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IGBIN MUSICAL TRADITION IN YORUBA CULTURE 

 

Kayode M. Samuel  

Institute of African Studies, 

University of Ibadan 

 

& 

 

Jonathan A. Olapade 

Department of Music 

Emmanuel Alayande College of Education, Oyo 

 

 

 

 

ABSTRACT 

The Yoruba of South-western Nigeria like many African societies since the pre-colonial era 

have paid great attention to their cultural practices including traditional worship of deities 

such as sango, osun, esu, ogun, obatala and so forth. In the Yoruba worldview, religious 

worship remains a major avenue of communing and renewing relationship with the spirit 

world in order to maintain cosmological equilibrium. Activities connected with act of 

worship often involve the use of music and musical instruments. While much is known about 

numerous Yoruba traditional drums such as the dundun, bata, bembe, gbedu and so forth, 

little is known about igbin musical performances in the society. This paper, therefore, 

examines igbin orisa musical tradition and its place in Yoruba society. The igbin ensemble 

consists of three drums namely iyaalu, omele-ako and omele-abo. Besides the usual musical 

function, the ensemble typifies the family as the central unit upon which the Yoruba society 

is anchored. Effects of acculturation resulting in a shift from traditional worship to other 

religions especially Christianity and Islam as well as erosion of societal values were also 

identified. Drawing examples from the organisation and performance practices of Igbin 

music in Yoruba culture, the paper argues that African musicology could make more 

meaningful contributions including knowledge preservation and promotion of African 

cultural heritage beyond mere documentation which had hitherto characterised the discipline. 

 

INTRODUCTION 

The Yoruba of South-western Nigeria are a people with rich and much cherished traditions 

and customs. Right from the pre-colonial era, the people have placed great importance to 

worship not for the fear of punishment by the deities on any reprobate or disobedience to the 

norms of the land, but more importantly in order to promote peace, tranquillity as well as 

Awka Journal of Research in Music and the Arts (AJRMA) Vol. 9 2013 



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harmonious relationship. According to Vidal (1976), ancestral worship and practices of the 

Yoruba show great reverence to the Supreme Being known as Olodumare on the one hand, 

and accord due respect to the living dead on the other.  

 

In the Yoruba worldview, the world is heavily surrounded by spiritual beings through which 

mortals make requisitions and supplications to the Almighty. In the same vein, humans seek 

the support of their ancestors based on the belief that humans cannot commune directly with 

God. To this end, the Yoruba, by and large, engage in the worship of various deities and also 

pay attention to various prescriptions pertaining to religious worship. These are carried out as 

a means of communing and renewing relationship with the spirit world as well as providing 

avenue for maintaining cosmological equilibrium. As part of the Yoruba traditional 

jurisprudence, an individual may be made to swear by ile (land), ori (destiny) or by his/her 

ancestors when an allegation of a crime is committed secretly, with the belief that some form 

of impartial judgement will be spiritually meted by the deities. 

Yoruba deities are numerous. Neimak (1993) and Johnson (1921) opined that there are as 

many as four hundred and one Yoruba deities, while Olawole (2005) suggested that they are 

about two hundred and one. Vidal (1976) identified some of the various deities around which 

rituals are held; the principal ones being Obatala (god of creativity), Obaluaye (god of small 

pox), Elegbara or Esu (the trickster god), Sango (god of thunder and lightning), Ibiojo (god 

of rain) Yemoja or Olokun (goddess of seas and oceans), Ogun (god of iron), and Orisa-oko 

(god of harvest) among others. Adesokan (1998) noted that ancestral spirits are summoned 

by drums supported by frequent alteration of different vocal patterns such as orisa-pipe, esa 

or iwi sometimes overlapping in responsorial format.  

Omojola (2010) stated that appropriate drums must be used for each particular Orisa (deity) 

otherwise the devotees might incur the wrath of their tutelary deity.  For instance, the ipese 

drums and agogo (bells) are played for Ifa, bata drums for Sango, gbedu drums are used for 

announcing the passage of a king into the ancestral world just as the drum also symbolises 

royalty as well as authority. Agba Iledi is a set of drums used by members of ogboni cult. In 

the same vein, agere drums are played to accompany isipa ode (hunter‟s funeral ceremony) 

while apase is played during the annual oro festival wherein the bull roarer features 

prominently. The worship of Obatala involves praises of the deity accompanied with igbin 

drums as well as rendition of songs.  

