Nigerian Educational System - Historical Background...

First, about the country Nigeria...

The geographical area now known as Nigeria came into being when the Royal Niger Company (formed in 1879) transferred its assets (Nigeria) to the British Government for the sum of £865,000 on 1 January 1900. These assets were then formed into the two protectorates of northern and southern Nigeria.
(*Note the term "assets". The people and their land with all their resources were nothing more than mere assets! Shiooor)

On 1 January 1901, Nigeria became a British protectorate and in 1914, the area was formally united as the Colony and Protectorate of Nigeria.

In 1929, The Royal Niger Company changed its name to - The United Africa Company (UAC). Later in the 1930s, UAC came under the control of Unilever Company as a subsidiary but was totally absorbed into the company in 1987. (In future posts, I will explore how the Royal Niger Company started).

In 1947, Nigeria was divided into three regions by the British: Northern, Eastern and Western. Later the Western Region was split into - Western and Mid-West. Each region had its own legislature and a colonial governor with a governor-general at the centre in Lagos.

In 1951, the regions were granted internal-self government. In 1960, Nigeria gained it independence from British rule.

The Yoruba Educational System...
Before the arrival of the British, education in Yorubaland was regarded as a means to an end and not an end in itself. Education was for an immediate induction into the society and a preparation for adulthood.

Great emphasis was placed on skill, responsibility, political participation, work ethics and moral values.

Education was practical, children learnt by doing - through imitation, recitation and demonstration.
The education was mainly in practical farming, weaving, carving, knitting, cooking and sewing.

Intellectual and cerebral training included reasoning activities, story telling, legend, local history, poetry, the environment (local geography, plants and animals), proverbs, riddles etc.

Recreational activities included acrobatics, dancing, wrestling, drumming etc. The traditional education was a fully integrated experience because it combined physical and cerebral training together for character building.

The Arrival of the foreigners...
The Portuguese merchants were the first Europeans to set foot in Nigeria towards the end of the 15th century. They visited Lagos and Benin in 1472.

In 1842, the first English speaking Christian missionaries arrived in Badagry and later set up a Western oriented school there in 1843.

The primary aim of these missionaries was to convert the Yoruba to Christianity through Western education. The ability to read the Bible, sing hymns and recite catechism could only be done in English at that time and mastery of oral and written English was considered essential for a good Christian.

The native belief was ridiculed. According to Lord Lugard (3): "...the people have no system of ethics, and no principle of conduct". This was the attitude of the missionaries when they established their schools.

From 1843 to 1882, the Colonial goverment did not interfer with the admninistration of these schools. The government was only interested in ensuring that the schools produced clerks and court interpreters.

Throughout the colonial period, the education was patterned after the system in England. The priority was on "English" both in thought and culture.

The mastery of English and the ability to speak it fluently and if possible with an Oxford accent was regarded as the epitome of excellence even if the speaker was an empty barrel, devoid of thoughts and ideas.

A stack illiterate who could speak the Queen's language was regarded as educated even if the person could not read or write but a well mannered and cultured Yoruba who could only read or write in Yoruba was considered and "illiterate" - ara oko

Yoruba culture and linguistic activities were banned in schools! English culture was promoted in every sphere of human activities. Effectively, a good and cultured British subject in Nigeria before independence was - a Christian, an eloquent speaker of the Queen's English who wore English clothes and behave like an English person. It was a very serious offence for a pupil to speak in the "vernacular" within the school premises!

This is the summary of the origin of Colonial mentality in our society today where speaking Yoruba is now akin to barbarity in some quarters. No amount of grammar can make you an English person even if you hold a British Passport.

Africa can only be developed in our own way. We should not chase the coat tails of something with a decades-long head start on us. Instead, we should be doing it our own way. Blindly copying wholesale other people's worldview and philosophy is not only futile but can be fatal. Let's copy responsibly what we lack from others to augment our own.

References:

1. History of Nigeria - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/History_of_Nigeria

2. The Royal Niger Company - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Royal_Niger_Company

3. A. B Fafunwa, History of Education in Nigeria. George Allen & Union, London, 1974 pp 81

Crowdfunding, Crowdfinance, Microfinance? Esusú and Àjọ have existed in Yorubaland for centuries

Crowdfunding is defined as the practice of funding a venture by raising monetary contributions from a number of people.

Here in Europe and also in North American, this new industry is a money spinner. Unless you have been living under a rock for the last few years you would have heard of "Gofundme", "Indiegogo", "Kickstarter", "Crowdcube" etc or reports of people raising thousands or millions of Euros/Pounds/Dollars online. This exciting industry raised raised $34.4 Billion In 2015!

But how did this start? Surely this is not a European or an American invention but an African one.

Prof William Bascom (1) discovered the following in 1937 during his field work in Ile Ife:
"The esusú, one of the economic institutions of the Yoruba of Nigeria has elements which resemble a credit union, an insurance scheme and a savings club, but it is distinct from all of these. The esusú is a fund to which a group of individuals make fixed contributions of money at fixed intervals; the total amount contributed by the entire group is assigned to each of the members in rotation. Aside from the Yoruba, there is an excellent description of this institution among the neighbouring Nupe where it is knowns as dashi (adashi in Hausa), with essentially the same pattern. It has also been recorded among the Negroes of Trinidad, where it is known as susu and where it is obviously an African retentions which can be traced back to a Yoruba origin..."

Also In 1934 C.F. Strickland(2), a British cooperative expert, examined the esusú as a possible basis for modern cooperative societies in Western Nigeria.

There we have it! An African invention now a big money spinner in western world. We the originator however failed to improve and modernise it and bring it into the 21th century!

Àjọ, a variant of Esusú is the daily/weekly/monthly deposit collection at doorsteps or market stalls.

Banks and Credit Unions are very important in the economy of a society. They play a major role in wealth creation.

Ọ̀yẹ̀kú Ọ̀wónrín tells us more about Ajé (Economic Wealth)...

Ajé Kaarọ o
Ajé olókun
Ògúgú lùsọ̀
Ajé oniṣọ booji
Asèwe dàgbà
Asàgbà dèwe
Ẹni ti ẹrú ati ọmọ n fi ojojúmọ́ wa kiri
Ìwọ ni labọmọn ti bori aye
Ajé Ìwọ làjíkí
Ajé Ìwọ làjígẹ̀
Ajé Ìwọ làjípè
Ẹni amuṣokùn
Ẹni amuṣẹdẹ
Ìwọ lani ra ọ̀pọ̀lọ́pọ̀ aran aṣọ ọba ti kona yanranyanran
Ajé àgbà oriṣa jẹ ki n lówó majẹ ki ni ẹ lọrun
Ajé fi ilé mi ṣe ibùgbé, fi ọ̀dẹ̀dẹ̀ mi ṣe iyàrá
Ajé o jire loni oo.

