Who Are The Igbomina??

Igbomina is among the main clans of Yorubaland. The Igbomina people are in the north-eastern part of Yorubaland and are reported to be more than one million. About 90percent of these native Yoruba people live in the present day Isin, Irepodun and Ifelodun local government parts of Kwara State, while the remaining occupy Ora and Ila - Orangun areas of Osun State.

Igbomina people were said to have migrated to the present place of settlement from various locations and at different times between the 14th and 17th centuries A.D (Dada, 1985:1) Majority of Igbomina clans claimed to have migrated to the area of present habitation from either Ile-Ife or Oyo, the two main nuclei of Yoruba. The progenitor of the Igbomina was a prince of Oduduwa (Johnson, 1921). According Yoruba-Igbomina tradition the area now called Igbomina was given to and founded by Orangun of Ila as his own share of inheritance from his grandfather, Ododuwa, the purported progenitor of the Yoruba race (Ibiloye, 1994: 33). According to this tradition, Orangun was the second son (and the fourth child) of Okanbi, the only son of Oduduwa. He founded Igbomina through the use of Ogbo. It was this Ogbo that was supposed to know the way to the bank of River Niger, the ultimate destination of this itinerant way-farer; hence the name Ogbomona (that is, Ogbo knows the way) literary translated (corrupted over a time) to Igbomina with the passage of time (Ibiloye, 1994: 33).

Apart from those found in Ila area, Igbominaland is more precisely aligned into sixteen administrative parts in Kwara State. The areas are Sare, Oke-Ode, Igbaja, Ajase, Omu-Aran, others are; Omupo, Isin, Oro, Ora, , Oko, Ola, Esie, Oro-Ago, Ile-Ire, Idofian and Idofin.

We have got known compartments of Igbomina towns and villages in few other locals of Kwara State including Apado in Iponrin area, Jeba in Lanwa district, Apa-Ole, Joromu, Fufu etc., in Akanbi district and Ogbondoroko in Afon area.

The Igbominas are often grouped into two; the Igbomina Mosan and Igbomina Moye.

The Moye group includes Oke-Ode , Oro-Ago, Ora, Oko-Ola, Idofin and Agunjin districts.

Mosan group comprises areas such as Omu-Aran, Ajase, Igbaja, Isin, Oro, Share, Esie, Omupo, Idofian and Ila-Orangun.

The cord that firmly holds the Igbomina clan together exhibits in their inseparable dialect, origins, values, culture, institutions and history.

All across Igbominaland, the habit of eating Ewu-iyan and Ikasin oka or oka alagbona, isn't unfamiliar. These foods are a remake of the overnight leftovers of amala and iyan, a delicacy that adds refreshingly new flavours of delicious tastes and aromas to the meals.

The “new” taste is highly cherished in especially Omu-Aran that its inhabitants have this refrain " ewu iyan d'omu o dotun" , meaning the re-make is no way inferior to the fresh one.

The Igbomina dialect is generally similar, however, there are slight to significant variations as one moves from one part to another within the land.

The Igbominas have overtime enjoyed Egungun Elewe, Layewu and Epa festivals.

Primitively, their occupations were generally hunting and farming just like the rest of the olden day Yoruba nation.

Some decades ago, they were known to settle for secondary school education, where they often continued into trading and or apprenticeship which they relied upon as means of livelihood

Modern day Igbomina thrive in trading still, they seem to be at the way top of wealth distribution in Yorubaland and Nigeria going by their renowned traits. They are industrious, selfless, full of agility and are often driven by willingness to succeed. An average Igbomina is second to none in entrepreneurship and small scale businesses. They start small (Kiosk stalls) and end big. Having said that, they are also now known to be university graduates and even professors. There are uncountable Igbomina who are medical doctors, lawyers, engineers and so forth They are found in all aspects of Nigerian economy, including banking and finance, industry and commerce, shipping and freighting, transportation, international trade, management and in government administrations.

By: Bola Olalekan