𝗗𝗶𝗱 𝗬𝗼𝘂 𝗞𝗻𝗼𝘄 𝗕𝗮𝗹𝗮𝗿𝗮𝗯𝗮 𝗥𝗮𝗺𝗮𝘁 𝗬𝗮𝗸𝘂𝗯𝘂 (𝗕𝗼𝗿𝗻 𝟭𝟵𝟱𝟵) 𝗜𝘀 𝗔 𝗡𝗶𝗴𝗲𝗿𝗶𝗮𝗻 𝗔𝘂𝘁𝗵𝗼𝗿 𝗪𝗵𝗼 𝗪𝗿𝗶𝘁𝗲 𝗜𝗻 𝗛𝗮𝘂𝘀𝗮

She is a leader in the genre of littattafan soyayya or "love literature", and one of the very few Hausa-language writers whose work has been translated into English. She has also worked as a screenwriter, producer, and director of Kannywood films. Her stories have focused on issues such as forced marriages and women's education.

Balaraba Ramat Yakubu is the younger sister of General Murtala Ramat Muhammed, who briefly served as the military ruler of Nigeria from 1975 until his assassination in 1976.

At the age of 13, she was taken out of school and forced into an early marriage. She has said that this is the reason she writes in Hausa rather than English.

Balaraba Ramat started her career as the only woman member of the influential Kano-based writer's club Raina Kama. Her first novel, Budurwar Zuciya ("Young at Heart"), was published in 1987. Her second and third novels, Alhaki Kwikwiyo Ne... ("Sin Is a Puppy That Follows You Home") and Wa zai auri jahila? ("Who Will Marry an Ignorant Woman?"), followed in 1990. Alhaki Kwikwiyo Ne... was adapted into a film by Abdulkareem Muhammed in 1998.

An English translation of Alhaki Kuykuyo Ne..., Sin Is a Puppy That Follows You Home, was published in 2012 by Blaft Publications, an Indian publishing house, to positive reviews.

There is a literary prize named after her, the Balaraba Ramat Yakubu Literature Prize for Hausa dram.

Balaraba Ramat started producing film in 1990's with Wata Shari'ar and recently she wrote and produced Juyin Sarauta, a film that won about ten awards and received positive reviews from scholars and film experts.

"Balaraba Yakubu: Nigeria's Feminist Writers". Deutsche Welle. Retrieved 12 January 2018

GUINEA

Guinea, situated in West Africa, is home to a diverse population of nearly 13.5 million people. The country is divided into multiple regions, with Conakry serving as both its capital and largest city, while N'Zérékoré is another prominent city in the nation.

Guinea has 8 administrative regions and 33 subdivisions called “prefectures”.

Conakry is not only the political capital but also the economic hub of Guinea, housing important institutions and industries. It boasts an international airport, bustling markets, and a vibrant cultural scene.

One of the notable landmarks in Conakry is the Grand Mosque of Conakry, an impressive architectural marvel.

Guinea is a country characterized by its rich ethnic diversity. The major ethnic groups include the Fulani (Peul), Mandinka, Soussou, and the Forest region's various ethnic communities. Each of these groups has its own distinct languages, traditions, and customs.

Along Guinea's coastline lies a range of cities, each with its unique charm and economic significance. These include the capital Conakry, which is also the largest city, as well as cities like Kindia, Labe, and N'Zérékoré.

Guinea's natural beauty is enhanced by its diverse geography, including lush forests, savannahs, and mountainous regions. The country's cultural tapestry and natural wonders make it a fascinating place to explore and experience.

THE ASHANTIS OF GHANA

The Ashantis are undoubtedly the largest tribe in Ghana, with a population estimated at 12 million people, and they can be found in Ghana, Togo and Ivory Coast. 🇬🇭

The Ashanti people, who are a subgroup of the Akan, speak the Twi language, a language that is now ranked as one of the most spoken in West Africa. Their capital was Kumasi, one of the largest cities in Ghana. 🇬🇭

Some of the majority of Ashanti people are Christians , who strongly believe in the power of Jesus. Some are traditional worshippers, while a growing population of Muslims can also be found. 🇬🇭

According to the history of these great people, the Ashanti kingdom was found in the 1600s, in the midst of a land that was full of gold and that served as a major trade between them and the Europeans. 🇬🇭

Many Ashantis exist in Caribbean countries, especially in Jamaica, where there is a clear Ashanti influence in the Jamaican name, dress, and physical appearance.

