By Aare Afe Babalola

NIGERIAN indigenous culture and philanthropy: Nigeria as a country consists of different ethnic groups spread across the six major geo-political areas of the country. The Yorubas of the South-West can boast of a culture that recognises and has encouraged philanthropy in several forms. For one, the extended family system in which a fortunate member of a family effectively caters for the needs of not only his immediate family but also those of his larger extended family consisting of cousins, uncles, aunts, etc., can be said to be a classic example of a culture entrenched system of philanthropy.

Under the age grade system, members of an age grade customarily chose certain dates on which they would all work on the farmland of a member of the group. After working on that land they would collectively proceed to work on the land of every member of the age group until every land belonging to all the members is tilled and cultivated.

This system ensured that there was an increase in harvest to the overall benefit of the community. If each individual member had been left to till and cultivate his land alone, surely the volume of harvest would have been reduced with its attendant effect on the food supply in the community.

Furthermore, cooperative societies are a common feature in most establishments. Members contribute money from which any member requiring funds can obtain loans to execute any project of his desire. I recall that my very first bicycle was obtained through this method. My friends and I began a system of contribution of money by which each member would immediately purchase a bicycle with the money so contributed.

After that, we would contribute again for another member until all members of the group eventually were able to purchase bicycles. But for this system which to my mind is also an example of philanthropy as it is borne out of love for the communal good, many would have been unable to save enough money for the purchase of their bicycles.

Yoruba language is itself full of proverbs which lend credence to how culture can influence or encourage the practice of philanthropy. “Mo se oorekogbe mi, o niowokanikaninuni” roughly translated means: “a person’s disinclination towards kindness to others is only borne out of wickedness and not necessarily out of failure to benefit from previous acts of kindness”. Another one is “Okeniowoafuniigbe”, which literally means the hand of the giver is always on top of the receiver’s. In other words, a person who gives will never lack.  Both of these proverbs and several others essentially encourage people to practise acts of kindness and charity.

In times gone by the Yoruba Oba was deemed as the wealthiest individual in any community. The reason for this was not far-fetched. Every year after harvest, it was customary for members of the community to make donations from their harvest to the Oba. In my home town of Ado, this fact was aptly demonstrated by the phrase: “Kosiolola bi Ewi” , meaning: “none is as wealthy as Ewi”.

However, the same cannot be said today as these traditional practices have largely been eroded by modern civilisation. Several decades ago, I was part of a group of young Ado-Ekiti students who decided to visit the Ewi of Ado-Ekiti in a bid to secure scholarship and other forms of assistance from the royal father. Upon learning of our mission, His Royal Highness patiently explained to us how times had changed and how people had lost or forgotten the virtue of giving.

To illustrate, he told us the story of the male and female frog. We were told of how in the evening or early morning, if you went to the bank of a river, it was the common place to hear the male frog croak: “bun mi”, meaning: “give to me”, whilst the female frog will respond: “bun o”, meaning “give to you”. A combination of the two translate into “bun mi, bun o”, meaning: “give to me while I will give to you”. Kabiyesi lamented how the “bun o” aspect had become totally non-existent, thus making the only sound to be heard, now is  “bun mi, bun mi, bun mi”, meaning: “give to me, give to me, give to me”. 

There is no “bun o” again. This today represents the attitude of Nigerians who only ask to be given but are not prepared to give. Nigerians only expect to receive from the government but are not prepared to give. 

The oracle of Ifa and philanthropy: In traditional Yoruba culture, Ifa refers to a system of divination and the verses of the literary corpus known as the OduIfa. Orunmila is the deity associated with Ifa divination. The Yoruba divination system enabled diviners to invoke the teachings of Orunmila, the Yoruba deity of wisdom, prophesy and ethics. Esu (Eshu), who is seen as being in charge of justice and the transportation of ebos, is said to lend his authority (ase) to the oracle to clarify the issues and provide direction. Ifa divination rites are claimed to provide an avenue of communication to the spirit world.

There are 16 major Odu (books) in the OduIfa literary corpus. When combined there are a total of 256 Odu believed to refer to all situations, circumstances, actions and consequences in life based on the uncountable ese (poetic recitations) attached to the 256 Odu coding. These form the basis of traditional Yoruba spiritual knowledge and are the foundation of all Yoruba divination system.

All the Oduifas containing 16 verses and 16 sub verses  preach acts of philanthropy.  Each verse enjoins us to do good, and warn us not to reward good with evil.  Anyone that pays evil with good will never lack even in his household. For instance ejiogbe, obara, ofumeji, osemeji, provide as follows: 

idini yen tigbogboeniti o ba n se oore

k’oma see lo, 

eniti o ba n fi ibi san oore, 

ibi n bowaba a, 

sugboneniti o ba n se oore

ko ma re tipe

wonnbowa san an fun oun. 

Ki i se gbogboenitiEleduwa se oore fun 

lo n bowa san an tabi dupe.

Translation

That is why all those who do good 

should continue

Whoever pays good with evil

Evil will catch up with him

But whoever does good

Should not expect

That he would be repaid

It is not all those favoured by God

Who repay or even appreciate

Specifically Oduosaeleye provides

O niojuefunkiiriibiosan, 

beeniojuosunkiiriibioru, 

oniomoOlooreloun, 

peojuoun o le riibilosan, 

ojuounkoleri bi loru, 

onienitiounba se loore

toba fi ibi san an fun oun, 

ojuonitohun lo ma a ribiosanatioru. 

Tori afefekanoniife

K’omakanigiokolara. 

Translation

He said the chalk does not sight evil in the day

And the camwood powder does not sight evil in the night

he said he is a child of the good-doer

That he will not sight the evil of day

He will not sight the evil of night

whoever he does good to

And who repays with evil

It is that person that will sight evil in the day and night

Because there is no way a wind will blow

That it will not have effect on a tree in the farm.