Omojola (2006) described these cultural practices and musical performances as largely 

indigenous to various communities in Nigeria with their origins and identities traced back to 

pre-colonial era. It is instructive to note that radical changes have occurred in Nigeria‟s 

cultural practices since the advent of Islam and Christianity which represent both sides of 

colonial divides. Consequently, many of the notable traditional institutions have become 

completely eroded, relegated to the background or greatly modified. 

Islam brought in Arabic culture as evident in vocal music renditions, forms and styles and 

most of all the introduction of musical instruments including the alghaita (African oboe) and 

string instruments such as goge, molo and kuntigi (Euba, 1977; Vidal, 1988). Christianity, on 

its part led to the introduction of Euro-Western music as well as the banning of Nigerian 



189 

 

indigenous musical instruments for divine services (Ekwueme, 1974 and Samuel, 2009). 

Indeed, these traditional musical instruments were labelled „Satanic‟ and Christian 

missionaries seriously preached against many traditional practices such as ancestral worship, 

polygamy, visitations to and seeking some form of assistance from diviners and so forth. In 

addition, Christianity also used mission schools and churches to introduce melo-drama, stage 

singing, and congregational singing (Vidal, 1986 and Akpabot, 1986), choral and group 

singing accompanied with the organ, which were much different from typical African mode 

of performance (mainly characterised by responsorial style). The situation became more 

pronounced with the advent of Afro-American and Afro-Caribbean popular music aided by 

the returnees (Omojola, 1994). 

Daramola (2001) identified some of the notable changes in the present day music industry as 

including the use of electronic musical instruments to create digitally simulated sound and 

accompaniment, which he labelled „Mr. Machine‟. Olaleye (2009) noted that to a great 

extent, this made many who considered themselves as elite to dump their rich cultural music 

practices in favour of westernised music. The result was the emergence of new Nigerian 

„pop‟ musical traditions including genres such as highlife, juju, blues, afro-rock, afrobeat, 

reggae and of recent, hip-pop and so forth, which is enjoying tremendous patronage among 

the younger generation. 

Technological advancement in music and musical instruments also made the interest of the 

Nigerian youth to divert from traditional music as well as from the norms and values of the 

society in which they feel estranged. These became greatly manifested in young men wearing 

long hairs and ear rings, while their female counterparts unconventionally choose to engage 

in indecent mode of dressing and craving for outlandish dress and hair-style in addition to 

slangs and queer speeches. Besides, one cannot neglect the positive influences of 

westernisation. It brought among other benefits, literacy and formal education in which 

music is part of the education. This, no doubt, has helped the African musicologists in 

studying their traditional musical materials and other cultural practices leading to its better 

understanding from international communities.  

Although the influence of Islam, Christianity and westernisation in form of modernisation 

have not totally eroded Yoruba cultural practices, it is however evident that they have left 

indelible marks on them including music. The only form of music that has largely retained its 

originality is traditional music. Many of the traditional musical genres especially those used 

in rituals and for the worship of various deities are still very much intact and they are still 

being practised in their unique state in the post-colonial Nigeria. 

Traditional Music in Post-Colonial Yoruba Society 

In spite of the numerous effects of acculturation resulting in a shift from traditional worship 

to other religions especially Christianity and Islam, some individuals have remained 

adherents (albeit secretly) of traditional worship and take part in various activities during the 

worship. Ayankojo (2009) recorded traditional worships and their worship periods in Oyo 

town. According to this calendar, Ifa is celebrated in the month of April, while the sixth day 

after Ifa celebration marks the commencement of igbin-orisa also known as Obatala 

celebration in the month of May. The annual egungun celebration commences on the 



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seventeenth day after the celebration of Obalala festival between the months of June and 

July. Afolabi (1998) also had observed earlier that oro festival comes up immediately after 

the egungun festival. According to a tradition, egungun and oro were close friends during 

their life time. Ogun annual celebration comes up in the month of October and it is followed 

by oke festival.  

