Arabirin Sola

As Yoruba people, I believe that if we truly want to move forward, we must return to our original philosophy. Western governance was never designed for our worldview. It cannot fully serve a people whose identity, values and spirituality are different. Western governance is not our spiritual fabric. It was sewn from a worldview that does not understand us. In pre-colonial Yorubaland, every town had a system of leadership rooted in its culture. Oyo, Ijebu, Egba, Ibadan, Ibarapa, Ekiti. Each one worked because it reflected who the people were, each system came from the people’s spirit. Our ancestors built governance on Iwa (character), consensus, accountability, and communal wisdom. Today, we copied a system that prioritizes competition, individualism, and power for power’s sake and we are confused. Why won’t we be?  A society cannot thrive when it abandons the philosophy that shaped it. A people lose their direction when they forget the worldview that once guided them. To move forwa...

As an expert in masquerade studies, I can emphatically state that there are different varieties of masquerades. For the sake of this context, let me point out to two: the ritual and the entertaining ones.  The ritual ones are special ones that hardly comes out. Only on extremely special occasions. This is because the process, sacrifices and functions are too elaborate and dangerous. Ritual masquerade is used to chase offenders out a community, especially offenders that are judged to have broken some extreme taboos, such as murdering a kinsman/kinswoman. Ritual masquerade are also used to cleanse/purify the land of epidemics or diseases outbreak in the land. Ritual masquerades do not dance; if they do (rarely, and to a limited extent), each step has meaning. Ritual masquerades are stationed: they do not travel. Perhaps they can go to war camps to fight the enemies. But they don’t travel. Most ritual masquerades are not supposed to be seen and/or touched by different kinds of people,...

Your Orí is your greatest divinity.  Before you came to earth, you chose your destiny through your Orí. When you honour it with Ìwúre (prayers), good character and truth, your path opens with ease. Listen to your Ori, feed it with gratitude and walk boldly in alignment with your purpose. Ori mi, má je n ṣàṣejù; má je n ṣàfèjú, jẹ́ kí n rí ire lónìí. My Ori, let me not act foolishly, let me not act blindly, let me meet goodness today.... Àṣẹ!!! Orí huuuuu Orí Olówó Orí Ọlọ́lá Orí òní ire gbogbo fún wa ó.... Àṣẹ!!! 

When I talk about development, I’m not talking about modern Lagos.  People hear “development” and immediately start thinking of skyscrapers, bridges, and fine buildings. I speak of Yoruba development, i am talking about the pre-colonial era, long before foreigners stepped foot on our soil. Why do people think development revolves only around buildings? Development of the mind is development. Development of systems is development. Development of governance is development. Development of culture, art, knowledge, and society is development. And Yorubaland had all of these, centuries before colonisation. We had structured kingdoms, had judicial and political systems, had organized cities, had trade networks spanning Africa and beyond, had arts, literature, and philosophy, had WOMEN in leadership, had peaceful multi-ethnic trading societies. This is development and we had it before modern buildings ever existed. So when people try to reduce our development to colonial roads and architec...

One thing I love deeply about my tradition is how calm, grounded, and balanced it is. Our spirituality is not built on fear, competition, or noise. Eledumare does not ask anyone to defend him or fight battles on his behalf. You honor Eledumare through your Iwa (character), your Ori (inner alignment) your Iba (reverence), your Ase (the power you carry responsibly). Our Orisas are not beings that need defending. They are forces of nature. Wind, thunder, destiny, river, earth, intuition, transformation. You don’t defend nature, you align with it. Oya moves. Sango speaks. Esu balances. Yemoja nurtures. Osun heals. Each one handles their own domain with quiet authority. There is no pressure to convert anyone. No war. No shouting. No spiritual competition. Just balance, character, and respect. That is the beauty of Yoruba spirituality. It teaches us how to walk in awareness, how to honour our ancestors, how to develop our character, how to seek harmony with nature, and how to protect our inn...

British colonial authorities tried to tax women so Pelewura, an Awori Yoruba woman, mobilised thousands of her fellow market women across the Lagos colony.  She organised marches, petitions, and strikes as a leader of the  Market Women’s Association of the 1920s. The colonial authorities were forced to negotiate directly with her, and she became one of the  Lagos colony's most influential leaders.