Translation...
Good morning Aje
You Aje, the owner of the sea
You are the one who owns the shelter
Under you, people seek solace
You promote the younger to the position of the elder
And demote the elder to the position of the younger
You are the one being sought by both the slave and the free born
You are the formidable force that rule the world
You are the one we wake up to greet
You are the one we wake up to praise
You are the one we wake up to call upon
Through you beaded jewelries are acquired
Through you costly brass is acquired
Through you several expensive velvet and shinning clothes fit for a king are acquired
You the chief among the gods, give me money and don't let me be a burden to you
Aje come and live in my house, use my corridor as your bedroom
Aje, you have risen well today

References:

1.Bascom, William R. - The Esusu: A Credit Institution of the Yoruba. The Journal of the Royal Anthropological Institute of Great Britain and Ireland Vol. 82, No. 1 (Jan. - Jun., 1952), pp. 63-69

2.Strickland, C. F., 1934: Report on the Introduction of Cooperative Societies into Nigeria. Lagos, Government Printer

There are many ways to skin a cat (apology to Animal rights activists). However, we say: there are many paths to access the market - "Ọ̀nà kan o w’ọjà"

Why did the Roman Numerals become extinct? 

The Roman Numerals fell into oblivion because it could not be used for mathematical and scientific calculations. It was replaced by the Hindu-Arabic Numerals that we all love and use today:
0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9
Hindu mathematicians of India developed it around AD 500 and was popularised by the Arab mathematician and astronomer Al-Khwarizmi when he wrote about it in his treatise “On the Calculation with Hindu Numerals” in AD 825.
In 1202, the Italian mathematician Leonardo Fibonacci brought the Hindu-Arabic Numerals to Europe.

What about our own Vigesimal System? Even though it was largely unknown or not popular in other parts of the world, its mathematical elegance cannot be denied.
The beauty of Mathematics is that there is more than one way to solve a problem. The Yoruba Numerals System shines in this area as demonstrated below.

In English language for example, the number 19,669 is just “Nineteen thousand, six hundred sixty-nine”

In Yoruba however, there are at least nine ways to skin this “19,669” cat as shown below (Adapted from Ekundayo, S. A. seminal work see Reference)!
Remember that this is done effortlessly mentally in the head without the aid of any calculating device.

(a) Ọ̀kẹ́ kan ó dín ojìlélọdúnrún ó lé mẹsán
20,000 - (300 + 40) + 9 = 19,669

(b) Ọ̀kẹ́ kan ó dín irinwó ó lé ọkaàn dínláàdọ́rín
20,000 - 400 + (70 - 1) = 19,669

(c) Ọ̀kẹ́ kan ó dín ọ̀ọ́dúnrun ó dín ọ̀kànlélọ́gbọ̀n
20,000 - 300 - (30 + 1) = 19,669

(d) Ọ̀kẹ́ kan ó dín ọ̀tàdínirinwó ó lé mẹ́sàn
20,000 - (400 - 60) + 9 = 19,669

(e) Ẹ̀ẹ́dẹ́gbàáwàá ó lé ẹgbẹ̀ta ó lé ọ̀kàndínláádọrin
19,000 + 600 + (70 - 1) = 19,669

(f) Ẹ̀ẹ́dẹ́gbàáwàá ó lé ẹ̀ẹ́dẹ̀gbẹrin ó dín ọ̀kànlélọ́gbọ̀n
19,000 + 700 - (30 + 1) = 19,669

(g) Ẹ̀ẹ́dẹ́gbàáwàá ó lé ọ̀tàlélẹgbẹta ó lé mẹ́sàn
19,000 + (600 + 60) + 9 = 19,669

(h) Ẹ̀ẹ́dẹ́gbàáwàá ó lé ọ̀rinlélẹgbẹ̀ta ó dín ókànlàá
19,000 + (600 + 80) - 11 = 19,669

(i) Ẹ̀ẹ́dẹ́gbàáwàá ó lé ójìlélẹgbẹta ó lé mọkandínlọgbọn
19,000 + (600 + 40) + 29 = 19,669

References:
1. Ekundayo, S. A. 'Vigesimal numeral derivational morphology: Yoruba grammatical competence epitomized.' Paper presented in the Linguistics Department, University of Ife, 1975.

Show me the cowries and I will show you my arithmetic skills - The voice of my ancestors through the mouth of Adolphus Mann Esq.

On 9th March 1886, members of The Royal Anthropological Institute of Great Britain and Ireland met in London to examine the paper titled: "Notes on the Numeral System of the Yoruba" authored by Adolphus Mann Esq.

The following are some of the excerpts from Adolphus Mann's report regarding the Yoruba Numeral System:

"A superficial knowledge, with a slight attempt at praxis, suffices to understand the peculiarities in the arrangement of these numerals to which analogies in other languages are but rarely found. We light, as it were on a building, which, when viewed from base to summit is not behind our European systems in regularity and symmetry, while the system surpasses them in the aptitude of interIinking the separate members; it stands to them in the same relation as the profusely ornamented Moorish style stands to the more sober Byzantine." (1 page 59 - 60).

Mr Adolphus Mann, in his report postulated that this inspiring Yoruba System originated from the ways cowrie shell currency was counted by the Yoruba traders and business people:

"When a bagful [of cowries] is cast on the floor, the counting person sits or kneels down beside it, takes 5 and 5 cowries and counts silently, 1, 2, up to 20, thus 100 are counted off, this is repeated to get a second 100, these little heaps each of 100 cowries are united, and a next 200 is, when counted swept together with the first. Such sums as originate from counting are a sort of standard money, 20, 100 and then especially 200, and 400 is 4 little heaps of 100 cowries, or 2 each of 200 cowries, representing to the Yorubas the denominations of the monetary values of their country as to us 1/2d., 1d., 3d., 6d., 1s., &c." (1 page 62).

Note:
d = pence
s = shillings

The key point for us is from the first excerpt: "...when viewed from base to summit is not behind our European systems in regularity and symmetry, while the system surpasses them in the aptitude of interIinking the separate members.."

For a British scientist to admit this in 1886 was unheard of! Mr Mann was effectively saying that the Yoruba Numeral System was superior to the Europeans when linking numbers together - "surpasses them [European Systems] in the aptitude of interIinking the separate members".

This is not only phenomenal but it does demonstrate that the Yoruba Numeral system (vigesimal) is not inferior to other Numeral Systems.