 

Nowadays, some Yoruba traditional festivals such as Osun-Osogbo in Osun State, ojude-oba 

in Ijebu-Ode, Ogun State, eyo festival in Lagos State and iyamopo festival in Igbeti, Oyo 

State amongst others have attracted much international attention. All these attest to the fact 

that the contemporary Yoruba still place much premium on traditional festivals as well as 

musical activities which accompany them. Indeed, some of the towns and cities hosting these 

festivals have become tourist centres. In the same vein, many of the foregoing festivals have 

received considerable scholarly attention as well as the musical instruments with which each 

of them are celebrated. While much is known about numerous Yoruba traditional drums such 

as the dundun, bata, bembe, gbedu and so forth, little is known about igbin musical 

performances in Yoruba society. This paper, therefore, discusses igbin orisa music and its 

significance in post-colonial Yoruba society. 

Igbin-orisa Worship (Obatala): An Overview 
Myth has it that Obatala is Yoruba divinity of creativity. Adelowo (1990), Washington 

(2005), Tamara (2006) and Daramola (2007) among others affirmed that he is believed to 

have assisted Olodumare in the creation of man. In a similar view, Olawole (2005) stated that 

Obatala assisted in moulding human body with clay, after which Olodumare gave life to the 

moulded body. Historically speaking, Olodumare gave ase (authority) to all the divinities and 

sent them to go and create the earth. Obatala led other divinities to descend from heaven 

with the aid of a strong iron chain known as ateworo at Ile-Ife the spiritual headquarters of 

the Yoruba. Obatala is, thus regarded among the Yoruba as Orisa-ala „the great deity‟. 

Daramola (2007) recorded that each divinity has specific colour(s) by which it is identified or 

associated. For example, funfun (white) scientifically reflects all colours when projected as 

light. It thus symbolises cleanliness, purity, transparency, forthrightness and peace and this is 

what Obatala is believed to stand for. He is regarded as „Orisa funfun’. Neimak (1993) also 

submitted that most Yoruba deities are associated with one form of totem or the other. Some 

of the animals by which Obatala is represented include chameleon, gorilla and elephant. 

Neimak further submitted that elephants possess long life, while gorilla is regarded as the 

most intelligent animal. The ability of chameleon to change its colour at will as a device to 

avoid being ensnared by its predators is not in doubt; and these are some of the attributes of 

Obatala. According to a devotee in Oyo, Obatala is capable of providing solutions to every 

problem and this is why adherents worship him. He is believed to possess power to heal the 

sick, cure barrenness in women seeking the fruit of womb, bring about rainfall so the land 

could bring forth bountiful harvest, assist worshippers in their various endeavours and also 

drive away all forms of evil. As a god of purity, Obatala only accepts true worship which 

requires a righteous attitude from his worshippers.  

It is the tradition of every devotee to offer prayers and sacrifices to gods while some 

communities organise periodic festivals to worship deities. Omojola (2006) identified some 



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forms of traditional worships. These include ose, itadogun and odun. Ose is observed every 

five days, while itadogun is observed every seventeen days. Odun is the most elaborate and it 

is an annual celebration. However, in Obatala worship observed by these investigators in 

Agboorako compound in Oyo, four dimensions of the worship were identified. The first is 

being ojoojumo (daily worship). It is personal and observed every morning at a designated 

individual/private shrine in individual homes immediately a priest/devotee wakes up, most 

often before the worshipper speaks to anybody. The second is ororun (every five days). It is 

also personal and held individually in the homes of the priests/devotees, usually between 

10a.m. and 12noon along with the family members, relatives and friends that are around. The 

third level is called itadogun (every seventeen days). This takes place at the home of aare 

(chief priest) and it is more of congregational worship of priests and devotees. The last 

(fourth) and most elaborate level is the annual worship known as irawe. The actual date is 

only determined after due consultation with Ifá priest to seek divine guidance as to the most 

favourable date for the commencement and celebration of the festival. Approval for this 

event is often granted by the Oluwo, the ifa chief priest and it is customary that the support of 

other deities in the town is enlisted in order to ensure a successful outing.  

Consultations are also made to find out items required by each of the deities before the 

commencement of the festival. The celebration of Obatala festival often lasts seventeen days. 

The irawe worship is of two sessions - the performance of rituals (privately done) and the 

actual celebration, which involves public spectacle. The worship is important to the people 

because it reflects the people‟s way of life and their belief system. The time of worship is 

seen as the time to invoke God‟s blessings, seek protection against ills such as epidemic 

diseases, untimely deaths and barrenness. It also serves as time to make inquiry about causes 

of one problem or the other as well as bring priests and people together, to maintain 

equilibrium within the society and ensure social control. Some of the materials for sacrifice 

during the worship include: obi-abata (a special kola nut), igbin (snail), ori (shea butter), eko 

(pap) and efun (chalk). With regard to the component of music, the worship of Obatala is 

considered incomplete without the use of igbin drum ensemble. 

