Yoruba

WHY LEARN YORÙBÁ?

It is necessary to learn Yorùbá because the language has her roots in different parts of the world. It is interesting to note that many countries of the world have Yorùbá as part of their languages. The spread of the language across the globe and its rich cultural heritage are factors that certainly encourage the learning of the language. Yorùbá language is spoken in the following parts of the world:

1. BRAZIL: The history of Yorùbá language in Brazil is dated back to the time when many Yorùbá slaves migrated into the country. Bahia, a state in Brazil, houses the Pelourinho, the building where the Yorùbás and other slaves from other western countries were temporarily kept. Because of the centrality of the language to the Brazilian, in 2018, Yorùbá was made an official language in the country.

1. UNITED KINGDOM: Yorùbá indigenes are of high population in the United Kingdom (UK) as a result of the history of colonization that made it possible for many Nigerians to move into the UK easily. Presently in the UK, it is an additional advantage for anybody that can speak Yorùbá to get recruited to the British Police.

 

• CARIBBEAN ISLAND: The Yorùbás in Carribean still enjoy their traditional Yorùbá songs and other cultural activities.

1. LIBERIA: A community called Aku, which is said to have migrated to Liberia as far back as 600AD, speaks Yorùbá. It is estimated that about a minority of 24,000 people speak the language in the country.

 

1. EL-SALVADOR: El-Salvador in the North American axis is one of the countries where Yorùbá language is loved and spoken. Historically, Yorùbá slaves with their culture were brought to this country during the slave trade. In this country, the Yorùbá traditional practices are maintained.

 

1. SIERRA-LEONE: Sierra-Leone is a West African country not far from Nigeria. Yorùbá indigenes through inter-country border trade found their way to Sierra-Leone and ended up settling there in large number.

 

• CUBA: Cuba, despite her small size, has Yorùbá indigenes within her boarder.

 

• BENIN REPUBLIC: In terms of distance and cultural heritage, Benin Republic is one of the closest countries to Nigeria. Four years ago, the Benin Republic government officially recognized Yorùbá as an official language in the country.

 

1. TOGO: In Togo, about 90,000 people speak Yorùbá The language is fluently spoken in the city of Atakpame.

 

1. UNITED STATES OF AMERICA: Yorùbá language is the language of communication in Oyotunji village, a small Yorùbá nation in America.

 

1. EUROPE: Yorùbá language is becoming increasingly popular in Europe as a result of economic migration from Nigeria to the European nations in the last decades.

The knowledge of Yorùbá language brings you closer to the rich cultural heritage of the Yorùbá people and their unique ways of life.