[Opinion] The Lies Of Femi Fani Kayode Part 1 – The Lie About The Yorubas Being Nigeria’s Earliest Graduates – By Dr. Samuel Okafor

By Dr. Samuel Okafor

From his myopic bubble Femi FaniKayode claims the Yoruba were the first to acquire Western education; the first ever known record of a literate Nigerian in the English Language is the narrative of an Ibo slave who regained his freedom and documented his life history as a slave from the time he was 11 years old in present day Ibo land till the time when he gained his freedom in the middle of the 18 th century. He later married an English woman and had 3 children. He died in 1795.

Femi, a basic Google-research will do you good here; check out the name, Equanoh OLAODAH. Further Femi claims that the Yoruba were the first lawyers and doctors in Nigeria. This is again a big falsehood. The first Nigeria doctor was an Effik man Silas G. Dove who obtained a medical degree from France and returned to practise medicine in 1840 in Calabar. This fact can also be verified from historical medical records in Paris.

I would also ask that you google the name BLYDEN – Edward Wilmot BLYDEN – an educated son of free Ibo slaves who by the mid-19th century had acquired sound theological education. He was born in Saint Thomas in 1832. He is one of the founding missionaries that established the Archbishop Vining church in Ikeja. Before the next time you succumb to your long-running battle with logorrhoea, Femi please do some research.

What about the third president of a free Liberia – President J JRoyle – again, a man of Ibo descent. Please take some time to do some research so that we can discuss constructively. It is wrong to peddle lies to your people. It is academic fraud to knowingly misrepresent facts just to score cheap points with people who do not have the discipline to do research and accept anything you pour out simply because they say you are well educated. To again quote the great Nobel Prize Winner in Economics Joseph Stiglitz; Femi fits into the category of third rate students from first rate universities with an inflated sense of self-importance. Let’s go on!

Who was the first Nigerian Professor of Mathematics – an Ibo man – Professor Chike Obi – the man who solved Fermat’s Last Theorem. He was followed by another Ibo man, Professor James Ezeilo, Professor of Differentail Calculus and the founder of the Ezeilo Constant. Please do some research on this great Ibo man. He later became the Vice Chancellor of the University of Nigeria Nsukka and one of the founders of the Nigerian Mathematical Centre. Who was Nigeria’s first Professor of Histroy – Professor Kenneth Dike who published the first account of trade in Nigeria in pre-colonial times. He was also the first African Vice Chancellor of the University of Ibadan. Who was the first Professor of Microbiology – Professor Eni Njoku; he was also the first African Vice Chancellor of the University of Lagos. Anatomy and Physiology – Professor Chike Edozien is an Asaba man and current Obi of Asaba. Who was the first Professor of Anatomy at the University College Ibadan? Who was the first Professor of Physics? Professor Okoye, who became a Professor of Physics at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology in 1960. He was followed by the likes of Professor Alexander Anumalu who has been nominated for the Nobel Prize for Physics three times for his research in Intermediate Quantum Physics. He was also a founding member of the Nigerian Mathematical Centre. Nuclear Physics and Chemistry – again another Ibo man – Professor Frank Ndili who gained a Ph.D in his early ’20s at Cambridge Univesity in Nuclear Physics and Chemistry in the early ’60s. This young Asaba man had made a First Class in Physics and Mathematics at the then University College Ibadan in the early ’50s. First Professor of Statistics – Professor Adichie who’s research on Non-Parametric Statistics led to new areas in statistical research. What about the first Nigerian Professor of Medicine – Professor Kodilinye – he was appointed a Professor of Medicine at the University of London in 1952. He later became the Vice Chancellor of the University of Nigeria Nsukka after the war. What about Astronomy – again another Ibo man was the first Professor of Astronomy – please, look up Professor Ntukoju – he was the first to earn a double Ph.D in Astronomy and Mathematics.

Let’s go to the Social Sciences – Demography and statistical research into population studies – again another Ibo man – Professor Okonjo who set up the first Centre for Population Research in Ibadan in the early ’60s. A double Ph.D in Mathematics and Economics. Philosophy – Professor G D Okafor, who became a Professor of Philosophy at the Amherst College USA in 1953. Economics – Dr. Pius Okigbo who became a visiting scholar and Professor of Economics at the University of London in 1954. He is also the first Nigerian Ph.D in Economics. Theology and theological research – Professor Njoku who became the first Nigerian to earn a Ph.D in Theology from Queens University Belfast in Ireland. He was appointed a Professor of Theology at the University College Zambia in 1952.

I am still conducting research in areas such as Geography where it seems a Yoruba man, Professor Mabogunje, was the first Professor. I also am conducting research into who was the first Nigerian Professor of English, Theatre Arts, Languages, Business and Education, Law and Engineering, Computer Technology, etc. Nigerians need to be told the truth and not let the lies that Femi Fani-Kayode has been selling to some ignorant Yoruba who feel that to be the first to see the white man and interact with him means that you are way ahead of other groups. The Ibo as The great Achebe said had within a span of 40 years bridged the gap and even surpassed the Yoruba in education by the ’60s. Many a Yoruba people perpetually indulge in self-deceit: that they were the first to go to school; to be exposed to Western education; that they are academically ahead of other Nigerian cultures of peoples. Another ignorant lie.