The Ashanti, like many tribes, have their own delicious foods such as Fufu, Mpoto Mpoto, and others that have already been hijacked by other tribes who find them more delicious. 🇬🇭

Ashanti also participated in the booming business of West Africa in the olden days, in which a bigger empire would invade the smaller one and capture its citizens in order to sell them as slaves to the Europeans.

Many Ashantis fought tirelessly for the quick independence of Ghana, and they successfully made it the second west African country to get independence, lagging only behind Liberia. 🇬🇭

THE NKURRA MOUNTAIN RANGE

The Nkurra Mountain Range, located in the picturesque region of Wamba in Samburu East, is famous for its unique resemblance to a sleeping woman. This natural wonder has a captivating story deeply ingrained in the culture and folklore of the Samburu people.

Legend has it that many generations ago, the Samburu community discovered the Nkurra Mountains and noticed the remarkable shape of the range, which uncannily resembled a woman peacefully reclining. The locals named the range "Nkurra,"  and believed that it held a special significance.

According to their folklore, the Nkurra Mountains were once home to a powerful and benevolent spirit known as "Nkurra Mama," the Mother of Nkurra. Nkurra Mama was seen as a guardian of the land, watching over the people and the wildlife that inhabited the region. She was believed to possess the ability to bring prosperity and protection to those who honored the mountains and the natural world.

The Samburu people, inspired by this belief, lived in harmony with the Nkurra Mountains and the surrounding environment. They practiced sustainable agriculture, conserved water sources, and held ceremonies to pay tribute to Nkurra Mama, seeking her blessings for bountiful harvests and peace within the community.

Over the years, this deep connection between the Samburu people and the Nkurra Mountains fostered a unique way of life. The mountains served as a source of inspiration and guidance for the community, encouraging them to respect the land and live in balance with nature.

Today, visitors visit Wamba in Samburu East come not only to witness the breathtaking beauty of the Nkurra Mountain Range but also to learn from the Samburu people about their enduring relationship with the land and the enduring legend of Nkurra Mama.

The story of Nkurra serves as a reminder of the importance of preserving the natural world and respecting the ancient traditions that connect us to it.

Via Leadekei Alois

Image: Nkurra Mama ~ The Sleeping Lady in Samburu East, Kenya.

Tiv tribe 🇳🇬

They are of bantu people and mutually intelligible dialects of Xhosa, a Bantu language of the Niger-Congo family. They constitute approximately 5% of Nigeria's total population, and number over 15 million individuals throughout Nigeria and Cameroon.

The Tiv language is spoken by millions of people in Nigeria with a few speakers in Cameroon. Most of the language's Nigerian speakers are found in Benue State, Taraba State, Nasarawa State and Plateau State. The language is a branch of Benue–Congo and ultimately of the Niger–Congo phylum.

It is claimed that the Tiv wandered through southern, south-central and west-central Africa before arriving at the savannah lands of West Africa via the River Congo and Cameroon Mountains and settled at Swemkaragbe the region, adjoining Cameroon and Nigeria in the beginning of 1500 CE.

Africa Facts Zone

AFRICAN ORIGIN OF SPIRITUALITY

There were three types of people in the world from inception: the people of the Sun (Africoid type, the first to have emerged); the people of the sand (the western Asiatic type, today called middle-east by Europe); the people of the ice( the European type, who was the last to come into that arena called 'civilization.') 

According to John Henrik Clarke, "...leave these three types, each in their own habitat, the whole world would have been a more peaceful and stable place... But Africa always had what others wanted and can't do without, but weren't ready to pay for.... "These groups had different temperaments, and maybe they were not supposed to Mix. The mixing of these three had done more harm than good.'' It is like making oil mix with water; serious heating is required. This 'heating' process, of the mixing of these three different groups had brought more devastation, than any other thing to the Africoid group, much more than on any other groups that followed... It had almost, by design, left Africans as "the invisible man in history." Almost like Africa came into existence in the 15th century CE. But let's look at historical facts from as early as can be reasonably pulled together.

The first known outsider to have come into Africa was a Chaldean known as Abram in 1675 BCE. The 'ka'(land or landmass) connecting the lands across the Mediterranean was called Kemet and most of what is Africa today from south Sudan (of today) to the cape was known as Aethiopia and the people were all known as Aethiopes, and Kemet was a child of Aethiopia, both in origin, spirituality and early civilization. By the time of the Chaldean's arrival, 82 of the pyramids in Kemet were already built and the civilization around the Nile was in its 21st dynasty. At this point, there was no Europe yet. The land of the 'icemen'' existed but the Iceman 'was yet to learn to wear shoes on his feet or live in a house that had a window.' There was no Greeks at this time, no Romans, no etruscans, Picts nor the Magyars, no Jerusalem, Mecca... and the concept of a Jehovah or Allah (a'lat) were not known, or heard of, whatsoever, the world over. It was yet to come into any form of known existence.

