The Ekiti People - Culture - Nairaland
Nairaland Forum / Nairaland / General / Culture / The Ekiti People (467 Views)
Oluyin Of Iyin-Ekiti, Oba Ademola Ajakaiye Is Dead / Oriki Of All Towns In Ekiti State / Ekiti Governorship Election: Ooni Of Ife Is Sad Over Political Tension (2) (3) (4)
(1) (Reply)
| The Ekiti People by duro4chang(m): 10:26pm On Aug 28, 2022 |
Ekiti people The Ekiti people are one of the largest historical subgroups of the larger Yoruba people of West Africa, located in Nigeria. They are classified as a Central Yoruba group, alongside the Ijesha, Igbomina, Yagba and Ifes. Ekiti State is populated exclusively by Ekiti people; however, it is but a segment of the historic territorial domain of Ekiti-speaking groups, which historically included towns in Ondo State such as Akure (the current capital and largest city of Ondo State), Ilara-Mokin, Ijare, and Igbara-oke. Irun, Ogbagi, Ese and Eriti in the Akoko region, as well as some towns in Kwara State, are also culturally Ekiti, although belong in other states today. Regions with significant EKITI people Ekiti state: All local government, towns and villages in Ekiti state Ondo State: Akure North LGA, Akure South LGA, Ifedore LGA and Irun, Ogbagi, Ese and Eriti in the Akoko region Kwara State: Ekiti LGA, Oke Ero LGA Language The language commonly spoken by the Ekiti people is a distinct Yoruba dialect also named 'Ekiti'. Despite its comparatively large geographical spread, Ekiti remains relatively uniform within the areas where it is spoken. The dialect generally transients into Ijesha speech towards the west beyond the Effon ridge, and into Igbomina in the north and northwest towards the town of Omu Aran, both of which still fall within the Central Yoruba Continuum. Towards the northeast, away from the town of Ikole and Omuo, the dialect gradually fades into Yagba and Ijumu types respectively. Geography The Ekiti cover an area of 8,557 km², and are culturally bound by the Igbomina to the north and the Ijeshas to the west (the traditional Ekiti-Ijesha cultural boundary being at Ipetu-Ijesha). The Ondos are located to the southwest, the Owos to the southeast, and the Akokos, Yagbas and Ijumus to the northeast. Ekiti State is generally an upland zone, with elevations being generally above 450m throughout. Around Akure, elevations drop to around 360m. It lies on an area underlain by metamorphic rock, and is generally an undulating country with a characteristic landscape that consists of old plains broken by steep-sided outcrops that may occur singularly or in groups or ridges. Such outcrops can be seen in places at Aramoko, Efon-Alaiye, Ikere-Ekiti, Igbara-odo and Okemesi-Ekiti among others. Rugged hills dot the landscape, notable among which are the Olosunta hills of Ikere-Ekiti in the south, Effon ridge which runs longitudinally around Efon-Alaiye on the western boundary, and Ado Hills in the centre. The topography was perhaps the single strongest reason why the Ekitis never became a single unit politically. The area enjoys a tropical climate with two distinct seasons, these are the rainy season - which lasts from April to October - and the dry season which commences in late November and ends in March. Temperature ranges between 21 °C and 28 °C with high humidity. In the South, the vegetation is primarily Tropical hardwood forest, while a mixed/derived type savannah can be observed in the northern peripheries. Local administration After 1854, Akure and other Ekiti towns came under the rule of Ibadan and many settlements were destroyed. This lasted until a rebellion in 1876 followed by a prolonged war between the Yoruba states, in which the Ekitis combined forces with the Ijeshas and some Akoko towns as a clan confederation known as the Ekiti Parapo to resist Ibadan rule, led by Chief Fabunmi