As far back as 1495 the Benin Empire maintained a diplomatic presence in Portugal. This strategic relationship did not just stop at a mere mission but extended to areas such as education. Scores of young Benin men were sent out to Portugal to study and lots of them came back with advanced degrees in Medicine, Law and Portuguese Language, to name a few.

Indeed, some went with their Yoruba and Ibo slaves who served the sons of the Benin nobility while they studied in Portugal. These are facts that can be verified by the logs kept by ship owners in Portugal from 1494 to 1830. It is kept at the Portuguese Museum of Geographic History in Lisbon.

Why then would several Yoruba people peddle all these falsehoods to show that they are ahead educationally in Nigeria? The true facts from the Federal Office of Statistics on education tell otherwise, showing that 3 Ibo states for the past 12 years have constantly had the largest number of graduates in the country, producing more graduates than Ondo, Osun, Ekiti and Oyo states. These eastern states are Imo, Anambra and Abia. Yet he calls Ibos traders. Indeed, the Igbos dominate because excellence dominates mediocrity – truth.

Let me enlighten this falsehood’s mouthpiece even further: before the civil war Ibos controlled and dominated all institutions in the formal sector in Nigeria from the universities to the police to the military to politics:

The first Black Vice Chancellor of the University of Ibadan was an Ibo man

The first Vice Chancellor of the University of Lagos was an Ibo man

The first Nigerian Rector of the then Yaba College of Technology was also an Ibo man

The police was run by an Ibo IG

The military as a professional institution was also run by elite-ilk Ibos.

Facts can never be hidden. To be first does not mean you would win the race; let us open up all our institutions and may the best man win. Let us not depend on handouts or privileges but on heard work. Let us compete and give the best positions to our brightest – be it Ibo, Yourba or Fulani, and then we shall see who is the most successful Nigerian.

I find it difficult not to respond to some of these long-held lies that are constantly being peddled by Yorubas. One is that the Yoruba have the largest number of professors in the country. I would again ask that we stick to facts and statistical records. The Nigerian Universities Commission has a record of the state with the largest number of professors on their records and as at 2010 that state is Imo State followed by Ondo State and then Anambra State; the next state is Ekiti and then Delta before Kwara State. I am sure you Yorubas are surprised. When you sit in the South-West do not think others are sleeping but I wish to address another historical fact and that is who were the first Nigerians to receive Western education. It is important that these issues be examined in their historical context and evidence through research be presented for all to examine.

I have continued my research for as the great sociologist and father of modern sociology – Emile Durkheim – put it, the definition of a situation is real in its consequence . What this simply means is that one must never allow a perceived falsehood to become one’s reality and by extension individuals who accept a defined position act as though the situation is real and apply themselves in that narrowly defined perspective.

Why is this important to state it is because for long the Yoruba have peddled lies that have almost become accepted as the truth by other Nigerians but it is important that we lay down the facts for others to examine and come to their own conclusion for facts are facts. Let’s go back to education. Historically, Western education resulted as a product of indigenous ethnic groups interacting with the whites through trade. The dominant groups sold slaves, ivory gold and a host of other products to their European counterparts in exchange for finished goods – wine, tobacco, mirrors, etc.

The Bini who were the dominant military force from the 15th to the 19th century raided and sold other ethnicities to the Europeans. Top on the list of those they sold were the Yoruba, Ibo and Igala. Various other ethnicities suffered as a result of the Bini military expansion. And the Benin Kingdom stretched from present-day Benin up to what is now geographically referred to as Republic of Togo. Indeed, the influence of the Benin Empire extended to the banks of the river Niger to present-day Onistha. There are huge Yoruba settlements in the Anioma part of Delta State who fled Yoruba land as a result of these attacks and constant raids. Yes, there are Yoruba people who are currently living with Ibos in the Ibo-speaking part of Delta and they are full citizens of the place no one refers to them as strangers and there is no talk about the Ibos being the host community like we hear from the Governor of Lagos State. But let me return to research. Slaves were moved from the hinterland to the coast and many were sold through Eko to the New World. These slaves were the first to encounter the Europeans and by extension their way of life – this included education in a Western sense. The Bini King had taken pains to establish a diplomatic presence in Portugal and the relationship developed into areas that extended beyond trade in the late 15th century and lasted well into the early 19th century. Scores of young Bpni youth were sent to Portugal and studied there, coming back with advanced degrees in various disciplines. The next set of people to receive Western education were the slaves themselves. Some of them managed to buy their freedom and develop themselves further.

For the Ibo it does not matter who your father is; the question is: Who are you? Who was Obasanjo’s father? Was he the most educated Nigerian? I am sure the answer is no. Yet this Great Nigeria led this nation two times as a military Head of State and as a civilian President. What about GEJ? Who was his own father? Was he the first Nigerian to go to London? The answer is no. In fact, he had no shoes, yet he is fully in charge. So it does not matter if your father was the first Lawyer or first Doctor in Nigeria but rather what matters is what an individual does with the talents the Almighty has given to him. Let us open up Nigeria for competition. That is the solution to our problems. Those who want privileges keep reminding us that their fathers were the first to go to school in London. Every generation produces its own leaders and champions. Like Dangote who is the biggest employer of labour in Nigeria today and the richest man in Africa. Was his father the first to go to study in London? Yet he is the master of people whose parents gave them the best. My brothers, the answer to the Nigerian problem is that we should establish a merit-driven society. “I get am before” no be property.

