GST 201: Nigerian Peoples and Culture

Comprehensive flashcards covering the origins, socio-political structures, and historical evolution of Nigerian ethnic groups and national systems.

Oduduwa

The first leader who is believed to have led the Yoruba to Ile-Ife and subsequently sent his sons and grandsons to found other Yoruba kingdoms.

Alaafin

The head of the Oyo Empire, resident in the capital, and regarded as the Fountain of Authority or the companion of the gods.

Oyomesi

A council of seven members in the Oyo Empire, headed by the Bashorun, who acted as kingmakers and had the power to select or remove the Alaafin.

Ogboni Cult

A powerful cult composed of free and prominent members of Yoruba society that played a mediatory role in conflicts between the Oyomesi and the Alaafin.

Are-Ona-Kankanfo

The coveted title conferred upon the head of the well-organized Yoruba Army, who was expected to live outside the capital.

Ogiso

The rulers of the first period of pre-colonial Bini history, whose name translates to kings of the sky.

Primogeniture

The unique Bini political rule of succession where the first surviving son succeeds his father to the throne.

Uzama

One of the three groups of titleholders in the Bini nobility, which included the palace chiefs and town chiefs.

Acephalous

A term describing a way of life or government without kings or a centralized state, characteristic of traditional Igbo society.

Ofo

The staff of authority held by those in the common political system of the Igbo, symbolizing decentralization of power and delegation of authority.

Eri

The ancestor of the Igbo who, according to the Nri version, descended from the sky and sailed down the River Anambra to settle at Aguleri.

Amala Oha

A form of general assembly in traditional Igbo society where all male adult members met to perform absolute and final legislative functions.

Iginuwa

The son and heir apparent of Oba Olua of Benin who is credited with establishing the Itsekiri Kingdom around $1473$.

Olu

The title of the ruler of the Itsekiri Kingdom who combined spiritual and temporal powers and presided over the Ojoye council.

Ovie

The title of the traditional ruler who headed each fragmented Urhobo village institution.

House System

The socio-political characteristic of traditional Ijaw societies, which were primarily scattered fishing settlements in the creeks of the River Niger.

Bayajidda

The legendary founder and hero of the Hausa states who is believed to have come from Baghdad and killed a snake in Daura.

Hausa Bokwoi

The original seven Hausa states believed to have been founded by the children and descendants of Bayajidda.

Sarkin Kasar

The full title meaning ruler of the land given to any effective head of a Hausa State who combined political and spiritual functions.

Saifawa Dynasty

One of the longest ruling dynasties in the pre-colonial West African Sub-region, attributed to the hero Saif b. Dhiyazan of Kanem-Bornu.

Nokena

The imperial state council of twelve in the Kanem-Bornu political structure responsible for offering useful advice to the Mai or King.

Etsu Nupe

The head of the Nupe Kingdom who enjoyed divine status and operated a two-level administration of central and provincial government.

Attah

The title of the head of the central administration of the Igala kingdom, with the ancestor Ayagba or Idoko credited as the founder of the dynasty.

Aku Uka

The head of the Jukun state who was believed to be spiritually appointed and served as the representative of the gods on earth.

Tsombor

The name of the family group in traditional Tiv society, representing the largest recognized socio-political entity.

Amalgamation of 1914

The process led by Lord Lugard that joined the Northern and Southern protectorates into a single entity to reduce British Treasury responsibility.

Nigerian Youth Movement (NYM)

Considered the first true nationalist organization in Nigeria, emerging in $1936$ and later joined by Nnamdi Azikiwe and Obafemi Awolowo.

Mami Water

Also known as Olokun or Umalokun, this goddess is regarded by Niger Delta people as the bride of the seas and the dweller of the Atlantic Ocean.

West African Yam Belt

The region comprising the Nupe, the Koto, and the Tiv where yam is the most cultivated primary crop.

Talakawa

The third class in Hausa status differentiation, composed of farmers, petty civil servants, craftsmen, and traders.

Fulani Gidan

The category of settled Fulani who are mostly located around Hausa capitals, as opposed to the nomadic Pastoral Fulani.

6-3-3-4 system

The educational model adopted in $1981$ by the Shagari administration to lead Nigeria toward industrial and technological advancement.

Structural Adjustment Programme (SAP)

A policy introduced in $1986$ aimed at restructuring the economy to reduce dependence on the oil sector and imports.

Maitatsine Riots

The $1980$ religious conflict in Kano initiated by an Islamic sect that attempted to force its ideas on society, impacting national integration.

Jus Sanguinis

A method of acquiring citizenship by birth, meaning law of blood, where citizenship is determined by the parents' status regardless of place of birth.

Jus Soli

The law of soil or place, where any person born within the territorial jurisdiction of a state is automatically a citizen.

Naturalization

The commonest legal mode of acquiring citizenship, which in Nigeria requires a continuous residency period of $15$ years or a non-continuous period of $15$ out of $20$ years.

Social Justice

A term equated by Plato with morality and human virtue, enabling individuals to enter into potential relations and restraint from lack of virtue.