Reference:
(1) Mann, Adolphus. 'Notes on the numeral system of the Yoruba nation.' Journal of the Royal Anthropological Institute 16: 60, 1887.

Why Iwo Eleru is important - The Yoruba did not emigrate from Mecca!

Iwo Eleru is a rock shelter in south-western Nigeria. It is about 24 km north-west of Akure (the state capital of Ondo State) with coordinates 7°26’30” N and 5°7’40”.

Archaeological findings in Yorubaland have always confirmed that Neolithic (later part of the Stone Age) people once inhabited Yorubaland especially around the Ile-Ife environs. However, the watershed moment came in 1965 when a team lead by Thorstan Shaw of the University of Ibadan discovered a skeletal remains dated to circa 9200 BC in a cave at Iwo Eleru (near Akure). This discovery unambiguously and unequivocally confirmed that humans were living in Yorubaland 13,000 years ago!
No chance this particular person whose remains was found at Iwo-Eleru came from Mecca! It poured cold water on the fable of Lamurudu/Oduduwa - magicians turned Muslims narrative who emigrated from Mecca to Ile-Ife. Islam is just 1,400 years old compared to a 13,000-year old remains!

Apart from this archeological evidence, linguistic evidence proved that the Yoruba language emerged as a distinct language which separated from the Kwa group in the Niger-Congo group of languages.as long as 2000BC. Even though Yoruba language later borrowed some Arabic words (e.g alaafia/al-aafiah, alubosa/al-basal, adua/ad-du'a, alubarika/al-barakah etc) the two languages have nothing in common lexically.

Even if the Yoruba migrated from somewhere else before they settled in Yorubaland, they certainly did not come from Mecca or Arabia. Furthermore, according to Islamic tradition, the history of Mecca goes back to Abraham (Ibrahim), who built the Kaaba with the help of his elder son Ishmael in around 2000 BC.

Colonial Mentality and Inferiority Complex - Restoring our dignity and self confidence in the face of the ugly twins impeding our progress.

Òtúúrúpọ̀n Méjì says… 

Ọlọ́gbọ́n ayé kan ò ta kókó omi m’étí aṣọ;
Mọ̀ràn-mọ̀ràn kan ò mo yẹ̀ẹ̀pẹ̀ ilẹ̀
Arìnnàká kò dé ibi ònà gbé pẹ̀kun
A díá fún Alábahun
Ti n lọ re ko gbogbo ọgbọ́n araye..

Translation...
No wise man saves water in the hem of his tunic;
No wise man knows the quantity of sand on earth;
No traveller knows the edge of the earth
Thus declared the Oracle to Alábahun (Tortoise)
When he was On his way to hoard human wisdom.

Ogbè-Ìrẹ́tẹ̀ says…
Ká gbọ́n, ká kọ́,
Mbẹ nu Ifá, ati mèdè òpè lóṣòro;
Ká dá, ká tẹ̀
Mbẹ nu Ifa, ati mèdè òpè lóṣòro;
Ká rú, ká tù
Mbẹ nu Ifa, ati mèdè òpè lóṣòro...

Translation...
To learn, to teach
All can be sought in Ifá, comprehension is however difficult for the dullard;
To cast, to write
All can be sought in Ifá, comprehension is however difficult for the dullard;
To apply, to decipher
All can be sought in Ifá, comprehension is however difficult for the dullard...

Colonial Mentality is the perspective that colonised people feel themselves to be inferior to their colonisers.

Inferiority Complex is the lack of self worth and unreasonable feeling of inadequacy caused by supposed or real Inferiority in a particular sphere.

Self confidence is one of the major keys for self actualisation both for individuals and for societies.
Colonial Mentality and Inferiority Complex are the bane of our underdevelopment. We have lost confidence in our ability to do things or to reason independently of our fellow human beings in Europe, America and Asia. Some of us are no longer comfortable in their skins. Our culture and traditions are now looked down with utter contempt and disdain. We choose to throw the baby out with the bath water instead of fixing the archaic parts of our oral traditions and customs and bring them into the 21st century. We choose to adopt foreign practices that are alien to us. Of course we should adopt foreign things that we lack and are not detrimental to our heritage.
No wonder other people looked down on us and disrespect us since we have already disrespected ourselves.

Our ancestors were confident in themselves even when they met Europeans for the first time - meaning that these traits were acquired recently. The following excerpts demonstrate the aplomb and boldness of our ancestors:

In 1850, the German born David Hinderer was the first Christian missionary to visit Ilé-Ifẹ̀ - the cradle of Yoruba civilisation. He preached the Christian gospel to a large crowd at the imperial Ọọni palace. After he had finished preaching, he was told by Ifẹ̀ chiefs that:

“all religions originated from Ifẹ̀, and that what he had preached was no more than one of the versions that had evolved later in a distant part of the world”(2)

David Hinderer himself penned the following down:
“...from there (Ifẹ̀) the sun and moon rises where they are buried in the ground, and all people of this country and even white men spring from the town”(1)

Rev. Samuel Johnson, one of the first Anglican clerics and the author of the first Yoruba history book was told the following by the chiefs of Ìbàdàn in 1882:
“Ifẹ̀ was the place where all nations of the earth have sprung from.”(2)

In 1886, British agents visiting the Yoruba interior were told by the Alaafin of Ọ̀yọ́ that “the Ifẹ̀s...were the fathers of all and all people came from Ifẹ̀.”; by the chiefs of Ife, at Ìsọ̀yà where they and their people were camped, outside the ruins of their city, that the Ife people were “the fathers of all tribes”, and that if they continued longer in a camp and unable to resettle their ancient city of Ilé-Ifẹ̀, “the whole world would spoil, as they were the priests of the deities who ruled the world”; and by the Seriki of the Ìjẹ̀bú, Chief Ogunṣigun, that “Even the English king can be shown the spot at Ile-Ife from where his ancestors went out”.(2)

In 1886, the British explorer - Henry Higgins who headed a mission into the Yoruba hinterland wrote the following about Ile-Ife:

“There are all manner of legends as to the wonders to be seen at Ilé-Ifẹ̀.... The Ifẹ̀s call themselves the conservators of the world and the oldest of mankind and boast that all crowned personages in the world, including the white man’s sovereign, went out originally from Ile-Ife, and it was curious the deference with which other tribes treat them although they are at war with them... and as everyone was supposed to be a descendant of the Ifes, they looked upon all strangers who visited their town in the light of pilgrims who came, as they put it, “to make their house good”, that is to pay reverence to departed ancestors.”(3)

It is only when our confidence and dignity are restored that we can start to make progress and take our rightful place in the assembly of developed nations.