When the Chaldean came to sought grain and shelter away from the harsh conditions in the north, he had no culture, no concept of spirituality and he had no people yet. When his descendants left about four centuries later, they had all three, and most importantly, they had a language of their own and an African prince by the name 'Moshe' or Moses to lead them. They were asked by African kings to obey African laws or leave... This gave birth to the folklore that became the story of the exodus which the Hebrew people would later write about while in exile in Assyria in the 5th century BCE. The historical version differ greatly from Hebrew-araimic biblical version. 

In 701 BC, Tirhakah, king from the south(around what's today South Sudan, Sudan, Uganda, Ethiopia and part of Kenya) had to go across the Mediterranean to stop those who were fighting up the Hebrew who were now a people after leaving Africa, and who had developed their own concept of spirituality from Africans and had their own God called Jehovah, Yehovah or Yahweh. This was a concept of a 'godhead' that research showed to have probably been derived from 'Ptah' and 'Aten' in Africa, known around the area along the course of the Nile in Uganda, to have formed man from clay.

The next groups to have arrived, came in the 16th century BC and later brought about the bronze age collapse in the form of the 'sea peoples'. Then Assyrians came in 665/6 BC. In 550 BC, the Elamites and the Midians sacked the Assyrians and gained control of Kemet at the Nile delta. A century later, the Africans were so crushed that they were recorded to have 'prayed' for liberation or at least, for a conqueror who would be kinder.

Researched records showed that it was at this time that the folklore of a 'child born in a manger, who would become a liberator' became popular, and was to influence historical events in the future(-John Henrik Clarke). At this time also, came Alexander, son of Philip of Macedonia into Kemet. 

The 'admixture' between the foreigners and the Africans was at an advanced stage now. The queen in the south, in Kush, at this time was Candace. She marched on an elephant, surrounded by her mighty army and sent a message to Alexander, "if you are coming south, I have more armies to show you." Alexander withdrew and instead left for India where he had a disagreement with his African commander Krios Nigra and later died of a drunken stupor in 332 BC.

The Greeks Alexander left behind in Kemet oppressed the population to an "unbearable extent... Bastardizing the culture of the people."  It was at this stage that the well dressed thugs, who couldn't read or write, but could fight like hell appeared on the scene(although some of the higher hierarchy of this group learnt to read and write in later centuries). These were a bunch of thugs(still are), the 'forerunners to the Mafia' known then as the Romans; and they had entered into history at this point. When they could read and write, it was with this group that all we came to know as 'spirituality'(which was a bastardization of African ancient spirituality) began to take shape. These were indeed the 'icemen.'

We shall be delving into this, one bit at a time, in subsequent articles. This is a conscious effort meant to engender a better understanding of the subject matter.

AFRICA

You might have heard people say that Africa had no civilizations, but that's not true at all! It is mostly said in wilful ignorance.

African societies did amazing things:

(1). They grew over 2000 types of crops.

(2). Built 1,000 kingdoms, empires, federations, city-states and more.

(3). Had 30 societies that could read and write.

(4). Achieved 65 big advances way back before 5000 BC.

(5). They were super creative - making 1000 musical instruments and creating art, sculptures, and story-telling.

African Crops: They grew crops like African rice, pearl millet, sorghum, and more.

African Civilizations: There were big ones like the Egyptian Empire, Ghana Empire, Mali Empire, and the Songhai Empire.

Literate Societies: Some people could read and write in places like Egypt, Kush, Aksum, Mali, Songhay and the Swahili city-states.

Ancient Advances: They invented things like clothes, sewing needles, jewelry, compound glue, the lunar calendar, and even calculators using bone tools a long time ago.

Culture: They made beautiful art, sculptures, and instruments like the Kora.

So, Africa had awesome civilizations with rich history, art and achievements!

Picture - Ethiopian woman

Benin: The Nigerian Ancient City that Made the Europeans Jealous

This is the story of a lost medieval city you’ve probably never heard about. Benin City, originally known as Edo, was once the capital of a pre-colonial African empire located in what is now southern Nigeria. The Benin empire was one of the oldest and most highly developed states in west Africa, dating back to the 11th century.