of Oke-Imesi and Chief Ogedengbe of Ijeshaland. Towards the end of the 19th century, the British, based on their Lagos Colony, had established a protectorate over the area, although they ruled through "native" administrations. They sought to combine the Ekiti kingdoms of the region into a single administrative unit against resistance by the Ekiti people, who preferred local autonomy. In 1899, Ekiti and Ilesha formed the north-eastern division of the protectorate. In 1915, Ekiti, Owo and Ondo were combined to form the Ondo Province with headquarters at Akure. In looking at the creation of Native Authorities at Oke-Imo, Ilesa in 1900 by Major Reeve Tucker and the re-organization of North East District in December, 1912; the separation of Ijesa, Ekiti and other areas on 1 January 1913, and the creation of Ekiti Native Authority with its headquarters at Ado-Ekiti, conflicts and agitations for local autonomy had pervaded politics of traditional institutions in Ekitiland. When the British moved their administrative centre for Ekiti District to Ado-Ekiti in 1913 where the Ewi holds sway, the change in political status of Ado-Ekiti spurred a desire in other traditional authorities across Ekitiland to further demand for local autonomies. The heightened struggle did not give credibility to the fact that Ado-Ekiti which was eventually picked was already the official and major administrative capital of Ekitiland since 1 January 1913, nor did it occur to the agitators that it had over time become a second home for all Ekiti people irrespective of their hometown or place of origin. Hence, the struggle for relevance and supremacy which continued to rear its head is worth a fuller study and understanding is required if lasting solutions are to be found. In a similar vein, when the British mooted the idea of recognizing a paramount ruler for Ekitiland; as it did in Ijebu and Egbaland where the Awujale and the Alake became paramount rulers; its agents faced resistance from Ekiti Obas who opposed the mode of listing and role of traditional rulers at Oke-Imo meetings. The attempt by the British colonists to impose a sole native authority in Ekitiland in pursuit of their indirect rule policy failed because of the rejection of the supremacy theory among Ekiti Obas. Every attempt to further centralize traditional political authorities under the Ewi of Ado-Ekiti with Ado-Ekiti as the capital of Ekitiland, despite the ingenuity of its experimentation, was also resisted. The creation of colonial territories - which transformed into modern states after the various colonial interests left Africa - resulted in the division of existing traditional communities. Ondo Province later became part of Western State. In 1976, the old Ondo State was formed and in 1996, Ekiti State was split off from the modern Ondo State, which has Akure as its capital. History Ekiti people doesn't have combined history due to them being independent of each other and consider themselves indigenous people. Ekiti State was created on 1 October 1996 alongside five other states by the Head of State and Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, General Sani Abacha, GCON in a nation-wide broadcast to mark the 36th Independence anniversary of Nigeria. The State, carved out of Ondo State, covers the former twelve local government areas that made up the Ekiti Zone of old Ondo State. However, unlike the more centralized kingdoms and city-states to the West, the Ekitis traditionally lived in smaller, less politically centralized kingdoms that were largely independent of one another, although they traded amongst themselves and their ruling families often contracted dynastic marriages. The boundary of modern Ekitiland was shifted several times within a spate of 23 years without regard for the existing practice