References:
1. David Hinderer: “Diaries,” Ibadan, Christian Mission Society (CMS), quoted in I.A. Akinjogbin, ed., The Cradle of a Race: Ile-Ife from the Beginning to 1980, Port Harcourt, Sunray Publications, 1992, xi.

2. Stephen Adebanji Akintoye: A History of the Yoruba People, 2010

3. “Report of the Special Commissioners to the Lagos Interior, 1886,” Enclosures in Higgins to Colonial Secretary, Jan. 1887, Parliamentary Papers 1887, C.4957.

Oral or Written History - You need wisdom to discern the truth. Literacy is not a substitute for Intelligence.

Ọ̀wọ́nrín Méjì says...

“Ẹni kọ̀ ti ò gbọ́n
Ẹ jẹ́ à fi wọ́n wé yúunyu nínú oko; 
A dífá fún Ọwọn
Ti nwọn ó fi j’oyè ilée baba rẹ̀.
Ó ni òun ò l’ówó lọ́wọ́,
Nwọ́n ní kì í ṣ’owó ni àwọn n wá
Bi kò ṣe ọgbọ́n rẹ̀ ti ó pọ̀ l’apọ̀ju
Ni nwọn ba mú Ọ̀wọ́nrín jẹ oyè ilé babaa rẹ̀.”

Translation...
“The person who refuses to be wise
Is like a worthless marigold in the bush;
Thus declared the Oracle to Ọwọn
Who would be made the chief of his father's house.
He said he was not a rich man
The kingmakers told him they were not interested in his money
But the sagacious intellect that he possessed
So they made Ọ̀wọ́nrín the chief of his father's house.”

Because something was written down doesn't mean it is true or historically accurate.
Because something was not written down doesn't mean it is false or historically inaccurate.

Orality predated literacy by several millennia. We the Homo sapiens (Latin: “Man the wise”) have been roaming around this planet for between 30,000 to 50,000 years. The oldest written document ever found is about 6,000 years old. Writing is a technology and like any other technology, it was invented (independently but simultaneously in Egypt and Sumer around 3200 BC) to solve a particular problem - to preserve information.

Most of the world's languages have not yet been committed to writing. Out of about 3000 spoken languages today, only 78 have a written literature.
Written history technically started after writing was invented. Events that happened before the invention writing are now classed as “prehistory”.

What about Yoruba? Does this mean we don't have history because our society was totally oral until the 19th century when the first book in Yoruba language was published in 1843?

Of course not. Our history is written in our hearts, minds, customs, traditions, rituals, festivals, proverbs, praise songs, aphorisms, poems and Ifa.

Ifa is the compendium and encyclopedia of Yoruba knowledge and worldview. It was recognised and proclaimed an Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity by UNESCO in 2005.
According to UNESCO...
“The Ifa literary corpus is a treasury of knowledge concerning Yoruba history, philosophy, medicine and mythology.”

Studying Yoruba philosophy without exploring the Ifa literary corpus is akin to studying Western philosophy (Greek) without perusing the works of Thales, Pythagoras, Socrates, Plato etc.
Also studying Yoruba literature without consulting Fagunwa’s books is comparable to studying English literature without reading the works of William Shakespeare, Jane Austen, Charles Dickens, Geoffrey Chaucer etc.

Matimatiki - Towards Mathematical pedagogy in Yoruba

Prior to the time of Sir Isaac Newton, mathematics and science had little influence on ordinary people's lives. From then on, mathematics and technology have changed our lives by bringing great transformations and innovations.

Virtually every modern equipment - phones, cameras, computers, satellite navigation systems, televisions, aircrafts, missiles etc owe their existence to higher mathematics and sciences. In developed countries, algorithmic/computerised trading is the order of the day in Stock exchanges, Capital, Futures and Forex markets

It is practically impossible for any nation to make serious headway commercially and technologically without mathematics and sciences.
Nations that refuse to innovate will become extinct while others will move forward. Natural selection is real. You either evolve or perish!

As usual, Ifa knows about mathematics and has something to say about matrix....
In mathematics, a matrix is a rectangular array of numbers, symbols, or expressions, arranged in rows and columns.
For example, the dimensions of the matrix below are 2 × 3 (read "two by three"), because there are two rows and three columns.
[2 7 -9]
[3 2 -1]

Èjì-Ogbè says...
Ọ̀rúnmìlà ni o di ẹlẹ́sẹ̀ mu ẹsẹ̀;
Mo ni o di ẹlẹ́sẹ̀ mu ẹsẹ̀;
O ni ogún owó mu ẹsẹ̀ tirẹ̀ ko bá já.
Ọ̀rúnmìlà ni o di ẹlẹ́sẹ̀ mu ẹsẹ̀;
Mo ni o di ẹlẹ́sẹ̀ mu ẹsẹ̀;
O ni ọgbọ̀n owó mu ẹsẹ̀ tirẹ̀ ko bá já.
Ọ̀rúnmìlà ni o di ẹlẹ́sẹ̀ mu ẹsẹ̀;
Mo ni o di ẹlẹ́sẹ̀ mu ẹsẹ̀;
Mo ni ogójì owó mu ẹsẹ̀ tirẹ̀ ko bá já.
Mo ni njẹ baba mi Àgbọ̀nníregùn ta ni i ba ti rẹ já?
O ni ẹẹwadọta ni kan ni o bá ẹsẹ̀ ti rẹ já.
Nitori ti a ki ka owó ka owó ki a gbàgbé ẹẹwadọta.
Ifá ni òun ko ni jẹ́ ki a gbàgbé ẹni ti o ba da Ifa yi.
Oluwarẹ si nfẹ ṣe ohun kan yio ba ẹsẹ̀ já ni ohun ti o nfẹ ṣe na yi.

Translation...
Orunmila says each should take his own row;
I say each should take his own row;
He says that Twenty Cowries takes his own row but cannot finish it.
Orunmila says each should take his own row;
I say each should take his own row;
He says that Thirty Cowries takes his own row but cannot finish it.
Orunmila says each should take his own row;
I say each should take his own row;
He says that Forty Cowries takes his own row but cannot finish it.
I say, "Well then, my father Agbonniregun, who can complete his row?"
He says Fifty Cowries alone can complete his row,
Because we cannot count money and forget Fifty Cowries.
Ifa says he will not allow the person for whom this figure was cast to be forgotten.
This person wants to do something; he will "complete his row" in the thing he wants to do.

