Orientation
Identification. "Fulbe" is the preferred self-name of the group the Hausa term the "Fulani" or "Hilani." In French countries, they tend to be termed "Peul" or "Fulata." Because of their spread over a wide area and their assumption of cultural traits from surrounding groups, there is great confusion regarding the nature of Fulani ethnicity. This confusion is reflected in the confounding and conflating of names for particular segments or local groups of Fulbe, such as Toroobe and Bororo'en, with the entire ethnic group.


The Fulani are a group of West African pastoralists. They move over vast areas and come across many cultures. Known by different names, the Fulani are called Peul in Wolof, Fula in Bambara, Felaata in Kanuri, and Fulani in Hausa. The word Fulbe was first used by the German writers to refer to the Fulani (de St Croix 1945).

Origin

Legend says the Fulani originated from the Arabian Peninsula (de St Croix 1945), and migrated south-west to Senegambia. From Senegambia, they moved eastward, crossing several Sahelian and Sudanian zones, to the Red Sea (Frantz 1981). The Fulani of Nigeria are a part of this migrant, ethnic population having common occupational and biogenetic characteristics. Light-skinned with curly hair, the Fulani have pointed nose, thin lips, and slender statue (Stenning 1959).

Marriage and nuptiality

The Fulani are endogamous, marrying from cross- and parallel- cousins (Kooggal), or from clan members (Deetuki) (Ezeomah 1987). Endogamy is breaking rapidly, and the Fulani are increasingly having marital relationship with other ethnic groups, especially with the Hausawa with whom they share a common religion. Religious more than cultural differences are the main barrier to inter-ethnic marriages with the Fulani.

Marriages may be planned among families even before the birth of the children. That many marriages are arranged does not mean there are no marriages based on love and affection. The resting-season game, the Sharo, in which young suitors take whipping turns is an example of courtship based on selection and courage.

Marital status

The Fulani men are also polygamous, marrying about two wives in a life time. Every normal Fulani man or woman, including those who have delayed their wedding, are expected to become married. Celibacy is uncommon among the Fulani. A question in the questionnaire seeks to find the marital status of adult members in the household. The finding reveals that about half of the respondents are married. The bulk of the singles are the youth.

Since the age of marriage affects women's fertility (number of children born per women), which affects the population demography, a question about the age at first marriage for the Fulani women is included in the schedules. The response shows that by Western standards, the Fulani marry early. Put within the context of rural Nigeria, however, the age at first marriage among the Fulani women is only slightly higher than for the non-Fulani.

Age at first marriage

Most Fulani men marry in their early twenties, and Fulani women marry in their middle to late teens. By the age of twenty-five, most women are married. Similarly, by the age of thirty, most Fulani men have had their first wedding.

Marital longevity

The disruption of marriages through divorce is rare among the Fulani. As the data show, only about two percent of the married people ever go through a divorce. The termination of marriage due to death is slightly higher (three percent) than due to divorce. Most couples remain together for the greater part of their lives. Since divorce and widowhood lower the birth rates, Fulani women in continuous marriage have more children then those who are divorced or who are widowed. Discussions with male and female respondents who have once been divorced indicate that remarriage is frequent and occurs within a year of separation. The proportion of single men and women in the marriage age group is small, which helps maintain the relatively high population growth rate among the Fulani.

Fertility

Keeping mortality constant, the fertility level of the Fulani is linked to early marriages. A couple that marries early is likely to have more children than a couple that marries late. Most women become pregnant within the first year of their marriage and continue bearing children through the age of fifty. By the time a Fulani woman reaches her menopause, she would have given birth to five to seven children. Correlation analysis reveals that the spacing of birth is random. Women give birth to most of their children before reaching thirty years. The survival of the children depends on their health and nutritional status.

Morbidity and mortality

The variables used to estimate morbidity and mortality (longevity) in this sample of the Fulani are health status, number of live births, number of deaths in one year, and the age of the mothers. Education is not used as an index because the corresponding data for cross-tabulation have not been included in the research design. Using the average number of deaths among children born alive, the data indicate high infant mortality among the Fulani in the sample. Of the 6,471 children born alive, 1,260 (19.47%) have died before reaching their adolescence.

