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Africa Unity Media, FCT Abuja (2025)

27/07/2022

BRIEF HISTORY OF OMU-ARAN

The history of Omu-Aran town can not be completed without relating it to its place in Igbomina land history and to the larger Yoruba race and Ile-ife, the cradle of Yoruba Civilization. Omu-Aran town was founded five hundred years ago as at 2002, when the first chronicle of Omu-Aran was Published. The Omu-Aran community came into being as a result of outward movement from Ile-Ife. These outward movements of people were in four phases, and the one relevant to the people of Omu-Aran was “The Private entrepreneurial post Oduduwa Migration”.

At one time in Ile-Ife, there was famine occasioned by prolong drought, and necessitated the consultation of Ifa Oracles by the divine Priests at that time in order to find solution to the famine problem. It was the priests that pronounced Ile-Ife as been overcrowded and therefore prescribed emigration as the panacea.

The adoption of this recommendation led to the departure of princes and selected leaders from Ile-Ife to other places, they were given royal blessings and symbol of authority. Many Yoruba kingdoms of today arose as a result of this emigration. From this emigration emerged the personality of an Ife Warrior by name Olomu-Aperan who became the progenitor of the Igbomina town of Omu-Aran in today’s Kwara State.

The existence of Omu-Aran could be traced back to a woman by name Omutoto who once live in Ilodo compound in ile-Ife. She was one of the Oloris (royal wives) of the Oba Olofinaiye of Ile-Ife. This woman bore no child, and therefore adopted some children of her relations. She took great care of these children, and Olomu Aperan was one of them.

The mother of Olomu Aperan was a sister to Omutoto. There were other children adopted by Omutoto, and one of them was Owa Ajibogun, the founder of Ijesha land. They all grew up under Omutot. The young Olomu was described as a mighty man of valour. He was much respected, honoured and became known among Ijesha’s and Ife people as Olomu Aperan. He was much respected, honoured and became known among Ijesha’s and Iffe people as Olomu Aperan. He was a distinguished warrior an his successes at warfares earned him several name such as Olomu Aperan, Olomu Aperin, Olomu Apeje and Olomu Aperindinlogun (conqueror of hosts).

His successes earned him the title of the Esikin Ologbomona, a title synonymous with there Aare-Ona-Kakanfo in the old Oyo empire. As the Esikin, he was perhaps the chief of defence staff and was the linkman between the chief of defence council and the warrirors of the land on one hand and between his royal highness, the king and the warriors on the other hand. He was the custodian of the artifact of state called the “Ogbo” an antiquity of eminent significance in custom and governance.

“Ogbo” is a cultic of histotical relics which Oduduwa and his people inherited from the original settlers of Ile-Ife, after the conquest of the place by Oduduwa. The Oduduwa age adopted the relic as a symbol of unity and trust. It became an instrument of authority of the highest ruling council in the land.
On the Civil matters, ogbo was believed to have the power of sorting out complex matters and unraveling the truth against all odds. Ogbo was therefore regarded as an infallible pathfinder and coined out of the refrain Ogbomona meaning that Ogbo charts the course. Olomu Aperan being the custodian of this Ogbo held on to it on his departure from Ile-Ife in the great commission of the time. He was also given a crown and some royal drums.
On leaving Ile-Ife, olomu Aperan first settled at Omu Ijaregbe Otherwise called Oke-Omu. This settlement is about 8km from the present day Ilesha and is still in existence today. The Oba of Ijaregbe maintained the title of Olomu for many years but has recently adopted Ajaregbe as his new title. The domain is a little village, but the Oba does not bow to the Owa of Ijesha land.