Dr. Samuel Okafor has a PhD in History

Source: News Express

116 COMMENTS

  1. my problem with this writer is his using Ibo instead of Igbo..arming haters with a derogatory form of the name of Igbo people. Please Dr. Okafor..you need to study about your people too..name, and culture. Igbo is the name!!

    • @me, d language is igbo. D tribe is ibo, u should knw d difference cos d writer was talking abt d tribe. @Olusegun, no doubt d yorubas hv gone far in everything. Even Femi showed us how far some of u hv gone in stupidity.

      • Believ me busines or whatsoever wl nt thrive in a LanD that d pple ar nt accomodating n religion tolerance like d eastern pple of NIGERIA.business in lagos or other part of Yoruba Land bcos d pple ar accomodating n religion tolerance if nt nobody wl live do busines in Lagos in peaceful atmosphere.see wat happen other part of d country where they dnt accomodate other tribe also they dnt tolerate other religion,Violence in there LAnd.

        • @ Olajuwon i feel you. Despite the killings of the Ibos in the Northern Nigeria, have you ever heard of any revenge from the Ibos on the Northerners in Eastern states? The Kano bomb blast that took the life of the Ibos got the Ibos angry but because the Ibos are very brotherly and accommodating, they did touch the life of one Northern in the region. Peace maker is who we are. I respect all tribes but to the mediocre like Femi Fani Kayode who is a spoilt brat i throw a big shame to.

          Fashola should accept he gooved by deporting the ibos in a lorry. He should focuss on deporting the touts, area boys and alaiyes that extot money from the young hussling ibo boys in Lagos. Long live Nigeria.

    • FEmi Fani Kayode does nt harm anybody by his statement.he talk generally base on hw d YORUBAS ar ACOMmODAting n religion tolerance iN NATURE.which tribe ar most acomodating in nAture n religion tolerance in Nigeria?I Alvin n his Prof(okafor) to answer d qustion .which part of d country eaten of human being is allowed as there culture?.which tribe is eaten of stranger is allowed in IBO or IGBO lanD?.I think Igbo shuld focus there attention on hw to accomodate n tolerate other tribe than been sentimental

      • Emannuel,I think something is missing here.our old generation is misleading us bcos they hv all fail dis country.igbo pple misquote Fani Kayode by sayn dfrence thing.he said Lagos belong to Yoruba,nt belong to igbo do u agree?

  2. This writer needs to be educated about a lot of things;most importantly the fact that the Yorubas have gone far in terms of;Civilisation,exposure&Education.The Delta speakers of Ibo have suddenly become ibo now when you need people to add to your number.Get it straight,the Binis are not Ibo,they are more of Yoruba than ibo.If you are a good student of History;You will know.

    • Are they not ibos before? The language is Igbo, but the tribe is ibo get that into your head. You want to remove them from ibos, but during Biafra war you massacred them that they are ibos and called the coup Nzeogwu also from delta state plotted an ibo coup now they are no longer ibos. See yourself, crass ignorance.

  3. Somebody should help me ask this writer, when did benin people turned into ibo. In his wildest dream i guess. Please wake up from your sleep, all what u said are pointless. Whether you ibo likes it or not, Lagos; the centre of excellence, the commercial hub of Nigeria belong to Yorubas.

    Stupid and ignoramus. Find something else to write

    • @Emmanuel thank you for exposing your ignorance. You can’t even read and comprehend the writers straight forward write up. He had never claimed that the Benin People are Ibos, he was only trying to educate Femi Kayode that other parts Nigeria was also well educated as long time as the Yorubas if not more. So I advise you to always try to read between the lines and make constructive criticism if need be and stop this unnecessary malicious attack on the writer.

    • I just read about the first documented educated Nigerian Equanoh Alaodah, from his own account he said he’s a full blooded Ibo man and post researches discovered that he’s from Isieke an ibo town. I am proud to be an Igbo boy, respect to the Bini (Benin) people, was a very powerful tribe that conquered and ruled over southern Nigeria. Southern Nigeria was even known as Benin kingdom by the Europeans in the 17th and 18 century.

  4. Just assuming you r right mr writer, so where has it all taken you,ur so called literacy,anyway the main point of FFK’s point has been ignored by u nd y. Anyway d point is ibos go back to ur east we dnt need u in our southwest, nd wit all ur stupid comments u ibos r making u jst about prove mr FFK’s point. We r politely begging u to go bck to ur southeast wit all ur stupid fake products,we wnt to develop ourselves nd ur stupid trade business is getting in d way nd ur wayward ways. Go to HELL ibos. Dis ur ways will divide dis country.

    • There is no assumption, he is 100% right. Google the names he mentioned to see thing for yourself and learn from intelligent people not a drug addict like Femi Fani Kayode. Femi has just exposed his ignorance, I think he should stop commenting lest he mislead our youth with fake history.