Survivability of the infants

One of ten Fulani children born alive will die within the first birth day, and one of five children will not reach the age of six. Coupled with low life expectancy in rural areas, the chance that a Fulani child will live to the age of fifty years is only forty-six percent. This percentage is lower than the national average, and much lower than for Sweden that has up to ninety-five percent in 1980.

Health status and causes of deaths



Fulani aristocracy

Consensus and compromise are the rules in king-making among the Fulani. Unlike most traditional African societies where leadership is inherited, the Fulani community is more democratic in leadership selection. Once elected, the voluntary, unsalaried Fulani leader envoys unprecedented cooperation of his people. About three-quarters of the Fulani interviewed say the authority of the Fulani head supersedes that of the non-Fulani ward or even village heads. Although they favor autonomous decision-making, the Fulani rely on the kinship group for collective decision-making.

Kinship groups and socioeconomic relationships

The Fulani kinship represents an economic as well as a convivial unit, having common territory and occupation. The Fulani social structure consists of the ethnic group, clan, lineage, family, and Ruga (household).

The ethnic group. The ethnic group is the highest echelon and the conflation of the kinship groups. It embodies all members with a common origin, sharing a founding ancestor whose personage may or may not be known, or whose genealogical link may not be traced to individual members.

The clan. The clan is the sub-unit of the tribe, which anthropologists defined as the "collective descendants of a vaguely known historical ancestor" (Bonfiglioli 1993, 5). The clan members, by tradition, share mythical historical ancestry. Each clan consists of about a thousand to five thousand members. Genealogical ties among clan members are obscure.

The lineage. A clan consists of several lineage groups, although in language and territory, the distinction between the clan and the lineage is blurred. The members of a lineage, that is, descendants of a more recent male ancestor, have mutual obligations during attack, defense, or vengeance (Shanmugaratman 1992; and Bonfiglioli 1993). The lineage members, who have closer historical ancestry than the clan members, comprise five hundred to one thousand members.

The family. The family is a branch of the lineage group, and is the basic social as well as the smallest political unit organized around a patrilineal homestead. Made up of five to fifteen members, the agnatic family is created by marriages and births (Bonfiglioli 1993).



http://www.encyclopedia.com/social-sciences-and-law/anthropology-and-archaeology/people/fulani

I always asked myself, "what is in the south that isn't in the north to make Fulanis desperate to hold on to Nigeria?

Fulani are a great people.

so, why are they so desperate for a united Nigeria.

Is it because of love for southerners, OIL, Power or land for grazing.

Please bring your reasons and suggestions.


CC: lalastical, please ban anyone who turns this into tribal bashing.

The only people desperate are the elite feeding fat on the dysfunctional union of the country. As politicians, civil servants, business people or whatever.
And here is the thing they cut across every tribe, religion and region. And they are united.
I am half Fulani, and I'd support breaking up Nigeria.

Yes,the Fulani needs dis but they think otherwise

Kk

The Fulanis want one Nigeria cos of the richness of the southern Land. The forage, the Oil, the minerals, the markets to sell their herds and Above all the expansion of Islam to wherever they conquered to occupy. They are the only active Jihadist race in the last 600yrs non stopped.
They are TAKERS only. Rarely GIVE anything to anybody but take their grassland, water, land, lives, and other properties free of charge or force of sword, sticks and guns...

Buhari is currently the global Grand Life Patron of Fulanis. That's why he looks the other side whenever they maimed and kill other race cos to him it is normal tradition of Fulanis...

ZKOSOSO:
The Fulanis want one Nigeria cos of the richness of the southern Land. The forage, the Oil, the minerals, the markets to sell their herds and Above all the expansion of Islam to wherever they conquered to occupy. They are the only active Jihadist race in the last 600yrs non stopped.
They are TAKERS only. Rarely GIVE anything to anybody but take their grassland, water, land, lives, and other properties free of charge or force of sword, sticks and guns...