for identifying traditional boundaries in the African traditional society. Some of the major Ekiti settlements affected by the shift in boundaries for political and administrative purposes are as follows: Ekiti settlements transferred to Northern Nigeria in the colonial era. Otun (Awtun) Kingdom - Otun, Ekan, Aaye Ekan, Iloffa, Eruku, Idofin, Ilale, Erinmope, Ipetu, Orota, Ola. Obbo (Obo) Kingdom - Osi, Ora Aiyetoro, Ejiu. Omuo-Ekiti and its neighbors - Omuo, Oyin, Iro, Afin, parts of Egbe oba Kingdom. Eka Community - Erinmope Ekiti, Aare Opin, Isolo Opin, Isare Opin, Osi, Ikerin Opin, Oke Opin, Epe Opin, Owaatun Opin, Etan, Obbo-Ayegunle, Onno-Ile, Eruku, Ajuba, Isapa, Ejiu and others. Ekiti settlements transferred to the Ondo and Owo regions under colonial Nigeria. Akure - Akure Kingdom, Iju, Itaogbolu, Igbara Oke, Ijare, Ilara-Mokin, Ibule etc. Akoko West - Irun, Ogbagi, Ese, Eriti. Towns and villages in Ekitiland Ekiti state axis: Esinmu-Ekiti Ikere-Ekiti Ajaye-Ekiti Esun-Ekiti Ikogosi-Ekiti Ajebandele Ekiti Esure-Ekiti Ikole-Ekiti Alafe Ekiti Ewu-Ekiti lkoro-Ekiti Ara-ljero-Ekiti Eyio-Ekiti lkosun Ekiti Ara-lkole Ekiti ldo-Ekiti lkota Ekiti Aramoko-Ekiti ldo-lle Ekiti lkoyi-Ekiti Araromi lyin Ekiti Ifaki-Ekiti lkun-Ekiti Araromi Oke Ekiti lfishin-Ekiti lkunri Ekiti Araromi-Ekiti lgbara-Odo-Ekiti llafon Ekiti Araromi-ljero-Ekiti lgbo-Aso-Ekiti Ilemoso Ekiti Asin-Ekiti Igbogun-Ekiti Ileona-Ekiti Ilepu-Ekiti Isa Ekiti Okemesi-Ekiti Aaye-Ekiti Asole-Ekiti lgbole-Ekiti Aaye-Oja Ekiti Awo-Ekiti Igbonna Ekiti Ado-Ekiti Bolorunduro Ekiti Igede-Ekiti Afao-EKiti ljelu-Ekiti Aiyebode Ekiti Emure-Ekiti ljero-Ekiti Aiyede-Ekiti Epe-Ekiti ljesa Modu Ekiti Aiyedun-Odo-Ekiti Eporo-Ekiti ljesa-lsu-Ekiti lgbeja Ekiti llasa-Ekiti Araromi-Obo-Ekiti lgbemo-Ekiti Ilawe Ekiti Are-Ekiti Isaba-Ekiti Oke-Ora Ekiti Ilogbo-Ekiti Isaoye Ekiti Oke-Oro-Ekiti Ilogun Ekiti Ise-Ekiti Oloje-Ekiti Iloro-Ekiti Isinbode-Ekiti Omuo-Ekiti Iludun-Ekiti Ilukuno-Ekiti Itapa-Ekiti Ora-Ekiti Iiuomoba-Ekiti Itapaji-Ekiti Oran Igbemo Ekiti Ilupeju-Ekiti Itawure-Ekiti Orin Odo Ekiti llure Ekiti Iworoko-Ekiti Orin-Ekiti Imesi-Ekiti Iye-Ekiti Orun Ekiti Imojo-Ekiti lyemero Ekiti Osain-Ekiti lpao-Ekiti Iyin~Ekiti Osi-Ekiti Ipere-Ekiti Ode-Ekiti Osin-Ikole-Ekiti Ipole Iloro-Ekiti Odo Oro Ekiti Osun-Ekiti Iporo-Ekiti Odo-Ekiti Otun-Ekiti Ipoti-Ekiti Odofin-Ekiti Owode Ekiti Irare Ekiti Odo-Ora-Ekiti Owosi-Ekiti Ire-Ekiti Odo-Owa-Ekiti Eda-Ekiti Igirigiri-Ekiti Afolu Ekiti Eda-Oniyo-Ekiti lgogo-Ekiti Agbado-Ekiti Efon-Alaaye ljan-Ekiti Aisegba-Ekiti Egbe-Ekiti Aiyedun-Oke-Ekiti Erijiyan-Ekiti ljesa-lye-Ekiti Aiyegbaju-Ekiti Erinmope-Ekiti ljurin-Ekiti Aiyegunle Ekiti Erio-Ekiti lka-Ekiti Aiyetoro Ekiti Irele-Ekiti Ogbese-Ekiti Temidire Ekiti lro Ekiti Ogbese-lse-Ekiti Temidire-Ikole-Ekiti Iro-Aiyeteju-Ekiti Ogotun-Ekiti Usi-Ekiti Iroko-Ekiti Oke-Ako-Ekiti Usin-Ekiti lropora-Ekiti Oke-Ijebu Ekiti Ilero-Ekiti Itaji-Ekiti Ootunja-Ekiti Oye-Ekiti Ondo State axis Akure South Akure North Ifedore Irun, Ogbagi, Ese and Eriti in the Akoko region Oke ero and Ekiti Local Government of Kwara State |
| Re: The Ekiti People by tolue42(m): 10:50pm On Aug 28, 2022 |
duro4chang: Ekiti a gbe a ooooo |
| Re: The Ekiti People by Probz(m): 2:54am On Aug 29, 2022 |
Abeg, those olaniyi-riro-n(n)a-ji-okoro beanyi are the Imolites of Yorubaland. Real Igbos in disguise. |
(1) (Reply)
YAGA!!! Happy Birthday, Wizzy Baby / Farts / #igbokwenu Now Trending On Twitter
(Go Up)
| Sections: politics (1) business autos (1) jobs (1) career education (1) romance computers phones travel sports fashion health religion celebs tv-movies music-radio literature webmasters programming techmarket Links: (1) (2) (3) (4) (5) (6) (7) (8) (9) (10) Nairaland - Copyright © 2005 - 2024 Oluwaseun Osewa. All rights reserved. See How To Advertise. 80 |