It was at Omu-Ijaregbe that Olomu Aperan relinquished the title of Esikin to one of his children and assumed the title of full Oba like other founders of his time. It was at Omu-Ijaregbe that Olomu Aperan first encountered major resistance after departure from Ile-Ife. At a time however, a dispute arose between Owari, the reigning Owa Obokun of Ijesha land at that time and Olomu Aperan. Owari was assisted by Ogboni of Ijebu-Ijesha and their combined forced defeated that of Olomu Aperan. This led to the departure of Olomu Aperan from that place to settle in the present day Omu-Aran. Similarly, other leaders also departed to other places to found new kingdoms of Omuo in Ekiti State, and Olomu near Abeokuta. All these place today continue to incorporate Omu in their names in honour of their deitified mother, Omutoto. Omu-Aran town is made up of people from various places and background that migrated to the present site of the town. Not all the compounds in Omu-aran share the same ancestry from Omutoto but it is an established fact that the founder of Omu-Aranwas Olomu Aperan. It was believed that Olomu Aperan left Ijaregbe along with his people at about the 12th Century to settle initially in a place called Odo-Omu near Ola in Isin Local Government Area of kwara State.

Later, he moved along with his people to settle in the present place called Omu-Aran. It was believed that he encountered lots of resistance on his way from the Nupe’s who were settlers in some of the places inhabited by the Yoruba’s, it was believed that he was guided on his journey by the Ogbo which was claimed to have mythical power. This Ogbo could be found in the present day Omu-Aran.

Yorùbá History

21/07/2022

THE HISTORY OF OGBOMOSO TOWN IN OYO STATE

The town of Ogbomoso lies between Ilorin and Oyo Town in the south western region of Nigeria. The town was founded in the mid-17th century by Ogunlola, a brave hunter of Ibariba descent. History has it that Ogunlola migrated to the present site of Ogbomoso around 1650 in pursuit of his hunting career. He arrived at the site which was then a dense jungle with his wife named Esuu and together they camped beneath an ajagbon tree which can still be seen today near the Soun’s palace.

Later on, Ogunlola and his wife built a hut near the tree and settled there permanently.
Shortly after they settled in the jungle, Ogunlola noticed that smoke emit daily from nearby places. He decided to check the places out and to his surprise, he discovered that four other hunters were also dwelling in the jungle. The first hunter was a Nupe elephant hunter named Aale who camped in a place now known as Oke-Elerin (Elephant Hill). The second was an Otta prince named Onisile who left his town because of title dispute, he settled in a place now known as Ijeru. The third hunter was Orisatolu who camped at Isapa and the last hunter settled at Akande which no longer exist.

Ogunlola established his dominance over the four hunters with his unmatched hunting skills and the help of his wife, Esuu, who was very good at making to***co s***f and guinea corn-wine which the hunters liked so much.

Ogunlola and the hunters formed a society called Alongo with the aims of protecting the settlement from slave raiders, hunting wild animals together, helping one another and so on. The settlement began to expand as people moved in till it became a village. Ogunlola gradually became the head of the new village as his hut became the administrative center where important issues were discussed, and a court where disputes were settled.

The history of Ogbomoso has it that Ogunlola was later imprisoned at Oyo-Ile, the capital of the old Oyo empire, for an alleged crime. While in prison, Ogunlola heard about a warrior named Elemoso who had been terrorising Oyo-Ile. He pleaded with the Alaafin (traditional ruler of Oyo) to let him out of the prison to fight and kill Elemoso. After much persuasion, the Alaafin granted Ogunlola’s request to hunt Elemoso down. Elemoso was a very strong and brave warrior who fought with sword and arrows. Ogunlola was shown Elemoso’s camp. However, it took him some days to study Elemoso’s tactics. One night, Ogunlola crept upon Elemoso’s camp and shot him down with an arrow.

He beheaded him and took his head to the Alaafin who was very happy. The Alaafin granted Ogunlola freedom and even persuaded him to stay in Oyo-Ile but Ogunlola refused, he said to the Alaafin: “Ejé kí á ma se óhún” meaning “Let me stay faraway in my land“. This is where the title ‘Soun‘, the traditional ruler of Ogbomoso, was coined from.

Ogunlola returned to his village and was made the paramount leader with the title of Soun. He became the first Soun of Ogbomoso. The settlement was subsequently called “Eyi ti Ogbori Elemoso” meaning “the one who carried Elemoso’s head“. This was shortened to Ogbori Elemoso and later, Ogbomoso which it is called till today. This was how Ogbomoso got it’s name from Ogunlola’s bravery.
Ogbomoso later rose from its mere village status to a strong town due to the role it subsequently played in the history of Yoruba land.

