what we represent, and it shows in how we do things, be it greetings, dancing, beliefs, and the like. Even the Bible said, and I quote, "By their fruit, we shall know them." What the Bible refers to as fruit in the context of culture could be your attire, your way of life, the way you greet, and the like. Culture is broad and unique; it's the beauty of humanity and one of the several ways we all live and appreciate the diversity and uniqueness of each culture. And in this article I'd be talking about my culture, what I love about it, and anything I love or wish to learn from another culture.

To start with, I'm from Nigeria, a country that's rich in diversity because it houses over 250 ethnic groups and cultures, and amongst those is where I belong. I'm from the Yoruba tribe and naturally practice the Yoruba people's way of life. We are known for many things; some tend to say Yoruba people are the most respected set of people in the universe. But to us we're the Omoluabi, and that's the focal point and driving force of the Yoruba people and culture, and it's worth noting that you can be a Yoruba and yet not be an Omoluabi, so what or who is an Omoluabi, and what's the meaning of the word?

Omoluabi is the core value of the Yoruba culture, and it simply means an individual with integrity that's respectful and responsible and possesses good character and virtue, basically an individual who not only possesses positive traits but also exhibits them in their lifestyle. And the word Omoluabi simply translates to mean child of good character and traits. Omoluabi isn't just a word, nor is it a concept; it's our way of life and what unites us as a people. It's what breeds our actions, because as a Yoruba man, you shouldn't only talk about good character; you must showcase it daily in your character.

I love other people's culture and the way they do their things, although we might have some differences in the way of doing things that goes against my own culture, but that's not a big deal; that's the beauty of human diversity, so I won't say there's any culture I really want to practice aside from my own, which is the Yoruba culture. I love my culture and everything that revolves around it. If there's one thing about another culture I love, then I'll say the dancing steps of the Igbo culture. I really love and enjoy seeing their dance and would love to learn it.

We the Yoruba also have our dancing steps that I love, but then it's not top of the list of what I love about our culture. What I love most about the Yoruba culture is our language; there's just this pride I have each time I speak it or hear different dialects of it being spoken. It usually leaves a satisfying aura on my person. I also love our cultural attires, such as aso oke, ofi, Kampala, and the like. These are clothes that show our cultural riches, especially when sewn into the iro and buba for women or agbada, buba, and sokoto for the men. They make you stand out, elegant and distinct.

All photos are mine.