    • Why can’t u talk like a matured human being. Calling for Igbos to leave South West so u can develop ur home. How does Igbos presence stop u from developing ur home. Or do our presence intimidate u. All these call for division will not help us at all. No one is indispensible. That doesn’t mean Igbos cannot survive on their own if u insist they should go. Grow up. No wonder my best friend who is a Yoruba can never have or trust his Yoruba brothers. He alwz say it that Yorubas are full of themselves yet they r very empty

    • @Te, if ibo man goes back to his state you will die of hunger, i promise you that. Ok, i see you lazy bones want me to go back so you claim the houses i worked hard to build. Shame to you and Femi Fani Kayode. you two are the people spoiling the yoruba race

  5. Thanks Alvin Fø̲̣̣я̅ correcting dt guy wif d low understandn Emmanuel. Dr Samuel did’nt say Binis α̲̅я̩̥̊ε̲̣̣̣̥ part °ƒ Yorubas, instd he tried disputing d notion dt Yorubas wr d first 2 encounter western Educatn, nd mentioned Benin whr d 1st foreigners (portugese) visited as a more likely place, Shikena!!!!!

  6. Hmm… Wat an interesting write up. God bless u dr. Okafor. @ balogun oluwaseun, if u read this inbetween d lines, u wld understand dat it is nt to promote igbo agenda but to set d record straight he did nt say dat benins are igbos and u shld knw dat igbo speaking deltans are igbos. It is important we as a nation narrate our history wit truth. Pls, if u are to narrate any of our histostry, do some research!

  7. Nigerians are still harping on the strings of tribalism in the 21st century. I’m sure if some people were Europeans,they would be worse racists than Hitler and Mussolini. Grow up and do away with tribal supremacy wars,it’s led us nowhere but retardation.

    • Bros you didn’t lie, we have won. They always want other Nigerians to believe they are the most intelligent and educated. They will see an Igbo man as a trader, Hausa man as an herdsman and the Yorubas the only educated. You can lie a 100 times, but you can’t change history. A historian has given us true, undisputed history. He just placed this myopic braggers where they belong.

      • This man is not an historian, majority of his point are baseless. I will debunk some of his claim one by one and i want him to watch out. I hope he will be ready for us. It seems this man did not go to school at all, because he fails to counter fani-kayodes point. A state in nigeria is titled ‘fountain of knowledge and land of honor’. if this man claim to me an historain, let him explain. Am waiting for him

        • We are waiting for you, he didn’t just open his mouth to talk rubbish like Femi Fani Kayode, he gave names and where you can do your research. Sokoto state is ‘born to rule’ but Shagari is our only ex-president from sokoto state. You can give your state what ever you wish.

        • That’s exactly what he’s talking about, the self praise. “Fountain of knowledge”. To be quiet is not to be stupid. We have kept quiet for long, allowing the lies to play but I think you people took our calmness for stupidity.

        • Sokoto was christened born to rule.Let’s watch when another Sokoto-Man would be president of Nigeria. Upgrade and talk a little more maturely. Thank u.

    • Thank you bro, I like advice, you are a good person. Femi started this and instead of your people cautioning him, they were mocking the ibos. This article just balanced the equation. We can end it here if they want.

    • Revolution to remove who? Jona our brother, you are not serious. Niger deltans are our half brothers, so whether they treat us well or not we’ll always treat them like our brothers. We fought in the creeks with them, we gave Jonathan 98% of our votes. That’s how it is, and that’s how it will be. If you wanted revolution you should have done it in OBJ’s tenure.

  8. I dnt tink dis shud cause any debate or argument, if we rili want naija 2 develop we must embrace peace and c everybody as one. We shud b happy dat we hv great men and women dat hv achieve in dere academic field and helps 2 build dis nation.

  9. Read the write up carefully before you start commenting. He’s just trying to say that what you think you have some other persons have it and still keep quiet about it and facing the reality. Its only a lazy that complains about what he has and what he has not gotten. Too much education is not what we need to better our country but people with God fearing minds. We all have well educated people placed in some key positions and they still mess things up. Fani stole our money please ask him to go face the efcc.

  10. I just read about Equanoh Olaudah and Edward Wilmort Blyden, the ibo gene is very strong in their faces (lwkmd, summersaults five times and spins with the head) vex wey dey some people mind fit make dem sleep no wake-up. “E dey sweet me o gan gan, and e dey pain dem o gan gan”. Anyway no ill feelings, just for fun and knowledge. One Nigeria my Yoruba brothers.

  11. If their is anything I love about this write-up, then, it’s because of the fact that the writer is not being bias. Unlike Fani koyode who even went so far as to mentioning the ibo ladies he has being with at one point in time, the writer was able to prove his claims and am highly impressed with how he ended it all: “Those who want privileges keep reminding us that their fathers were the first to go to school in London.” So it does not matter if your father was the first Lawyer or first Doctor in Nigeria but rather what matters is what an individual does with the talents the Almighty has given to him……… All we craving for is a merit-driven society

  12. Well, Dr Okafor i commend ur effort on ur write up but u still have a long way to go as regard the rudiments of History of Nigeria precisely the Yorubas. Really, i am not in support of Fani Kayode but still u still need to go back to records.

    • Dr Okafor mentioned that the Benin first did this and that and not the Yorubas, what a disappointment from a person who supposed to know more about history, go and check the Benin history, have you ever heard of Oduduwa? have you ever heard of Oba of Benin, Olu of Warri, etc, check the history, he made a great mistake about that that will get real historians laughing their heads out, we don’t even know if the man (Okafor) is real, just like most of them, even their grandfather had used fictitious name to publish a book in order to distort history,but to be real with you all –
      Leave! for God’s sake, just leave!!, we’ll give you right to your properties, please just leave!!!!!! go away!!!!!!! we are tired of you, go with your Biafra, don’t be afraid of Danjuma, they are also ready to let you go, just leave!!!!!! Go with Niger Delta if they agree to go with you, go drink your crude oil! or shale oil or whatever you have!!!! we can’t tolerate you any longer, please leave!!!!!!! we are happy with whatever we have and our way of life, let us be!!!!!!