Quick Factsheet on Ogbomoso

* Ogbomoso one of the major cities in Nigeria is located in Yorubaland, in South-Western Nigeria. The city was founded around the mid 1600s;
* Ogbomoso people predominantly belong to the Yoruba ethnic group;
* In 1991, the population was estimated to be approximately 645,000. By 2005, the population has climbed to more than one million people.
* Farming, agriculture and general commerce form the backbone of the economy. Agricultural products include yams, cassava, maize, and to***co remain notable agricultural products of the region.
Famous Landmark In Ogbomoso
* American Baptist Church of Nigeria.
* The great square tower of the central mosque.
* The Baptist Seminary.

house

18/07/2022

The Story Of IGBO ORA Town In OYO State – Where Every Family Has Multiple Set Of Twins

It will interest you to know that there is a particular town in Nigeria where every household gas a twin. It is a thing of joy as many families always look forward to having twins regarding the belief that they are special blessings from God.
It’s a curious, but little-known fact that the rate of twin births in West Africa is about four times higher than in the rest of the world. The centre of this twin zone is Igbo-Ora, a sleepy southwest town in Oyo State. The town is dubbed the “Twin Capital of the world”. Igbo-Ora is a town and the headquarters of Ibarapa Central, Oyo State situated 80 kilometres North of Lagos. The rate of their population keeps multiplying due to the high rate of birth twins in the town. In 2006 the population of the town was approximately 72,207 people. In 2017 the population is estimated to be around 198,514 people which over doubles the previous population.

The unusually large number of twin births in the region have earned the town the nickname Twin Capital of the World. This phenomenon of a large number of twin births is not unique to Igbo-Ora; it has also been observed in the town of Kodinji in India and Cândido Godói in Brazil but Igbo Ora has surpassed those countries.
In Igbo-Ora, research has suggested that the multiple births could be related to the eating habits of the women in the region. Though no direct relation between dietary intake and twin births has been proved, a research study carried out at the University of Lagos Teaching Hospital has suggested that a chemical found in Igbo-Ora women and the peelings of a widely consumed tuber (yams) could be responsible. There is of course the possible explanation that the large number of twins being born there could simply be a matter of genetics.

“More twins are born here than anywhere else on earth, but nobody is quite sure why this town should be more twin prone than any other”. Outlook reports from the ‘twin town’ with a difference.
Entering Igbo Ora town, you need no soothsayer to tell you it is a town of twins, placed at the entrance is a notification which welcomes visitors and reads thus, welcome to Igbo Ora, the Land of twins”
Nigeria is the most highly populated nation in the world with an estimated of over 100 million people and population experts say that the country, particularly the southwest, has the world’s highest twinning rate. According to reports from bbc and Vanguard. In the predominantly rural community of Igbo-Ora, multiple births are celebrated and have, over the generations, been regarded as special gifts from God. Twins are a blessing, with many pregnant women wishing for multiple births.

Igbo-Ora is not a wealthy town, many families rely on farming for their income and resources are scarce. Bringing up large numbers of children can be a struggle, but in many families, the arrival of twins continues to be warmly welcomed as one townsman explains: Being a father of twins is a joy. It is a sort of honour, because you know they are a special breed from God. The historical town of Igbo-Ora is always coming alive when people from all walks of life converged in the ancient community to celebrate the yearly Igbo-Ora World Twins Festival.

Reputed to be the most prominent among of places with multiple births, with a record of twins or triplets in virtually every household in the community, the festival, which was put together by Twins World Creations in conjunction with the Igbo-Ora community foundation is always organised to showcase the tourism and cultural potentials of the community, as well as attracts investors into the state and help get the town into Guinness Book of Record.

The highpoint of the yearly event has always been the presence of the grand patron of the festival, Alaafin of Oyo, Oba Dr. Lamidi Olayiwola Adeyemi 111, many other first-class monarchs and other prominent personalities.
It has now become a tourism event in the whole of Ibarapa land. The twins festival is often used to boost the economy of Nigeria through twins tourism. The festival, which started 10 years ago as Naija Twins Festival, was repackaged a few years back for global participation hence World Twins Festival is designed to position Oyo State as the foremost twins’ tourism destination in the world. The Olu of Igbo Ora is Jimoh Olajide Titiloye from the Asoro-Olu Ayinla ruling House. He ascended the throne in 2019.