For "Matimatiki" to take hold in Yoruba land we need Yoruba terms for all mathematical concepts.
When there is no equivalent Yoruba terminology, new words can be coined or borrowed from English.
Below are some English/Yoruba Mathematical terms:

Addition === Ìròpọ̀
Subtraction === Ìyọkúrò
Multiplication === Ìsọdípúpọ̀
Division === Pínpín
Length === Òró
Breadth === Ibú
Equality === Ìdọ́gba
Inequality === Aìdọ́gba
Set === Àkójọpọ̀
Sub-set === Àkójọpọ̀ kékeré
Number === Nọ́mbà
Digit === Ẹyọ-ẹyọ
Decimal place === Idi
Member of a Set === Ọmọ-ẹgbẹ
Empty Set === Àkójọpọ̀-ofifo
Line === Ìlà
Geometry === Jiomẹtiri
Row === Ẹsẹ̀
Rectangle === Rẹkitangulu
Square === Sukua
Angle === Angu
Area === Eeria
Arrow === Ọfa
Centre === Aarin gbungbun
Circle === Obirikiti
Congruent === Dọgba rẹgirẹgi
Cone === Koonu
Cube === Kiubu
Cylinder === Silinda
Edge === Eteeti
East === Ila-oorun
Equilateral Triangle === Tiraangu elegbe didogba
End-point === Pointi ipekun
Formula === Fọmula
Intersect === Pade
Intersection === Ikọra
Movement === Sisun
North === Àríwá
Oval === Ofali
Point === Pointi
Plane === Operese
Perimeter === Iwon ayika
Prism === Pirisimu
Polygon === Figo ẹlẹgbẹ púpọ̀
Ray === Itansan
Region === Inu operese
Radius === Radiosi
Relation === Ibatan
Vertex === Ṣonṣo Igun
Volume === Fọlumu

Religious Tolerance in a turbulent world - A leaf from the Yorùbá

When many nations are regressing into a culture of religious hatred, hostility, fanaticism, terrorism, bigotry and conflict the Yorùbá are at peace with each other. The question is: how have the Yorùbá managed to tame this hydra-headed monster of religious intolerance?

First and foremost, religious intolerance is very “un-yoruba”. The idea of hating someone for their religious beliefs does not exist in the psyche of the Yoruba.

This is not by accident because the Yorùbá see religion as an inseparable aspect of culture. To them, culture is the totality of an individual’s personality.

The Yorùbá recognise three main religions and the exposition of their names in Yorùbá language will help illuminate how the people see these religions.
The Yoruba word for religion is “Ẹ̀sìn”, so we have:

Ẹ̀sìn Ìbílẹ̀ - Traditional (native, aboriginal) religion. Even these days, it is ridiculous and even comical to say for example ẹ̀sin Ṣàngó (Ṣàngó religion) or ẹ̀sìn Ògún (Ògún religion). This is because the Yorùbá of old did not see their deities as individual gods but as a pantheon.

Ẹ̀sìn Imàle - Religion of the Malians, originally brought by some trans-saharan merchants from Mali circa 1655 and practised solely by the merchants. Full blown Islam was brought by the Fulani with the aim of converting the people.

Ẹ̀sìn Ìgbàgbọ́ - Religion of the believers in Jesus, the Nazarene. (the verb Gbàgbọ́ means “to believe”). This was brought by the British circa 1840 also with the aim of converting the people.

From their mythology and oral traditions, the people believe they were the first humans on earth and as such all religions are just derivatives of their primordial ancestral religion.

The traditional religion of the people has the following peculiarities:

It is based solely on oral transmission. Not written on scrolls or parchments or paper but in people's minds, oral history, rituals, poems etc.

It is not the religion of one particular hero like Moses, Jesus, Muhammad or Buddha.

There are no missionaries and no desire to preach or propagate or gain converts. It is just a cultural aspect of their lives.

Now, back to Yoruba religious pluralism...
Ìwàpẹ̀lẹ́ (good character or conduct) concept plays a major role in this. As a perennial student of Yoruba culture and traditions, I am yet to come across any historical account whereby the Yoruba nation waged a “holy” war or a “crusade” against any other nation.
Before Islam and Christianity came to Yorubaland, no historical record (written or oral) exist about Ògún adherents waging war against Ṣàngó worshippers or Ọbàtálá worshippers cursing Yemọja adherents. This accommodationist nature still exist as we speak. It is not uncommon to have muslims, Christians and traditional worshippers in the same family without religious tension and conflicts.

The culture that binds the Yorùbá together transcends religious worldviews. Nations currently experiencing religious upheavals evidently have a lot to learn from the Ọmọ kaarọ o ji’re after all.

Digging deep into the philosophy of our elders, I found this prayer - “Ọlọ́run ma jẹ ka gba wèrè mọ ẹ̀sìn”! (God help us not to mix madness with religion). Evidently, the Yoruba differentiate between wèrè (madness) and ẹ̀sìn (religion). The Yoruba also recognise that Ọ̀nà kan o wọ ọja (there are many paths to the market), hence the pluralism of religion in the world.

The world can borrow this worldview from the Yoruba and learn to live in peace and harmony with other human beings.

Data/Information Encryption - A cue from Ìlu Gángan (Yoruba Talking Drum)

Encryption is the process of encoding messages or information in such a way that only authorised parties can access it. Without encryption, online banking, online shopping, secure communication on the Internet etc would be impossible.

The mathematics behind even the simplest encryption algorithm is mind boggling!
But guess what? Before Cipher, telegraph and Morse code came into being the Yoruba ancestors were already transmitting encrypted messages for millennia!

I will be exploring how our ancestors used the Ifá Binary System to encode secret messages and how Nigerian mathematicians, cryptographers and computer geeks can use the same system to create military grade encryption algorithm in my future posts. Today however, it is all about the humble Ìlu Gángan.

The Gángan (talking drum) is well known in Yorubaland. These days most people only think of it as a mere percussion - musical instrument but beside its entertainment function, it is one of the most potent cryptographic device ever invented in Yorubaland. It is capable of transmitting encrypted messages or ciphers over a considerable distance!

In 1943, Irma Wassall, the poet opined -
“Across the Dark Continent sound the never-silent drums: the base of all music, the focus of every dance; the talking drums, the wireless of the unmapped jungle”.

The following examples are adapted from the book - "The Information" by James Gleick

To send the encrypted message:
“Padà wá s’ilè” (“Come back home”), you would use Gangan to compose something similar to the following acoustic rhythm:

“Jẹ̀ ki ẹsẹ̀ rẹ padà gẹ́gẹ́ bi wọ́n ti lọ,
Mo ni ko jẹ ki ẹsẹ̀ rẹ padà gẹ̀gẹ̀ bi wọ́n ti lọ,
A ni o pa ẹsẹ̀ rẹ papọ̀ ni abúlé wa.”

i.e
“Make your feet come back the way they went,
make your legs come back the way they went,
plant your feet and your legs below, in the village which belongs to us.”