  13. dis is hw it usually start,,,one stupid man bringing confusion,hatred and we are been used,,,,all he wants is jst to create enemity among de ibos and yorubas.May God help us and put all our enemies to shame…i mean dat Femi Fani Kayode.

  14. The points the writer made need no further clarification in as much as one is not reading with his anus. If u are not clarified, do urself some good and google it up, is dat no simple? Better still, look for an english teacher. To our yoruba brethren, pls wake up from your slumber and be guided by objectivity. This is 21st century!

  15. The points the writer made need no further clarification in as much as one is not reading with his anus. If u are not clarified, do urself some good and google it up, is dat not simple? Better still, look for an English teacher. To our yoruba brethren, pls wake up from your slumber and be guided by objectivity. This is 21st century!

  16. A̶̲̥̅♏ a core Igbo Boy! Igbo Boys no D̶̲̥̅̊ε̲̣̣̣̥γ̲̣̣̥ carry last. Sir I honour U̶̲̥̅. Ibu nwa Afo Igbo. Forget this Chipmunks Called Yoruba pipo. FFK and his fellow dumb Ass brothers and sister. I can see the writing rubbish here. Ha bu ndi Ara. LASGIDI na wetin? NO MANS LAND. I guess the last time I check Lagos sign post ЩĦÂŦ$ I saw is! THIS IS LAGOS. BUT in my land IGBO LAND I do see WELCOME to IMO STATE. Just to prove to yorubas dat Lagos aint anybodys own as a matter Ø̶̷̩̥̊͡Ƒ̶̷̩̥̊͡ fact IGBO Dominated it so there is nothing U̶̲̥̅ pipo can do other that to lick my Ass. Losers.

  17. Interesting how the Yorubas and Igbos have recently openly displayed the height of their arrogance and stupidity b4 an entire world of sane, responsible, reasonable & intelligent people. While these fools engage themselves in the battle of superiority (who’s most or 1st educated) the Hausa man who u both so despise has determined, influenced & even (almost) shaped (to their advantage of course) the destiny of a nation u all lay claim to. It’s a shame that for well over half a century these ‘so called’ less most educated lot have determined who became what or held what office amongst ur dumb ‘intellectuals’ who beg to hold or keep their positions. You all must be stupid to think that the world is moved by who got where 1st, nay, the world have gone past that stage cos age only gives u leverage 4 a time. So all u dump assholes better get ur acts 2gether & face reality. None of u is better than the other as there’s no evidence whatsoever to support all ya dumb ass superiority theory. I’m so sick of a bunch of people who still think within ethnic lines in this age and time where minorities are rising up and taking charge because they’re driven by passion, goals & will while the so called majorities are continuosly dragged backwards by their lazy & arrogant sense of entitlements. Well, goodluck as u watch the minorities take over & rule over you.

  18. Hmmm….Nice write-up Doc but I’m surprised you allowed yourself to be dragged into this mess created by those who rely heavily on “my papa na dis or dat”. Anyways, Equanoh Olaodah in his write up described the southern part of Nigeria which could actually be anywhere from Ilorin to Port-Harcourt but the fact remains that his name remains a Yoruba name. (pronounced “Eku anaan, Olaodaa” meaning; …like greeting someone as regards what happen yesterday and hoping tomorrow will be better or great.)
    I am A NIGERIAN, I am a BLACK MAN, I AM AN AFRICAN and I’m proud to be one.
    It’s just so unfortunate that we NIGERIANS especially this generation, are still allowing the mistakes of our fathers to keep us in bondage!
    Like a professor once said that his own generation has failed this country and this generation is dead on arrival !!
    If we continue to allow tribalism dictate the pace, I’m sorry this country will NOT move forward but like you rightly put it in your last paragraph what we need is a MERIT driven society where achievement will celebrated and determined by how many lives you impacted positively and not only MONEY!!
    If we establish a merit driven society where all states, all tribes,even villages are adequately developed with the resources God has blessed this country with, I tell you every one will be comfortable to stay in our state and we will then have a healthy competition where each will be known for one good thing or the other.
    What I would advice is on how to move this Country forward.
    A lot of jobless youths out there….
    God bless Nigeria!!!!!!!

    • I laugh, where did you read your own, surely not google. It was stated specifically in his autobiography that he was of Igbo descent. please don’t try to misinterpreted or change facts, google it and read please.

      • An ancient Igbo name. Similar to ikwuano, the “I” was replaced with “E” as was done in some English words like “England”, “endanger” and the ‘kw’ replaced with ‘q’ as an English man will spell it. there is no link to claim Eku Anaan with his name, the difference is obvious. As for his surname “Olaudah”, in Igbo language, “ola” is diamond and Udah is locally made hunting tool like a catapult used by kids to hunt rabbits and little animals. So Olaudah means something like a diamond catapult.

  19. Dr Samuel Okafor,i duff my hat for you.may your likes in Nigeria never go into extinction.God bless you for that little history lecture.oh my God History is an interesting course when you listen to those who know what they studied.God bless u.chioma o. Anorue

  20. Well. Dr. Okafor has done a wonderful job but the question is did he go that far to bare his tribal tatoos or he was on a mission of unveiling the truth.I’m also bothered by the gargatuan display of ethnic bigotry by commenters.Obviously,we were not supposed to be a country.

