Beyond Tribalism, Cultural Similarities Among The Nigerian Tribes

When naming Nigeria’s greatest problems, tribalism sure has a place in the top 10 and still will sit in the top 5 if the list is shredded the more. Every member of a tribe has an opinion formed about the other – an opinion based on stories heard and encounters had – many of which are common generalisation. The focus is more about the differences and what tells a from b and b from c, such that at just one meeting with another Nigerian, the first thing that comes to mind for a lot of people is the name which majorly is influenced by the tribe.
From here, the opinions and generalisations come to play and when eventually the person met acts differently from the opinion and say expectation in mind, it becomes, “Oh, you’re a different Hausa specie”, “A typical Yoruba man does not do this”, “An Igbo woman will never give that”, “Oh, you’re so different”.With about 197 million people belonging to any of the over 300 ethnic tribes present in Nigeria, the Giant of Africa is unarguably the most diverse nation in modern Africa. Sure, everyone is entitled to his opinions, ideas and perception but how about we give them all another turn? In the midst of all of these segregation and differentiation, every tribe, sect, region, even religion in Nigeria has so much in common, a reality that many overlook and some do not even see at all.
Aside the glaring-to-the-blind fact that everyone is human – whether from the major tribes or the others, everyone Nigerian is a Nigerian too. The same way a Fulani baby born within the territory of the nation-state called Nigeria is a citizen, so is the grown Isoko man working in Oyo State and the Ebira woman who has gotten married to an Adim man, and the Bini man who decided to make Taraba home and has been living and doing business therein for over 10 years. No matter how much we try to resent one or the other, it still doesn’t take away that reality!
If the aftermath of a tribe scaring off another dawn on us, only then will we realise how intertwined we are as a nation. Every citizen sure has family member – mostly extended – residing or working in a land totally different from his land of birth or tribe. Lagos, South West seems to be the headquarters of Hausas as they are seen in every corner, either starting up a motorcycle riding business, suya spot, noodles and egg joint, shoe repairing business and many others services they render. Igbos are everywhere in the north, setting up communications, phone repair and other lucrative businesses. How about Yorubas in the NYSC camps and markets in the North, South East and other places? If not in locations, how about the inter-ethnic marriages and wonderful citizens produced out of such union? Do wives become husbandless, men wifeless and children have to choose which tribe to claim – their father or mother’s tribe? These lines seem to have thinned out in our minds until now that danger seems to be looming.
Every Nigeria tribe believes in the institutions of authorities and socialisation – marriage first, the union in which children are raised and many values upheld. All of the tribes in Nigeria believe in training children to be responsible, and consider family life a foundation of their culture. A father is considered the head of the family, the mother a main and firm sub-head and the children, the responsibility of the parents who eventually grow up to take or make their decisions and continue the family life.
Tending a bit towards the ill of belief in marriage, every tribe of Nigeria sees the unmarried who are of age as irresponsible and begins advising them accordingly – a wonderful similarity, isn’t it? After this institution comes the political system which is also very paramount in every Nigeria tribe. Each ethnic group, no matter how small, distant or unpopulated has a traditional political system under a paramount Chief with different titles – Obas, Obis, Ezes, Emirs and Obongs. Despite westernisation, colonisation and exposure, each tribe in the Nigerian still maintains its line of authority.

 

More often than not, every Nigerian citizen, household, community and society holds specific religious beliefs very esteem to her heart, and could go to war for it. The introduction of Christianity and Islam into the nation has never outrun the traditional way of worshipping. Despite many Obas, Emirs, Obis, Ezes and Obongs identify with two of the Western religion, none of them has to the core forsaken the traditional rites, especially in becoming and carrying out their monarchical duties. Christianity and Islam too, which seem to have come to stay have times without number been refined, reviewed, re-believed and yet, both calls on the Almighty being, though with different language, doctrines and methods – all of which are formulated by humans, either the bearers of the religion or its followers.

 

Nigerian tribe, again, NO Nigerian tribe embraces laziness in the whole of the family. Although the Urhobo tribe allows for men to laze around while their women work, and the Isoko sees women lazing while their husband would work for food, laziness of the family at large would see hunger for the whole members of the home, and eventually the society. Nigerians are generally known as hardworking from the days of going to farm, hunting, herding and local businesses to modern day business, all tribe is given to hardwork. This is why, in every part of the world, it would be hard not to see a Nigerian.
Read also: One Nigeria: The Dream of Our Fore Fathers That May Never Come To Pass
Second to no laziness is hospitality and respect, especially for elders. Though in diverse ways and degree, every Nigerian tribe takes respect in high esteem. Above and beyond all of these, again, every Nigerian is Nigerian and that is enough to have in common. It is high time Nigerians look beyond all of the gawking reasons to differentiate and embrace unity in their diversities.Photos Credit: Getty

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