Yoruba People of Nigeria

Among the many tribes found in Africa, the Yoruba people of Nigeria are the most popular. These indigenous people were a part of Southwestern Nigeria and Benin. In addition, they’re one of the largest ethno-linguistic groups in Africa. A great percentage of Yoruba is populated by modern day Nigeria. Generally speaking, the Yoruba culture was an oral tradition, and majority of the people were native speakers of the Yoruba language. The native name of the Yoruba language is ‘Ede Yoruba’. The language originated in the Yoruba people, they believed to be descendants of Oduduwa, the son of a powerful god called Oludumare. They referred to themselves as ‘Omo Oduduwa’, meaning Oduduwa’s children. The Yoruba language is the pride of the Yoruba people and over 22 million people speak it. According to, (Kwintessential “The Yoruba Language” in 2014.) The Yoruba language has been spoken within other languages in neighboring countries such as Benin and Togo. As well as, traces of the language have been spoken in Sierra Leone, where it’s called ‘Oku’ and in Cuba where it’s called ‘Nago’.

Moreover, like many other African languages, the study of Yoruba language was conducted by missionaries. These missionaries were interested in translating the scriptures for evangelical purposes. As a result, of these studies this led to the emergence of writing and studying of the Yoruba language and culture. First, the development of written Yoruba language was led by Samuel Crowther, a fluent Yoruba speaker who published the first Yoruba grammar. In 1884, He translated the Holy Bible from the Standard English version into Yoruba dialect. Afterwards, his work was accepted as the standard for Yoruba language among a variety of dialects. His Yoruba-language B...

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...rked to bring the spoken and written Yoruba languages closer together. The arts of Yoruba collectively have become preserving agents of Yoruba culture for centuries. Today, the Yoruba language is taught in school systems and universities in Nigeria, and it is used in a wide variety of media, including television, radio and newspapers.

Works Cited

1. "African Literature." Encyclopedia Britannica Online. Encyclopedia Britannica, 2014. Web. 18 Mar. 2014. .

2. "The Yoruba Language." The Translation Agency For A Complete Professional Translation Service. Kwintessential, 2012. Web. 18 Mar. 2014. .

3. "Yoruba." - Language Information & Resources. Accredited Language Services, 2014. Web. 18 Mar. 2014. .