To say Òkú (corpse), you would compose the following:
“Nkan ti o fi ẹ̀hìn re lélẹ̀ l’ori ilẹ̀”

i.e
“That which lies on its back on clods of earth.”

To say “Má bèrù” (don’t be afraid) you would beat the drum to say:

“À ní o mu ọkàn rẹ jade lati ẹnu rẹ, mo ni ọkàn rẹ láti ẹnu rẹ, ki o si muu padà lati ibẹ̀”

i.e
“Bring your heart back down out of your mouth, your heart out of your mouth, get it back down from there”

No exposition of this nature is complete without supporting it with at least one Ifa verse.
In Edi-Ogunda, the drum is personified as an obedient and a favourite of the Alaafin.

Dindinguda Dindinguda
A d’Ifa fun enlọjọ ìlù
Ti wọn n ṣawo lo s’ode Ọ̀yọ́
Dundun nikan lo n bẹ lẹyin to n ṣẹbọ
Dundun wa ni mo yin Dindinguda Dindinguda
Dundun pẹ̀lẹ́ o, Ayọ̀ Oba

Translation….
Dindinguda Dindinguda (the Ifa priest )
Divined for drum ensembles
That were going for performance in Ọ̀yọ́ town
Only Dundun remained behind to make a sacrifice
Dundun said that I praised my Ifa Priest Dindinguda Dindinguda
Dundun well done, the favorite of (Ọ̀yọ́) King.

Case for making Yoruba as the language of instruction in primary and secondary schools in Yorubaland - A Treatise

It is a known fact that fluency in English language is not a measure of intelligence. There are native English speakers who do not know where the country of Nigeria is located or that Africa is a continent and not a country!

A language that you have never been annoyed in, never been joyful in, never had sex in, never slept and had dreams in, never told lies in or spread rumours in, a language that is only for school or job is no language in which to develop the critical thinking and innovative mind! The language you think in is the language of your soul.

The main impediment to the dissemination of adroitness and knowledge in Yorubaland is the imposition of a foreign language as the main medium of communication. This has not only stifled our technological advancement but also the social and and economic well-being of our people.

The rate at which the usage of Yoruba language is declining among the Yoruba middle class in alarming! It is even a taboo in some homes to speak Yoruba! It is a fact that 80% of Yoruba people will never leave the shores of Yorubaland and emigrate abroad. Majority will never go near Murtala Muhammed International Airport!

Apart from big cities like Lagos, Ibadan, Abeokuta etc most of our people leave in the rural heartland of the Yoruba country (urban population of Nigeria is 47%).
How do these rural dwellers communicate and carry on their daily lives? They surely don't rely on the Queen's English to carry on the real business of life in their towns, villages and markets.

The Chinese, Germans, Japanese, Russians, Koreans, French etc carry on their daily activities (include scientific research and development) in their own language. The first man (Yuri Gagarin) to go to outer space never spoke a word of English! He was a russian. Nobel prizes in Medicine, Physics, Chemistry, Economics etc have been won by Koreans, Swedes, Germans, Norwegians, Russians, Polish etc doing research in their native languages.

Imparting knowledge and skills in English is one of the main reasons why we are still languishing in our state of underdevelopment today. When you have to translate your thoughts back and forth between your native tongue and your adopted language, you have to work twice as much as a native speaker of that foreign language.

Below are some of the main merits of using the mother tongue as a medium of disseminating knowledge:

It gives a child free reins of his/her thoughts thereby fostering creativity.

It disallows the few elite from monopolising knowledge in a foreign language to the disadvantage of the majority.

It decentralises information by making it free for everyone.

It offers a level playing field and equal opportunities for everyone.

It makes you proud of your heritage and history.

According to Jerome Bruner, "Man has the capability to receive and translate knowledge in a linguistic form. This permits man to convert knowledge into a form that renders it highly transformable. Language not only permits an enormous condensation of knowledge, but permits us to turn the knowledge into hypothetical forms so that we may consider alternatives without having to act them in the form of trial and error."

This is not an unknown terrain for us. Between 1970 and 1978, the late Professor Babs Fafunwa demonstrated this through a study titled: "Education in Mother Tongue: The Ife Primary Education Research Project (1970-1978)" to make the case for the mother tongue as the medium of education in Nigeria.
In the study, some students were taught all their subjects in Yoruba and only English was taught in English language for obvious reasons.

At the end of the study, the students taught only in Yoruba outperformed their classmates who were taught only in English when they sat for their final exams.

Sadly, the Government of the day at that time refused to implement the proposal put forward by Professor Fafunwa!

The Efficacy of the Binary System - The Yoruba Perspective

Èjì Ogbè says…

Èjèèji ni mo gbè
N ò gbe ọ̀kan ṣoṣo mọ́

Translation…
I will only support two
I will no longer support one

This is a profound declaration by Èjì Ogbè - the principal desciple of Ọ̀rúnmìlà - the greatest philosopher who ever lived in Yoruba land.

The power of the Binary system has been harnessed in the computing industry since the dawn of the Information age because of its simplicity and efficiency. All digital equipments use “On” and “Off” i.e 1 and 0 to represent information.

Below is a computer machine code that adds the numbers from 1 to 10 together and prints out the result:
i.e. 1 + 2 + 3 + 4 + 5 + 6 + 7 + 8 + 9 + 10 = 55

0 0 1 1 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
0 0 1 1 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1
0 0 1 1 0 0 1 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 0
0 1 0 1 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 1 0 1 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 0
0 0 1 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 0
0 1 0 0 0 0 1 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
0 1 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1
0 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
0 1 1 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0

In Ifa, the patterns of bits above translate to...

owonrin-osa eji-ogbe eji-ogbe
owonrin-osa ogbe-osa ogbe-osa
owonrin-meji ogbe-osa ogbe-otura
ofun-osa ogbe-oturupon ogbe-otura
otura-meji ogbe-otura ogbe-ogunda
irete-owonrin ogbe-osa eji-ogbe
irete-osa ogbe-osa ogbe-osa
osa-ogbe ogbe-otura eji-ogbe
edi-otura eji-ogbe eji-ogbe

This was how programmers used to write computer programs before high level programming languages like Fortran and Lisp were created in 1957 and 1958 respectively.

For programmers, entering these patterns manually was a laborious, tedious and error-prone task. Even for a seasoned programmer, it could get dizzy and nauseating after assembling a couple of these patterns.
However, a competent Ifa priest can commit to memory 256 of these patterns without breaking
a sweat and able to recite close to 4,000 Ifa verses by heart!