In Igbo-Ora, nearly every household has a history of giving birth to twins or other multiples, people attributed the predominance of twins in Igbo-Ora to a meal, Amala and Ilasa, morsel meals that combine yam powder (agida) and Okra Leave Soup, yams contain gonadotrophins, a chemical that helps women produce multiple eggs.

Gossip House

16/07/2022

What is the significant of feather on a red cap in Igbo cultural society?

First, this is not ordinary feather but that of an eagle (Ugo)

Ugo is the chief of birds. The Igbo see ugo (eagle) as a unique creature, highly symbolical. Many names stems from it.

* Ugochi
* Ugomma
* Ugochukwu

Ugo is priceless and a beautiful bird. It is not something you see more often. Hence the Igbo adage:

"Onye hụrụ ugo ṅụrịa maka na a dịghị ahụ ugo kwa daa" (he who sees eagle should rejoice because it's not seen always)

Another adage:
"Anya hụrụ ugo jaara ugo"

(Eyes that see eagle should praise it)

Have you heard this expression:

"Ugo chi nyere m"

The shortening form is Ugochi which is now Igbo name most people bear. It's a significant name. I will explain.

What about?

"Ugo Chukwu tubere m"

Now Ugochukwu as a shortened name.

Ugo means a treasure. Dignity. Priceless. Respect.

Ugochinyere m= the treasure my chi gave me.

Ugochukwutubere m= the treasure my chi fixed on me.

Ugomma= beautiful treasure.

The English rendition isn't absolute because the Igbo worldview cannot be expressed intrinsically using English prism.

Have you heard the expression?

"Turu ugo"

When something good happens to you, people wish you "turu ugo".

The English equivalent is congratulations. Success. These too are not expressively rendered.

When you are successful about something, the Igbo will tell you turu ugo.

How do you turu ugo?

In the olden days, when a man becomes successful or achieved something, he put a feather of ugo on his hair or cap, everyone sees him and scream:

"Turu ugo!"

He has done well.

Those with dignity, self worth or regarded as straightforward people without blemish put feathers on their hats.

You don't use it as just fashion. Fixing feather on the cap doesn't mean fashion. It shows a lot— one is highly respected, has dignity, successful in a good way; not ewu na ọkụkọ wearing it.

Only feather of eagle is used because eagle isn't just a bird in Igbo worldview.
Before one is inducted into the Nze na Ọzọ society, one must be a fullfilled man without blames. Abụba ugo (eagle feather is attached to his cap)

The same thing goes with other titles in different parts of Igbo land.

Unfortunately, things have fallen apart, everyone and everything paused.

© Maazị Ogbonnaya Okoro
Founder: Ọnụkwube TV

08/07/2022

BRIEF HISTORY OF IWO LAND IN OSUN STATE

Iwo is one of the ancient towns in Yorubaland. Its early history like the history of most Yoruba kingdoms, started at Ile-Ife early in the 11th century. Tradition relate that Adekola Telu, son of the sixteenth Ooni of Ife, Queen Luwo Gbagida, who migrated from Obalooran’s compound in Ile-Ife after the death of his mother.

Prince Adekola Telu left Ile-Ife with a host of attendants headed to the unknown when they left Ile-Ife. However, his first settlement was at a place called Ogundigbaro which was a place located at the confluence of River Oba and River Osun. After a number of years at this settlement, they were forced to leave the place due to constant flooding.

After consultation with Ifa Oracle they moved to Erunmu District where they could not remain for a long time because of the depredation of wild animals around the area (Alademomi Kenyan). The sojourners then moved to Igbo-Orita from where, after a long time they proceeded to settle finally at Ile-Iwo. It's claimed that Adekola Telu died at Igbo Orita. The site was a distance of about six (6) kilometres from the centre of the preset Iwo (Ibadan Iwo Garage).

