Yorùbá Beyond The South-West: A Hidden National Presence
Beyond the South-West: Rethinking the Geographic Spread of the Yorùbá People
Introduction: A Common Misconception
IN popular discourse, the Yorùbá people are often portrayed as an ethnic group confined exclusively to Nigeria’s South-West geopolitical zone. While the South-West remains the historical and cultural heartland of Yorùbá civilisation, this perception overlooks the group’s extensive demographic and historical presence beyond that region. In reality, the Yorùbá are among Nigeria’s most geographically widespread ethnic groups, with both majority and minority populations across several states.
Core Yorùbáland: The South-West Heartland
The core Yorùbá states—Lagos, Oyo, Ogun, Osun, Ondo and Ekiti—constitute the political and cultural nucleus of Yorùbá identity. These states host the most concentrated Yorùbá populations and remain custodians of key institutions such as traditional monarchies, religious centres, and historical towns linked to the Oyo Empire and earlier polities like Ife.
However, equating Yorùbá identity solely with these six states simplifies a far more complex historical reality.
Yorùbá Majorities Outside the South-West
Beyond the South-West, Yorùbá communities form majority populations in parts of Kwara and Kogi states. In Kwara State, cities such as Ilorin, Offa and Omu-Aran are historically Yorùbá in language, culture and lineage. Although Ilorin later developed strong Fulani and Islamic influences, its Yorùbá roots remain deeply embedded.
Similarly, in Kogi State, areas such as Kabba, Yagba, Mopa and Egbe are unambiguously Yorùbá in origin. These regions predate colonial boundary-making and were integral to pre-colonial Yorùbá political and commercial networks.
Yorùbá Minorities and Historical Migration
Yorùbá populations also exist as significant minorities in several other states, including Edo, Niger, Benue and Delta. In Delta State, particularly in Ika North, the Olukumi people trace their ancestry to migrations from the old Oyo Empire. Linguistic evidence and oral histories support their Yorùbá origins, despite later cultural intermixing.
Border communities between Oyo, Kwara and Niger states further demonstrate how Yorùbá settlement patterns often transcend modern administrative boundaries.
Why Geography Matters in Understanding Identity
The wide dispersal of the Yorùbá people underscores the limitations of rigid regional thinking in Nigeria. Ethnic histories were shaped long before colonial borders were drawn, and modern state boundaries often divide communities with shared ancestry.
Recognising this interconnectedness challenges stereotypes, reduces ethnic misinformation and promotes a more accurate understanding of Nigeria’s social fabric.
Conclusion
The Yorùbá people are not confined to one region. Their historical reach, migration patterns and enduring cultural presence across Nigeria illustrate a legacy of mobility, adaptation and influence that defies narrow geographic classification.