    • He wouldn’t have replied Femi if the Yorubas had ignored or cautioned him, but the Yorubas instead saw Femi as a true son, a champion and taunted the igbos. The is just a humble pill for those who were too overwhelmed by Femi’s display of his crass ignorance.

  21. Whether the Ibos or Igbos like it or not the Yoruba tribe is far better off any tribe because for the fact someone is a prof in a field does mean he’s the best. What have all the ibos professors contributed to the humanity locally and internationally compare to the Yorubas?

    • You have shown your crass ignorance again. International igbos and Yorubas in all ramifications of life who has done more? The father of Internet, or Okonjo Iweala, Chinua Achebe, former Secretary General, common wealth; Emeka’s Anyaoku, the former deputy Secretary General of world health organization; professor Emeka’s Opara etc. please read your history well o.

    • oga keep quiet!!!!! you should bury your head in shame,you yorubas always feel that you are more superior to other tribes,people are finding a solution to the issue on ground you are saying stupid things, oti e mo ro so rara,get lost!! FOOOOOOOLLLLLL!!!!!!!

      • We need to face reality here, there can never be love between the three major ethnic groups in Nigeria, there can be intermarriage, business cooperation, political alliance etc, but love? Not at all, we’ve been resenting ourselves for close to half a century, passing hatred from one generation to another, things on ground needs to be settled, not through blogs, articles etc, let’s take our leaders to the task, it is part of the reason they are there, if things have to happen it should not be the way of former Yugoslavia where two different ethnic groups colluded to get rid of one, or the case of Bosnia etc, it all started from street corners, to the TV, and eventually got into the head of some far righthard ethnic nationalists who happened to be influential. there is no LOVE in Nigeria, that is the fact, and the love can’t be created or generated, there must be a way out, please let everyone from every corner of the country talk to their member representing them in the house of assembly about this, what is the way out? Some of you will insult me, but the truth is we can’t just go on like this, Nigeria is not moving forward, then what’s the point of being Nigeria? I know this might upset some people, but Nigeria is a land of many nations, not just of the three major ethnic groups, and I don’t think the minority ethnic groups will like to be under any major one if Nigeria is divided because of their experiences with being with others, so Nigeria will probably divide into more than sixteen nations, we’ve got work to do my people, because we can’t just go on like this, the hatred is there and blaming one another doesn’t bring love, it’s only a matter of time before something bad starts happening, and I don’t think any person of each ethnic on this forum that will not retaliate if something happens to their kinsmen, because all I see is hatred from all sides, and people without proper home training trading insults to people they don’t even know existed on both sides, it’s a show of a shame to the world of how barbaric we truly are.

  22. Hhmm , action and reaction are equal and opposite, a beg let us draw a line to the tribal bigotry and luk for a solution to the problems facing this country. Tribal sentiments and ethnocentrism has become the order of the day, how do U think it ‘ll help Nigeria as a nation?

  23. You’ve all said it all, but if you think this is the end, you have surely not known the Yorubas, they will wait fit you even if it takes 20 tears yo get back at you, these people always laugh off premature celebration which is the reason they always laughs best, pls let’s be careful about all these, if you know Obasanjo well, you will know how Yorubas are, they always rake their time to get back at people, my brothers, we’ve got so much to loose, let’s embrace peace, the Yorubas are well crafted in the art of turning others against their enemy, it is too premature for tongue wagging, hmm mum!!! I know what i’m talking about,these people might not reply now but hmmmmm!!!!!!, have u hear any of their learned and influencial people talking ? Except big mouth FFK, No they won’t, because they want to surprise, pls be close to your friends and closer to your enemies, that’s what people should do now and not braggados.

    • Rico, god bless u cos check YorubaS coment nt sentimentAl but advise.but igbo coment here like (Alvin) too insulting,tribalistic.hw do we move ds country 4ward?,is it by tribalis sentiment?.if igbos want to b tribalistics by d time d YorubaS is done u wl agree the YorubA ar d best.who ar d most tolerance pple in Nigeria region,ethnics wise?.I thiNk other shuld emulate yorubas idea of relating wit other tribe so we can hv peace n progress in every part of d country.

      • Please refer back to FFK’s articles and see how your people reacted. I have never seen any other tribe in Nigeria ridicule another tribe the way FFK and the Yoruba commentators did. It is funny now that u deemed it fit to say I’m tribalistic whereas you were celebrating Femi’s articles some days back and berating the ibos for lacking suitable contenders. I can now see the kind of a champion FFK is, champion of ignorance.

        • @Alvin your statements and arguments remains articulative and substantial. I salute you! I see a great personality in you. Keeping soaring high. One love!

      • @Essien, i was beginning to love the way you put your former comment together and was about to commend your sense if reasoning, then you showed through your last comment what you are made of, your inability to see things from others experience now makes me an empty vessel, good you made such comment, i have forgiven you, as you did not realise getting closer to ones enemy is the best way to strategize, then we follow you and see if getting too far will win it. Keep reigning insults on me if you like, that is the difference between the way i was brought up and your way, at least I was well trained.