Three descendants of Telu reigned here. They were Rounmu (who probably led the group there), ganfenumodi and Jikanmu (who had the most eventful reign). A separate account stated that while it was epidemic that sent them packing, they consulted Ifa oracle before leaving. Ifa therefore ordered them to leave Igbo Orita for a place where Eye Odidere (Parrot) abounded. It was on their way that Jikanmu fell sick and was being carried along by a man named Aimaku. Gossip House

As fate would have it, Jikanmu eventually gave up the ghost very near a river, which has today being named Adeke River (River where the King died – Obadeke) today. The man who was credited for founding the present Iwo was Olumade Parin. Parin had taken over from Jikanmu after his death, and had led the people to where Parrot is abounded. It was on their way that Jikanmu fell sick and was being carried along by a man named Aimaku.

The man who was credited for founding the present Iwo was Olumade Parin. Parin had taken over from Jikanmu after his death, and had led the people to where Parrot is abounded. That was how Parin became the first Oluwo in around 17th century.

Their kings are great by the successes achieved in war time. Their nobles show their nobility by their achievements at the war front. However, while Iwo shared similar sentiment of having a strong connection with Ile-Ife, the cradle of the Yoruba race, the reason for their migration is far from wars but that of direct and willing migration from Ile-Ife. Iwo is located round towns and major settlements which includes Asa, Oluponna, Ile-Ogbo, Ogbaagba, Kuta, Telemu, Ikire-Ile, Bode-Osi, Ajagba, Ajagunlase and Ikonifin just to mention a few.

The rulers of these aforementioned settlements pay traditional homage to the Oluwo of Iwoland, the paramount ruler in the area. It must therefore be noted with satisfaction that people of Iwo and its environs co-exist peacefully together while believers of Christian, Islamic and Traditional religions intermingle among one another without problem.

May God Bless Iwo Land 🙏

from Gossip House

07/07/2022

JULY 7TH : THE FALSE MYTH WRONGLY ALIGNED TO THE NBM OF AFRICA

By

Umudjere Africaman
Chief Editor, Africaman Research Center
12:00am
07/07/2022

Pan African Greetings to us Africa people; hope we are well and safe from the trending insecurity

I am Umudjere Africaman and I am your fellow in the Pan African struggle for Africa full freedom; in view of the bulk of messages requesting the NBM stand on July 7th, I engaged in a research to unveil the factual truth about the NBM of Africa. In this regard, I will be sharing with us some informations that should elicit a clue.

This 7th day of July is one that has been wrongly acknowledged as the foundation date of the NBM of Africa by the public and some individuals who have less orientations about the NBM of Africa; it is a day that the public are in expectations wishing to experience events that re-enforces the rationale why the members of NBM are members of the NBM of Africa.

Unfortunately, my findings revealed that this day(July 7th) which has been wrongly acknowledged by the public as NBM founders' day has drifted plans, ideas and policies capable of driving the NBM to it’s destination into bad Lane and elicited the NBM to a bad fate. This has further spelt the NBM under two folds “Adversarial fold” and “Crime fold”; some individuals of the public and members of the faceless Black Axe Organization have used this false celebrated day to cause more adversaries to the NBM and others have used the day as a medium to support crime related activities.

The NBM of Africa was never founded on the 7th day of July as members of the Public had wrongly accepted; it is a wrong information disseminated to buttress efforts geareed towards foiling prospective efforts of the NBM of Africa. This day had wrongly portrayed the NBM of Africa which is a Pan African Organization as a violent organization; it has further made the NBM of Africa which is a peace loving organization to be seen as a hostile organization.

The NBM of Africa was founded by Nine (9) undergraduates at the University of Benin and this was during the beginning of the 1977/1978 academic session; now let’s address our insinuations, without been told when do you think an academic session of a higher institution in Nigeria begins.

Though there are several recent modifications to the academic calendar due to some circumstances and unforeseen challenges facing higher institutions in the country but it could be affirmed by undergraduates in the late 70s and early 80s who ascertain their stand that the genesis of an academic session is usually the late-ending quarter of the normal year.

This is to say that a new academic session can be best resumed during the last quarter of the year; more appropriately, to describe this period, it is the “Ember Months that comprise of September, October, November and December”.