Igbin-orisa Music 

The place of music in religious worship cannot be over-emphasised. Omojola (2006) 

observed that music in traditional worship occupies a pivotal role either as a solemn, sacred 

ritual rendition, or as a flamboyant celebratory performance which is open and accessible to 

all and sundry. Musical performances in this context tend to be the mediator between the 

human and spirit worlds in charge of maintaining social control. 

Laoye (1973), Adesokan (1998), Daramola (2007) and Omojola (2010) among other scholars 

affirmed that Obatala‟s special music is igbin. An informant revealed that igbin is a 

symbolically deified drum used during Obatala„s life time and accompanied him wherever 

he went and consequently, it became his interpreter. To date, igbin drum ensemble remains 

the principal music played during the worship of Obatala especially during the ritual 

ceremonies. At one of the worship sessions witnessed by the investigators, an excerpt of 

deity invocation by the Obatala chief chanter (elegun) confirms the importance of igbin 

music in Obatala worship. 

Example 1: 



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Eeposa! Eeepoosaa!! Eeeeepooosaaaaa!!! 

Eni o lugbin lo gbo n torisa nwi 

Oko arugbo ko jomo oku 

Irunmole tutu nini 

Oko arugbo ko jomo onu lode 

Okunrin demudemu bi a alu iya agere 

Eegun alaso funfum mama je n nu mo o lowo o 

 

Translation 

Eeposa! Eeepoosa!! Eeeeepooosa!!! (Salutation) 

It is only the player of Igbin drum that understands the deity‟s message 

The old woman‟s husband will prevent the child from dying 

The cool-headed deity 

The old woman‟s husband that keeps a child from going amiss in a public place 

The man of valour, skilful as agere drummer 

The Masquerade in white attire; please, keep me from.  

 

Igbin is a cylindrical single-headed membrane drum. According to Akpabot (1986), the set of 

drums constituting the ensemble were named after Obatala‟s four wives; Iya-nla, Iya-agan, 

keke and Afere.  Omojola (2010) opined that igbin music assumed a sacred status when the 

devotees adapted the drums to accompany sacred rites in honour of their deity, while 

Daramola (2007) described igbin music as portraying spotless white cloths in its simple 

rhythms with steady and moderate tempo coupled with calculated steady dance steps.  

Findings from this study however suggest a slightly different version of the foregoing 

tradition or notion. Our data confirmed that igbin ensemble consists of three drums namely 

iyaalu, omele-ako and omele-abo. Iyaalu-igbin is both a melodic cum melo-rhythmic 

instrument, which is capable of making proverbial and philosophical statements during 

performance. As the name implies, it is the mother in igbin ensemble and thus, the master 

talking drum. It leads, coordinates the movements by setting the pace for other drums during 

performances. Iyaalu-igbin often accompanies Orisa praise singing. Below is an excerpt in 

steady rhythmic patterns: Bo bu reke, bobu pee, Ifa tan. 

Example 2: 

 

 

Meaning: 
If it spoils, then Ifa is finished. 

The foregoing statement is allegorical; for it connotes much more than its literal meaning. 

„Bo bu reke’ means when something exceeds its elastic limit, while „bo bu pee, ifa tan’ 

means if it breaks, it is finished. It alludes to the fact that the peace of the community must be 



193 

 

well guarded; everyone would be negatively affected should social peace be threatened. 

Therefore, it is expedient for members of the community to strive to maintain harmonious 

relationship for the sake of all. In addition, the Yoruba traditionally believe that when the 

descendants of a family are well behaved and the family set up is peaceful, it is because there 

is no bastard in that family. Therefore, anyone who upholds societal and communal norms is 

regarded as a true son, while the other who misbehaves and foments trouble is regarded as a 

bastard. This is further reflected in one of the proverbial statements played by the iyaalu-

igbin: 

Example 3: 

 

 

Translation 

You are the true son of your father/2x 

You are not a bastard like that individual 

You are the true son of your father 

 

Iyaalu is played with straight stick usually on the right hand, while the left hand is used to 

either mute or muffle the sound and also to regulate the tempo. 