Buhari is currently the global Grand Life Patron of Fulanis. That's why he looks the other side whenever they maimed and kill other race cos to him it is normal tradition of Fulanis...

This is true. Very wicked people

Fulanis only want OIL and the LAND of southerners.

If they can throw all Igbos, Yorubas and other minorities into the Atlantic ocean and take their land, it would have happened long ago. The frustration is that they lack the means and the technical know how to eliminate southerners. So they just at the minimum want to control and steal southern resources for their own benefit. Using all sorts of bogus lies as population etc to steal other peoples resources without contributing NOTHING in return.

ZKOSOSO:
The Fulanis want one Nigeria cos of the richness of the southern Land. The forage, the Oil, the minerals, the markets to sell their herds and Above all the expansion of Islam to wherever they conquered to occupy. They are the only active Jihadist race in the last 600yrs non stopped.
They are TAKERS only. Rarely GIVE anything to anybody but take their grassland, water, land, lives, and other properties free of charge or force of sword, sticks and guns...

Buhari is currently the global Grand Life Patron of Fulanis. That's why he looks the other side whenever they maimed and kill other race cos to him it is normal tradition of Fulanis...

There is a lot of truth in this statement.

Why are we signaling out Fulani on this? Yoruba are equally guilty of that. Both groups are desperate to remain one and the answer is simple...OIL. for yoruba, it's because they'll go back to attacking amd killing each other like they did before Europeans saved them.

ZKOSOSO:
The Fulanis want one Nigeria cos of the richness of the southern Land. The forage, the Oil, the minerals, the markets to sell their herds and Above all the expansion of Islam to wherever they conquered to occupy. They are the only active Jihadist race in the last 600yrs non stopped.
They are TAKERS only. Rarely GIVE anything to anybody but take their grassland, water, land, lives, and other properties free of charge or force of sword, sticks and guns...

Buhari is currently the global Grand Life Patron of Fulanis. That's why he looks the other side whenever they maimed and kill other race cos to him it is normal tradition of Fulanis...

Truth!
Fulanis like to Take, Take and Take. Giving is not their tradition but Anytime they give you and you collect, you're finished because you have ushered them in to Take all you have.

Why are many people afraid of Nigeria break up??

I feel that's the best now, everyone will know what's good for him/her...

I prefer a small country where things work, and government doesn't try to steal and overtax its citizens...

How I wish it could be broken up, so that there can be peace and progress, with one minded persons......

the British told them that they're the kings of Nigeria so they have to keep their kingdom in place

Besides Oil money and Seaport, the other thing the Fulani desperately need from the South is the abundance of rich vegetation and grazing fields which is no longer obtainable in the North due to desert encroachment.

"One Nigeria" is the scam of the century

@op and the others responding on this thread. How many Fulanis have you met in real life that told you they are happy with one Nigeria and want it to remain like this?

ZKOSOSO:
The Fulanis want one Nigeria cos of the richness of the southern Land. The forage, the Oil, the minerals, the markets to sell their herds and Above all the expansion of Islam to wherever they conquered to occupy. They are the only active Jihadist race in the last 600yrs non stopped.
They are TAKERS only. Rarely GIVE anything to anybody but take their grassland, water, land, lives, and other properties free of charge or force of sword, sticks and guns...

Buhari is currently the global Grand Life Patron of Fulanis. That's why he looks the other side whenever they maimed and kill other race cos to him it is normal tradition of Fulanis...

That's why he is cold hearted to listen to the cry of the poor masses when his kinsmen unleash mayhem on them

Migration is a Privilege not a Right, says Trump and I agree 100%
Fulani's are Tuaregs, Trekkers, Trespassers and Migrants where you find them. By the way, who gave AK47 Rifles to Fulani Herdsmen in Nigeria? Fulani's are not Nigerians. They must go back to Saudi Arabia or contain themselves meanwhile at Sokoto