  24. The age long unjustifiable and misleading assumptions and claims of our southwestern compatriots especially in the areas of education is a demonstration of ignorance and outright self-deceit when one takes into account the happenstances and the history of the southeasterners before the civil war and in recent years.Over the years I hv laughed at the outrageous claim that Ekiti state and the entire yorubaland have more professors bla bla bla!

  25. The age long unjustifiable and misleading assumptions and claims of our southwestern compatriots especially in the areas of education is a demonstration of ignorance and outright self-deceit; when one takes into account the happenstances and the history of the southeasterners before the civil war and in recent years.Over the years I hv laughed at the outrageous claim that Ekiti state and the entire yorubaland have more professors bla bla bla! When it comes 2 practical data,records and reality,it is obvious that such claims are blatant falsehood.

  26. Some of dis people mentioned ar dead, hv we stoped 2 ask ar selfs where their soul rest 2day? With all their Education, their is no tribe in hevean or hell, we ar 1 b4 GOD ar End is important 2 GOD. Think about that.

  27. Igbo, hausa nd yoruba we hav better tinz ahead, remember d writer says ‘i get am b4 no b property’, so lets make 2moa brighter dan yesterday,, we re all nigerians so let lift it up, all dis cn never move us forward,, we re called ‘ d giant of africa’ bt d country is ntin 2 write abt….. REMEMBER, ME ND U NEED each other!

  28. Knowledge is not a companion of the blind neither a food for the ego-centrics. Dr. Okafor submission can be seen as a correspondence theorem of reality embedded in actual truth that Nigerians must accept. The truth sell itself despite odds of the Ekpa (urhobo word). I personally salute the scholar on this time out to correct errors of the educated illiterate who only means of gaining certificate is through bribing and corruption. He spoke the truth supported with indisputable facts. Best Regards; OVIEStOTLE: founder of ocean oracle

    • Mr Oviestotle, I quite agree with you, this brings to question how FFK collected his certificates; cos people like them,had their fathers’ names doing stuffs for them,out of favours or blackmails. God help us!!!!

  29. Yorubas are a set of people that know when they are @ fault. There is no need to drag this,the writer is learned n he backed his claims with facts and sources;a tactical thing in the academia;Dr Okafor,U’ve earned d respect of the learned society with your piece.If FFK came out like this;maybe d story wld av bn diff.He started ds,he shld reply.Wot we know is dt we wnt a better Nigeria whre politicians will b true to their pple. Both tribes av bad eggs in them,yoruba n ibo alike. So people stop calling each oda names n let’s c FFK as sme1 dt jst wnted 2 tlk. Guess he apologised to d Ladies he mentioned. Wsnt a gd thing to mention names even if they were yorubas. We all @ a point had smethn to do with oda tribes in difff capacities. So Mr FFK, u strtd ds, pls fnsh it n dnt drag yoruba into it; it is ur tlk nt d yorubas, U jst brt sme kind of embarrassment to our people

    • @Abiola, I love u for your unbiased and honest submission! It pays to be straight, just and sincere no matter who is involved whether your mom, your dad or brother; the truth should always be told. I’m not Ibo but I hate when truth is twisted and yet people just because is a man from their tribe support it. This is not how we excel as a country. Fani Kayode has erred and is completely on his own not dragging the whole Yoruba race into his shit: concted account of history with the aim to cajole and incite hatred; then worst of its kind is the mentioning of individuals names to showcase his stupidity. I stand for one Nigeria where peace, unity and sincerity reigns supreme!

    • Good talk. Let d so called Fani Kayode reply this Dr. Okafor. Yorubas and Igbos are leaving happily 2geda and he shudnt use this to spoil dat r/ship. Both tribes has contributed immensily to development of Lagos & Nija in general. If any tribe leaves Lagos state, Lagos will suffer. Lets leave as one country or else if we cant, lets separate peacifully.

  30. This historical hullaballo would not have arise if our successive governments in Nigeria had realised the importance of history in our educational curriculum.Nigerian students should be compelled to study nigerian history up to a level.This would make them to know and appreciate where they are coming from.And to a great extent we would appreciate ourselves the more as a people.

  31. What I like most about this article is the recognition of other minority ethnic groups, where they excelled, unlike what Femi did, portraying the Yorubas as the “alpha and Omega”. He went on to state that the Bini’s might be the first educated even though it was not recorded. He tutored us of the Great Benin Empire, that conquered southern Nigeria from the 15th to 19th century. I’m proud of my Bini heritage. Dr Okafor thank you for the sincere history lecture, thank you for making me a proud Bini boy.

  32. Thanks Dr Okarfor 4 this gr8 piece of work,i was waiting 4 a day like this when someone will come up with facts like we have in this write up to either prove or disprove d falsehood being peddled by some yoruba chauvinists that they are more educated than d Ibos,and here comes this!Let those with discerning mind read and be guided accordingly.

  33. I own a Student Recruitment outfit with contract with over 14 educational institutes in the USA, the United Kingdom and EU states.The empiricism of my recruitment data reveals that %70 percent of students undertaking Msc, Masters and PHD levels of education in these schools are Ibos.Recently the number of Non-Ibos inflated owing to the amnesty offered to the South South militants.What is notable in this statistics is that Ibo students did not go on scholarship like most of their counterparts.To verify these facts, browse into any school in the UK or the USA via Facebook, like their international recruitment page which gives you access to their interactive blog.Spend sometime there and you will know that these Ibos are really hardworking.