Omele-ako is the smallest drum in the ensemble. It is a single-headed conical shaped drum 

played with two sticks and produces a variety of rhythmic patterns. In the performance, 

Omele-ako acts as the forerunner; its role in the ensemble is more of fixed ostinato with 

occasional digression and improvisation. Omele-ako is thus referred to as „Omele isaaju’ 

(forerunner). It plays the role of standard rhythmic pattern by maintaining the pace set by the 

iyaalu for other drums in the ensemble. It acts as the nucleus of the ensemble. 

 

Example 4: 

 

Omele-abo on the other hand is a melo-rhythmic instrument. It is the female counterpart of 

omele-ako. As a female sounding drum, its sound production is softer than that of the male. 

They both look alike except that omele-abo is bigger in shape than omele-ako. It employs 

similar playing techniques with that of omele-ako. The depth of sound is one of the inherent 

features that distinguish it from its male counterpart. It is also a time keeper, but maintains 

different entry point from omele-ako. While the latter begins on the beat with its fixed 

ostinato, omele-abo starts off the beat sometimes using hocket techniques in terms of 



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rhythmic organisation. Sometimes, it imitates the rhythmic patterns of iyaaalu. An example 

of the rhythmic patterns produced by omele-abo during performance is illustrated below: 

Example 5: 

 

Meaning  

You are totally dull, 

You are very dull  

 

The above interpretation might appear insulting, but it merely suggests the personality of 

Obatala as a gentle and tolerant deity. It does not in any way signify that Obatala is stupid. 

The foregoing is better expressed in another Yoruba proverb that states: yiyo ekun, t’ojo ko. 

This means „the gentility of a tiger does not imply cowardice‟. Obatala is, thus a non-violent 

being. 

Omele-ako, and omele-abo are played with two straight sticks. The drums are usually played 

during the weekly (Ose-Osa) and Irawe (annual worship celebration of Obatala). Only 

Obatala priests are permitted to play igbin drum during worship sessions, ordinary 

worshippers are forbidden. The playing of igbin used to be the exclusive right of the chief 

priest (Aaje of Aaje family), as he was the person solely endowed with the authority to 

safeguard it in his shrine. However, the contemporary practice is that almost all the priests 

now have igbin kept in their individual shrines. As at the time this study was conducted, 

members of Aaje family were yet to nominate a new Aaje since the demise of the immediate 

past one. The implication of this is that the primary statutory responsibility of the family 

might soon go into oblivion if steps are not taken to elect a new Aaje. Indeed, the 

consequence might be grave in the light of a popular Yoruba adage: Oosa ti a ko ba fi han 

Omo, piparun ni yio parun. This means dereliction on the part of a generation to transmit its 

lineage tradition (in this case religious worship acts) to its successor would signal the end of 

such a custom. To this end, this age long tradition is gradually becoming an endangered 

species. If care is not taken to revive it, then it is bound to atrophy. 

The ceremonial aspect of the worship is characterised with singing, dancing and dinning 

accompanied with a combination of bata and dundun ensembles. Bata ensemble comprises 

iyaalu and a set of three secondary drums: omele abo, omele ako, kudi (all tied together) and 

a small drum known as the adamo. The dundun ensemble has iyáalù dùndún, omele-ako, 

omele-abo, kànàngó and gúdúgúdú as its members. 

Significance of Igbin-orisa Music in the Present day Nigeria 
The role of traditional music in ensuring socio-religious equilibrium in a society cannot be 

over-emphasised. This is because music remains a product of the people and an ever-present 

phenomenon in any given society. By and large, music addresses social, cultural, religious, 



195 

 

educational, political and economic needs of a society. The performance of igbin-orisa music 

particularly when the three aforementioned Yoruba drum ensembles - igbin, dùndún and bata 

combine is most spectacular. This has notable implications for the post colonial Nigerian 

society, which is presently crises-ridden. The gradual loss of once cherished patriotic acts of 

nationalism as evident in present day corrupt practices, religious bigotry, nepotism, tribalistic 

tendencies could be reversed if Nigerian citizens would imbibe the spirit of togetherness and 

oneness that characterise igbin-orisa music performance. Many of the societal values as 

contained in slogans such as unity in diversity, national rebirth and so forth should be 

inculcated into the younger generation right from childhood, with the older ones also living 

by examples.  