The above is in line that the 1977/1978 academic session cannot begin in July but in the “Ember Months of September, October, November and December”; notably, the NBM of Africa evolved in the beginning of the 1977/1978 academic session which is a correlate of the last quarter months of 1977. Thus the July 7th 1977 attestation as the Founders Day of the NBM is false and should not be upheld as the Founders Day.

This can further address the adversaries facing the NBM of Africa; it is often said a people driven with wrong orientations/informations are a people led by blind leaders. The members of the public have over the years be made to observe July 7th as NBM's Founders Day and this has made the NBM National leadership to buckle up its shoes to address the wrong orientations that have gravely affected the prospective fate of the NBM of Africa.

It is however a lend of appreciation and applaud to the past and present National leadership of the NBM who have seen it deem-fit to foil the consistency of the public acknowledgement of the July 7th as NBM Founders Day; this has further posited efforts that had evolved the NBM history book which did spell-out informations concerning the NBM of Africa as a Pan African group.

The book which is under production when laucnhed to the public will outrightly dislodge the negative correlation of the July 7th to the NBM of Africa; we should humbly await a public launch of this book and not stand with the false myth of July 7th. However, the celebration of the “Right Date of NBM Birth” is an outplay of memorable, reflective and acknowledgement of the ideals of the genesis of NBM; It is one that is hoped to re-enforce the rationale why all members are members and it is a day observed that must be a credit to the valuable resources put forward by the profound and most respected Nine (9) Founding Fathers of the NBM of Africa. It is a day that the members of the NBM of Africa will be able to recall the persevered efforts to salvage Africa from post-colobialism and buttress the earlier sacrificed efforts of the Founding Fathers of the NBM of Africa.

Considering the past years of outright condemnation and disassociation of the NBM of Africa from the false myth "July 7th" it is left for us members of the public to ponder on why we have stay tuned on this false myth which had cause Africa more harm than good. It is to this end, that I implore us members of the public to dislodge such intent or perception of the NBM of Africa to have been founded on July 7th, 1977. It is now a duty call to us to report such gathering and celebrations to security authorities, this is to foster the collaborative efforts to establish Africa as a peace and stable home for our dwelling.

The NBM of Africa is a Pan African Organization that evolved from the relentless cry of oppression, outright exclusion and grave intimidation and exploitation executed by the erstwhile colonizers; it is an organization that sees Africa and Africans as its prioritize responsibility. The NBM of Africa has over its years of existence antagonized Afrophobia; thus, any event, programs and procured date like the July 7th that promotes Afrophobia is highly prohibited

Conclusively, I found out that the NBM of Africa heartily wishes us the right pathway to Uhuru and holds the stake that together we will arrive safely; let's abstain from any misnomer, so as to be the patriotic soldiers of Africa full freedom

Africa will Rise Again

Aseeeeeeeee

Revolutionary Regards!

06/07/2022

THE STORY OF OYOTUNJI: A YORUBA (West Africa) KINGDOM IN UNITED STATES OF AMERICA

Oyotunji African Village is a village located near Sheldon, Beaufort County, South Carolina that was founded by Oba Efuntola Oseijeman Adelabu Adefunmi I in 1970. Oyotunji village is named after the Oyo empire, a pre-colonial Yoruba kingdom lasting from the 1300s until the early 1800s in what is now southwestern Nigeria. The name literally means “O̩yo̩ returns” or “O̩yo̩ rises again” or “O̩yo̩ resurrects” referring to the African Yoruba kingdom of Oyo, now rising in a new form near the South Carolina seashore.

Oyotunji village covers 27 acres (11 ha) and has a Yoruba temple which was moved from Harlem, New York to its present location in 1960. It was originally intended to be located in Savannah, Georgia, but was eventually settled into its current position after disputes with neighbors in Sheldon proper, over drumming and tourists.

HOW OBA EFUNTOLA ADEFUNMI I FOUNDED OYOTUNJI

During the slave trade era, many Africans were taken as slaves abroad. While going, some left with their culture and tradition which they continued within the foreign land where they found themselves. They continued with the culture and tradition of their fathers so as to maintain their identity.