Effectively, the meaning of the 1s and 0s in the code above is as follows:

1. Store the number 0 in memory location 0.

2. Store the number 1 in memory location 1.

3. Store the value of memory location 1 in memory location 2.

4. Subtract the number 11 from the value in memory location 2.

5. If the value in memory location 2 is the number 0 continue with instruction 9.

6. Add the value of memory location 1 to memory location 0.

7. Add the number 1 to the value of memory location 1.

8. Continue with instruction 3.

9. Output the value of memory location 0.

Using names in place of numbers for memory and instruction locations, we can do the following:

Set the value of "total" to 0.
Set the value of "count" to 1.
[loop]
Set the value of "compare" to the "count" value.
Subtract 11 from the value of "compare" .
If "compare" is zero, continue at [end].
Add "count" to the value of "total".
Add 1 to the value of "count".
Continue at [loop].
[end]
Output "total".

In a modern programming language like Python, we can write the following:

total = 0
count = 1
while count <= 10:
total = total + count
count = count + 1
print total

Information Technology/Computer Science - An allegory of a diviner!

Africa missed the Industrial Revolution boat which started in 1760 big time and we cannot afford to miss the current Information/Digital Revolution!

It is Africa's main hope of breaking the shackles of underdevelopment because this Information Age presents a level playing fields for all participants.

Information Technology in my opinion and as a practitioner, is one of the easiest professions to get into. You don't need a factory or large capital outlay or large hectares of land to get started. Surprisingly, most people already have what they need to get started - your head and a computer.
By the way, the smart phone in your hand is a powerful computer, more powerful than the computer that helped put two men on the moon in 1969!

Introduction to Computer Science - a traditional perspective...

Within our modern day computers are intangible beings called computational processes.

These processes interact with other invisible and intangible beings called data with the aim of changing their states.

The actions of these processes are governed by sequential rules called a computer program that programmers create.

Computer programs control the operations of these computational processes.

Effectively, computer programmers can animate the spirits inside the computer with their incantations (programs).

A computational process is akin to a diviner's idea of a spirit - invisible, intangible and incorporeal but very potent! It can fly a jumbo jet (autopilot software). It can pay out money from ATM machines. It can remotely drive a car on the surface of Mars! It can also control the behaviour of robots in a car factory and some have started driving cars in Europe and America now!

The instructions we use to conjure these abstract processes are just like a diviner's incantations. They are meticulously concocted from emblematic and symbolic pronouncements in mysterious and enigmatic utterances called programming languages (e.g C, Java, C++, Lisp, Python etc) that specify the function we want our process to undertake.

When a computational process works according to plan, it gives us accurate results.
Just like an apprentice to a competent diviner, a new and inexperienced computer programmers must study to comprehend and to anticipate the repercussions of their dexterity. Surprisingly, small mistakes (called bugs) in computer programs can have devastating effects!

Luckily for novice programmers, learning to develop software is not as dangerous as learning to be a diviner. This is because the spirits we deal with are securely contained within our computer hard drives and computer memories.

Nevertheless, computer programming demands serious attention to details, caution, expertise and intelligence because a little glitch in a software can cause a nuclear reactor to self destruct or cause a jumbo jet to fall from the sky!

Computer programmers are the current day diviners. However, they don't seek to know the minds of gods but the minds of humans. They can predict with great accuracy: tomorrow's weather, the likelihood of a stock price rising, the future price of gold or crude oil etc using sophisticated computer algorithms.

Yoruba Cosmology - an intro

It is virtually impossible to understand the Yoruba worldview without a good understanding of Mythology - the study of myths.

A myth is a traditional folktale that explains the origin and early history of a people and their culture.

Like any other ancient culture (Egyptian, Greek, Roman, Jewish, Babylonian etc), the Yoruba have their own creation myth - a very colourful one indeed.

According to the Yoruba oral traditions, the world was created at Ilé-Ifẹ̀ (literally - The start of spreading) and the Yoruba were the first humans to walk the face of planet Earth and from them went forth other races to populate the Earth.
The implication of this is that the ancient Yoruba were the progenitors of the human race! According to the legend, the progenitors descended from the sky using a chain!

This may sound incredible or ridiculous to many people these days but at least, compared to other creation myths, this is one of the closest to the scientific truth that humans came out of Africa.

The creation narrative as captured in Ọ̀fún Méjì goes like...

Àtẹlẹwọ́ f’ode ṣọ̀kan
Àtànpàkò ya ara rẹ̀ lọtọọ̀tọ̀
A dífá fun Olódùmarè, Atẹ́-aiyé-matu,
Ọ̀yin fẹrẹ̀ fẹ̀rẹ̀, awo ilé Ọ̀rúnmìlà,
Kékeré ni mo ti j’olu
O dífá fún Oòduà, A-tẹ̀wọ̀n-rọ,
Ọ̀yin fẹrẹ̀ fẹ̀rẹ̀, awo Alaràn
A dífá fún gbogbo Ẹ̀-jẹ-n-din-lógún awọn isòrò
Ti nwọn yóó f’ori-k’ori l’alade-ọ̀run,
Láti fi idi ayé sílẹ̀
S’órí alagbalúgbú omi.

English Translation…

Àtẹlẹwọ́ f’ode ṣọ̀kan (The palm presents a unified face)
Àtànpàkò ya ara rẹ̀ lọtọọ̀tọ̀ (The thumb separates itself from other fingers)
Cast Ifa for Olodumare
The Sovereign Being in heaven who made the earth which can never go barren.
Two other Ifa priests
Ọ̀yin fẹrẹ̀ fẹ̀rẹ̀, awo ilé Ọ̀rúnmìlà (The quiet Chief priest of Ọ̀rúnmìlà compound)
Kékeré ni mo ti j’olu (From Childhood I became great)
Also cast Ifa for Ọ̀rúnmìlà himself,
Who is also called Oòduà,
The one who came down by a chain
From heaven down to the earth.
Still another Ifa priest,
Ọ̀yin fẹrẹ̀ fẹ̀rẹ̀, awo Alaràn (The quiet Chief priest in velvet apparel)
Cast Ifa for all the divinities
Who were the elders of heaven,
When all of them consulted in heaven
For the purpose of laying the bedrock of the earth,
On the primeval expanse of water
That submerged the uninhabited earth.

Logical Progression in Yoruba Epistemology - The concept of Ìmọ́dòye

Ìmọ̀ -> Òye -> Ọgbọ́n

In Yoruba philosophical discourse, Ìmọ́dòye means "knowledge (l̀mọ̀) becomes Understanding (Òye)".