 

Secondly, it is important to note that Yoruba traditional membranophonic instruments are 

generally grouped into families. In other words, it is rare for them to adopt drums singly. The 

notion of family as a vital unit within the entire societal set up is very paramount to the 

Yorùbá. Each family of these ensembles has a principal instrument often referred to as ìyá 

(mother) played by the leader of the ensemble. This explains why the principal drum is 

known as ìyáàlù (mother drum) in most Yorùbá set of drums such as dùndún, bàtá, kète and 

bẹmbẹ. With regard to the dùndún ensemble, gúdúgúdú is referred to as the father, while the 

children in the family are omele ìsáájú, (supportive forerunner) and omele àtẹlé or ikẹhin 

(supportive follower). In the same vein, the bàtá set has omele akọ (secondary male) and 

omele abo (secondary female) drums. As the performance of music is important in igbin-

orisa worship celebration, so also are the roles and contributions of each member of the 

ensemble. The failure of a drummer to play his part properly as and when due, is bound to 

negatively affect not only the music performance, but also cause some form of dysfunction in 

the entire worship process. 

On the other hand, the conventional Western European household unit (nuclear family) 

comprises the father, mother, and children. This however is not usually the case in African 

culture. Specifically, the traditional Yorùbá family system favours the extended family set up 

wherein membership is not restricted to the aforementioned numbers, but extends to uncles, 

aunties, nephews, nieces and cousins as well as close relations who are all part and parcel of 

the family and are generally referred to as brothers and sisters. It is in the light of above that 

there are other supportive members of a drum ensemble or a mixture of two or more distinct 

instruments combined together. 

This practice is not limited to drumming or instrumentation alone, it seems to permeate the 

entire Yorùbá cultural fibre and governed by what is known as „the spirit of togetherness‟ or 

collective responsibility. This is well embedded and articulated in the following Yorùbá 

sayings: 

Kí á rìn, kí á pọ, Yíyẹ ní ny’ẹni, Walking together is complimentarily beautiful  

Ká f’ọwọ wẹ ọwọ, l’ọwọ fi nmọ, Both hands are cleaner when they are rubbed on each other 

Àjèjè ọwọ kan kò gbẹ igbá d’órí, A single hand cannot lift the calabash to the head 

Àgbájọ ọwọ lá fí nsọ’yà, In togetherness, lies our strength 

Àìrìnpọ ọmọ ejò ní nse’kú pa 

wọn. 

Snakes are most vulnerable to attacks by humans because they 

go their separate ways 



196 

 

 

All these can be summarised as “united we stand, divided we fall”. The basis for mutual co-

existence among members of any family therefore is governed by the concept of division of 

labour and leadership-followership operating within the spirit of team work. 

Conclusion 

The Yoruba, by and large, traditionally engage in worship of various deities such as Sango, 

Ogun, Obatala among others and pay attention to rules and regulations of religious worship. 

Indeed, religious worship remains a major avenue of communing and renewing relationship 

with the spirit world in order to maintain cosmological equilibrium for the attainment of 

peace in the community. This practice was more observed in the pre-colonial Nigerian 

society. However, despite the influences of foreign cultures and modernisation, the practise 

has survived till today. Most of the worship rites involve the use of music, with each deity 

having a specific drum ensemble associated to it. In other to avoid the wrath of these deities, 

appropriate music especially drum ensemble must be played.  

The Yoruba still place high premium on traditional worship. Igbin-orisa worship is the 

worship of Obatala with igbin drum ensemble containing iyaalu, omele-ako and omele-abo, 

rendition of songs as well as chants. Each of the drums in the ensemble has its specific 

musical line to be played during worship. The worship might not be accepted if any member 

of the team fails to play his role appropriately in order to ensure a successful outing. 

The contemporary Nigerians have a lot to learn from this practice in her bid to ensure a better 

nation. There is no gainsaying that the task of nation building involves every citizen. Each 

member is a team player, be it leaders or followers; everyone should endeavour to play 

his/her role to the best of one‟s ability. Moreover, Nigerians, in spite of their diverse ethnic 

groups and the fact that they speak different languages have been known for their warmness 

and peaceful co-existence. It is high time that modern Nigerians confronted myriads of 

challenges confronting them. This paper suggests that this is possible if the people would 

embrace the communal spirit and promote extended family system which once flourished in 

this nation, whereby members learned and accepted to live together as members of a larger 

(extended) family. 

 

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