The Yorubas in slavery are among the Africans that maintained their culture in the strange land and it was handed down to their children from generation to generation.

Many of their children, after the abolition of the slave trade, have married children of their former masters thus having children of mixed blood, that notwithstanding, they still carry on with their African culture in the foreign land since most of them cannot trace their root back to Africa.

The Yoruba culture has been one of the prominent and most celebrated one throughout the world till date. In the faraway United States of America, there is a Yoruba community named O̩yo̩tunji African Village. It is located near Sheldon, Beaufort County, South Carolina.

O̩yo̩tunji is regarded as North America’s oldest authentic African village. It was founded in 1970 and is the first intentional community in North America, based on the culture of the Yoruba and Benin tribes of West Africa.

It has survived 51years of sustaining the Yoruba traditional sociology and values in the diaspora. The village is named after the O̩yo̩ Empire, and the name literally means “O̩yo̩ returns” or “O̩yo̩ rises again” or “O̩yo̩ resurrects”. The village occupies 27 acres of land.

O̩yo̩tunji was founded by His Royal Highness O̩ba (King) Waja, O̩funto̩la Oseijeman Adelabu Adefunmi I.

Born Walter Eugene King on October 5, 1928, Oba O̩funto̩la Oseijeman Adelabu Adefunmi I, a Detroit native, began studying Afro-Haitian and ancient Egyptian traditions as a teenager. He was further influenced by his contact with the Katherine Dunham Dance Troupe in New York City at the age of 20, an African American modern dance troupe that drew from many cultures within the African Diaspora.

August 26, 1959, O̩ba Waja became the first African born in America to become fully initiated into the Oris̩a-Vodoo African priesthood by African Cubans in Matanzas, Cuba, and became known as Efuntola Osejiman Adefunmi. After his return to the United States, he formed the Yoruba Temple in Harlem in 1960. The temple, committed to preserving African traditions within an American context, was the cultural and religious forerunner of Oyotunji Village.

He later traveled to Haiti where he discovered more about the Yoruba culture. Armed with a new understanding of the African culture, he found the order of Damballah Hwedo, Ancestor Priests in Harlem New York.

This marked the beginning of the spread of the Yoruba religion and culture among African-Americans. He later founded the Sàngó Temple in New York and incorporated the African Theological Arch Ministry in 1960. The Sàngó Temple was relocated and renamed the Yoruba Temple.

With the rise of black nationalism in the 1960s, King began to envision the construction of a separate African American nation that would institutionalize and commemorate ancestral traditions. In June of 1970, he fulfilled this vision with the creation of Oyotunji African Village.

It was during this time that he also established a new lineage of the priesthood, Orisha Vodoo, to emphasize the tradition’s African roots. Today, over 300 priests have been initiated into this lineage and the African Theological Archministry, founded by Oba O̩funto̩la Oseijeman Adelabu Adefunmi I in 1966, now serves as the umbrella organization for the Village.

To further his knowledge of Yoruba culture, he traveled to Abeokuta in Nigeria in 1972 where he was initiated into the Ifa priesthood by the Oluwo of Ije̩un at Abeokuta, Ogun state, in August of 1972. He was later proclaimed Alase̩ (Oba-King) of the Yoruba of North America at O̩yo̩tunji Village in 1972.

In its early years, Oyotunji Village was home to as many as two hundred people. Today, its residential community consists of few African American families, governed by an oba (king) and the community’s appointed council.

Each family is committed to the teachings of the Yoruba tradition, which include a religious understanding of the world as comprised primarily of the “energies” of the Supreme Being Olodumare, the orisha deities, and the ancestral spirits. This religious world is maintained spiritually through rituals, chants, music, sacrifice, and annual ceremonies.

Oba Efuntola Osejiman Adefunmi passed away on Thursday, February 10th, 2005 at O̩yo̩tunji African Village in Beaufort County, South Carolina. Since Adefunmi’s death in 2005, the village has been led by his son, the fourteenth of twenty-two children of Oba Efuntola Osejiman Adefunmi, till date.

The O̩ba title is referred to as “O̩lo̩yotunji” of O̩yo̩tunji.

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