Even though the nature and scope of knowledge have baffled philosophers for centuries, our ancestors were able to break them down by formulating a threesome alliance of Ìmọ̀, Òye and Ọgbọ́n:

Ìmọ̀ = Knowledge - the acquisition of information

Òye = Understanding - knowing the meaning of information gathered

Ọ̀gbọ́n = Wisdom - judicious application of knowledge based on understanding and sound judgement.

What other way to express this than with the following aphorism...

Ọgbọ́n ọlọ́gbọ́n kii jẹ ki a pe àgbà ni wèrè
i.e.
The wisdom acquired through a lifetime experiences prevents an elderly sage from being called a fool

By the way...

Unlike Red Bull (the popular caffeinated soft drink), knowledge, understanding and wisdom give you invincible wings, albeit invisible.

Wisdom is very important - Ọgbọ́n ṣe pàtàkì, o ṣe kókó

For the Yorùbá, the importance of wisdom in our daily lives cannot be overemphasised…

Ọgbọ́n inú ọmọ ni yọ ọmọ lẹ̀nu
Ọ̀nà ọ̀fun ọ̀mọ̀rán ni ro ọ̀mọ̀rán lérò
Ọgbọ́n inú ọ̀lẹ ni ọ̀lẹ fi njẹun
Aṣiwèrè ènìyàn ni ko mọ àtiṣe ara rẹ
Bi a ko jiya ti o kun agbọ̀n
A ko le jore to kun inu ago
Igbó etílé on ẹ̀gbin
Àdàpọ̀ òwò on ìyà
Yàrá ajùmọ̀gbé mbi ekòló ninu
Ọgbọ́n ribiribi nla fi gba ọgbọ́n ribiribi
Ba a o ba ni ọgbọ́n ribiribi ninu,
A ko le kọ ògùn ribiribi
Bi a o ba kọ ògùn ribiribi
A ko le wo arun ribiribi
Bi a o ba wo arun ribiribi
A ko le gba owó ribiribi
Bi a o ba gba owó ribiribi
A ko le ri nkan ribiribi gbé ṣe

In English...

The wisdom of a child is his trouble
The throat of a diviner is his publicity agent
Lazy men live by their wisdom
Only fools do not know how to manage their affairs
If we do not bear suffering that will fill a basket
We will not receive kindness that will filI a cup
A forest near town collects rubbish
A partnership breeds suffering
A shared room breeds worms
Great wisdom is the key to getting even greater wisdom
If we don't have great wisdom
We can't learn strong medicine
If we don't learn strong medicine
We can't cure serious illness
If we can't cure serious illness,
We don't earn great wealth
If we don't earn great wealth
We can't do great things

Ọ̀̀rọ̀ àwọn àgbà - Voice of the elders...

Eji Ogbe says… it matters how you present yourself...

Ìṣẹ́ ko ti ibi kan mu'ni
Ìyà ko ti ibi kan jẹ eniyan
Bi o ba rin ìrìn oṣi
Bi o ba ojú ìṣẹ́ wọ̀lú
Igbákígbá ni wọn a fi bu omi fun ni

In English….
Penury does not lay hold of just one part of the body
Hardship does not attack just one part of the body
If you go about like a beggar
If you enter town with look of destitution
You will be offered water in any old calabash

Eji Ogbe says… look after your own...

Akọ ajá lọ́lá
Ago aala ni iyi oṣupa
Ọmọ bi ilẹkẹ, ọmọ bi idẹ
Ọmọ ẹni lọmọ ẹni
Ọmo ẹni ko le ṣe idi bẹ̀bẹ̀rẹ̀ bẹbẹrẹ ka so ìlẹ̀kẹ̀ mọ idi ọmọ ẹloomi

In English…..
Honour is given to a male dog
Venus is the glory of the new moon
A child is like beads, a child is like brass
One's own child will always be one's own
If one's child has a crooked waist, one does not because of that tie beads on the waist of another person's child.

Phenomenal Business Acumen of Yoruba Women

Before the arrival of the British on the shores of Yorubaland and the eventual colonisation of the country from 1861 to 1960, Yoruba women held sway in business (they still do these days to some extent).

They were the main participants in the marketplace hence the existence of chieftaincy titles like Ìyálọ́jà (Mother or custodian of the market) and Ìyálájé (Mother or custodian of the economy).

It is a known fact that Mathematics/Arithmetic is the language of business and trade. In a society where orality eclipsed literacy, the only way to become an astute businesswoman was to be well versed in the art of mental Arithmetic. Being able to perform complex arithmetic mentally without any computing device like abacus (used then in Europe and Asia) was a monumental feat but this was helped by the vigesimal (Base 20) Numeral System developed many centuries ago in the heartland of Yorubaland.
This is best demonstrated using the following examples:

15 = ẹẹdogun (from arun din ogun = five reduces twenty)

16 = ẹẹrin-din-logun (20 - 4) 

17 = ẹẹta-din-logun (20 - 3) 

18 = eeji-din-logun (20 - 2) 

19 = ookan-din-logun (20 - 1) 

20 = ogun 

21 = ookan-le-logun ("one on twenty" = 20 + 1) 

25 = ẹẹdọọgbọn (30 - 5) 

30 = ọgbọ̀n 

35 = aarun-din-logoji (five less than two twenties = (20 X 2) - 5) 

40 = ogoji ("twenty twos") 

50 = aadọta (20 X 3 -10) 

60 = ọgọta (3 X 20, i.e twenty in three ways) 

100 = ọgọrun = orun (20 X 5) 

105 = aarun din laadọfa (20 X 6 - 10 - 5) 

200 = igba

300 = ọọdunrun = ọọdun [20 X (20 - 5)]

315 = orin din nirinwo odin marun [400-(20 X 4)-5] 

400 = irinwo (A big number like an elephant)

2000 = ẹgbẹwa (200 X 10) 

4000 = ẹgbaaji (2 X 2000) 

20,000 = ẹgbaawaa (2000 X 10) 

40,000 = ẹgbaawaa lonan meji (ten 2000s in two ways) 

1,000,000 = ẹgbẹẹgbẹrun (1000 X 1000)

Apart from numbers, there are also fractions (ẹ̀bù)...

Idameji = half
Idamẹta = one-third
Idamẹrin = one-fourth
Idamarun= one-fifth
Idamẹfa = one-sixth
Idameje = one-seventh
Idamẹjọ = one-eighth
Idamẹsan = one-ninth
Idamẹwa = one-tenth
etc.

And there are multiplications...

Ilọpomeji= two times (i.e double)
Ẹrin lọna meji= 4 X 2 (4 in 2 places)
Ẹrin lọna mẹta = 4 X 3 (4 in 3 places)
Ẹrin lọna mẹrin = 4 X 4 (4 in 4 places)
etc.