    • http://tl.gd/n_1rlvlgp this is the first chapter of his own autobiography where he described his root, from his name Olaudah, meaning fortune and a confident voice. In Igbo language, ola means diamond which is fortune and Udah boldness, courage. He stated he was from the Eboe (ibo) which is synonymous with his way of spelling many things that are not English that starts with ‘I’, replacing ‘I’ with ‘E’. To further clear you, he said their direct neighbors from the southwestern part of their community who do business with them were called Oye Eboe ( onye Igbo), He further gave the geographical location of his town, using Benin as his ‘north pole’ (point of reference) and from what he gave, it’s evident it is in Ibo land. He also talked about how they count years, that they call years ah-affoe. Which is same with Igbo language, spelt affor, taken cognisanse of his use of ‘oe’ for ‘o’ as in Eboe and now ah-affoe. He talked about libation done with part of the meat from their meal and wine before eating, pouring them on the floor and calling the ancestors, exactly the way the ibos do it. Then lastly he re emphasizes on the similarities between his race and the Jews, adding that their culture were similar further stating that despite the colouration of the skin, his tribe might be descendants of the Jews. This claim is symnonimous with the ibos, which over years had likened themselves with the Jews in tradition and behavior. I think I have cleared you enough, we are all learning, thank me later.

    • http://tl.gd/n_1rlvlgp this is the first chapter of his own autobiography where he described his root, from his name Olaudah, meaning fortune and a confident voice. In Igbo language, ola means diamond which is fortune and Udah boldness, courage. He stated he was from the Eboe (ibo) which is synonymous with his way of spelling many things that are not English that starts with ‘I’, replacing ‘I’ with ‘E’. To further clear you, he said their direct neighbors from the southwestern part of their community who do business with them were called Oye Eboe ( onye Igbo), He further gave the geographical location of his town, using Benin as his ‘north pole’ (point of reference) and from what he gave, it’s evident it is in Ibo land. He also talked about how they count years, that they call years ah-affoe. Which is same with Igbo language, spelt affor, taken cognisanse of his use of ‘oe’ for ‘o’ as in Eboe and now ah-affoe. He talked about libation done with part of the meat from their meal and wine before eating, pouring them on the floor and calling the ancestors, exactly the way the ibos do it. Then lastly he re emphasizes on the similarities between his race and the Jews, adding that their culture were similar further stating that despite the colouration of the skin, his tribe might be descendants of the Jews. This claim is symnonimous with the ibos, which over years had likened themselves with the Jews in tradition and behavior. You should also note that he was kidnapped at age eleven without any form of education. so for him to be able to write to the level he wrote after over 30years he was kidnapped, shows super intelligence. He might not be very perfect with pronunciations and some descriptions, and language pronunciations evolve over years. I think I have cleared your doubt, thank me later.

  34. Should the Igbos leave so that the Yorubas can develop their ‘home’? So that they can develop by building shopping centers, hotels and restaurants (little or no industries). During the Massob strike some time ago Lagos was so quiet, economic stand still. They were begged to resume activities.
    The Benins are NOT Yorubas or like Yorubas and do not appreciate that kind of insult. Edoisiagbon! Pls keep your grime. WE know our history. Lie to yourselves.

  35. Business activities are not growing in the National capitals because of the people there but the cause of the structural and economic advantage they offer to enterprising people. No Yorubas are not tolerant of strangers in their midst. They are rude and disdainful. It is the other tribes that are tolerant because they know they are not there for social reasons.
    @ Rico Yorubas don’t know what revenge is. They only know attack. They under estimate others so when revenge comes it always stings them in the ass.
    An inferiority complex feeds on a sense of superiority for any feeling of self esteem. You can imagine what damage the truth does to a sense of self worth based on illusions. Dream on maggots.

    • @Benin girl, Sister,you just wake up? I have left the forum, as far as I am concerned, they can go on insulting themselves, it doesn’t resolve the problem, I need to go to work in the morning, thank God I don’t have to work with any of them, non of them is without fault, only a neutral person can actually see it, Wether it’s Yoruba or Igbo, i don’t pray for any of them to be my boss or colleague again. These people, i have seen all of them well well, dem get the same character, no wonder dem no gree, before I got eaten, good night.

  36. We should just encourage merit and hardwork.However,there shud b alternatives for those that cannot stand competition…a situation wia we prefer tribalism and nepotism to competence won’t help us as a nation.I pray for an egalitarian Nigeria…God bless us
    all

  37. U guys need to research more. To be dogmatic is a cataclysmic disease . Google so dat u can know more abt the history of ur nation. Am so happy as i read this article. Seeing u guys defending ur culture. Some of commentedout of ignorance ans selfcenteredness while some are realisitic in dere comment. D essence of objective truth can neva be eliminated. Dont be guided by subjective trurh.

  38. Thank you Dr. Samuel Okafor for re-educating that drug-ridden Cambridge graduate with an empty head, Femi (I don’t know his surname again since his father had to change his surname because of his grandfather’s criminal acts and dispositions) but unfortunately was a Minister of the Federal Republic of Nigeria. Iam really not surprised he tried to historically mislead feeble mentality who had applauded him over his drug-induced tribalistic discourse. As a lawyer so many times I wonder the type of Lawyer that man is? When I remember he is riding only on what his was was and was not, I come to the real conclusion that the man is a dangerous simpleton and in street language a ‘nobody’.