The Guinness Book of Records (1974 edition) described the walls of Benin City and its surrounding kingdom as the world’s largest earthworks carried out prior to the mechanical era. According to estimates by theNew Scientist’s Fred Pearce, Benin City’s walls were at one point “four times longer than the Great Wall of China, and consumed a hundred times more material than the Great Pyramid of Cheops”.

Situated on a plain, Benin City was enclosed by massive walls in the south and deep ditches in the north. Beyond the city walls, numerous further walls were erected that separated the surroundings of the capital into around 500 distinct villages.

Pearce writes that these walls “extended for some 16,000 km in all, in a mosaic of more than 500 interconnected settlement boundaries. They covered 6,500 sq km and were all dug by the Edo people … They took an estimated 150 million hours of digging to construct, and are perhaps the largest single archaeological phenomenon on the planet”.

Barely any trace of these walls exist today:

Benin City was also one of the first cities to have a semblance of street lighting. Huge metal lamps, many feet high, were built and placed around the city, especially near the king’s palace. Fuelled by palm oil, their burning wicks were lit at night to provide illumination for traffic to and from the palace.

When the Portuguese first “discovered” the city in 1485, they were stunned to find this vast kingdom made of hundreds of interlocked cities and villages in the middle of the African jungle. Once upon a time they called it the “Great City of Benin”.

The BAJA PEOPLE OF THE NILE

According to Strabo(63BC-23AD),  the Baja were a Black-skinned people who were used to raiding and pillaging on the fringes of the desert.... "The Baja, were a people around the Nile in Egypt and the Sudan, fond of daggers, swords, scimitars and camels; their hair was made curly by a hot knife" (instead of weaving the hair, like the male Luwata and Gatuleg).They 'were as black as tar' and weren't "good to have as a friend or foe".

These were among some of the ancient tribes that made up what was most of north Africa before the coming of the Persians, the Assyrians (during the reign of Ashur banipal), the Greeks, the Romans, the Hyksos and the coming of the Caucasoid groups known today as the Arabs in the 3rd century CE, a situation that intensified in the 7th and 8th century CE with the spread of Islam and Arab slave trade as well as the trans-saharan trade.

The effects of concubinage, Barbary slavery, migration and earlier encroachments of Europeans into Africa, especially, contributed greatly in altering the population of the northern parts of Africa. For example, Mulai Ismael of Merknes, brought into north Africa 25,000 European slaves who participated in the building of his colossal stables.

These groups later became the dominant groups in north Africa after the fall of the African Maghrebs in Iberia and Africans lost control of trade routes in the Mediterranean in 1492 CE, as well as the resultant effects of the Turks takeover of Constantinople and later the whole of Byzantium. During the peak era of the Arab slave trade, the Muslims often received European women as homage from traders and caliphs in Granada, Cordova etc, which were brought into north Africa and the Arabian peninsula. 

The African male of the Soudan who  fall under the burden of the slave trade were castrated to avoid procreation. These groups were fewer in number than the enslaved Europeans in north Africa before the 15th century CE, but the focus on mostly Black-skinned people began in the later parts of the 15th century CE, as Europe became more organized along national lines and could shift the tides of slavery.

Basic Pan-African Principles that all Pan-Africanists Must Follow

(1). Embrace African Nationality: An African refers to any person of African Descent/Black worldwide.

(2). Nationality is not limited by geographical location. It's based on your ancestry and family lineage. While other nationalities are based on where you were born, the African Nationality is universal identity and not based on where you were born but who you are.

(3). Pan-Africanists reject Selling of their nationality as this is not a gift someone bestows another.

You are either born a European or an African based on your ancestry.

(4). No Separatism: Pan-Africanists reject any form of separatist ideas or ideologies that further contribute to continuous disintegration of Africa.

(5). No Tribalism/Nepotism: Pan-Africanism embraces the African Identity, common history and destiny of all people of African descent as a unifying force to make us stand together.

(6). Zero Tolerance to Corruption: Corruption erodes integrity and wounds the soul. Pan-Africanism does not tolerate or accommodate any form of corruption.

(7). Strict observance of the Laws of Maat: In order for us to undertake this huge task of African Liberation we must be pure in spirit and strive to perfection every day. In order to be our best the laws of Maat provide all the wisdom we need to be our best.

Maat was the rule of law and moral justice among the ancient Kemet people, and the divine cosmological order within their mythology, astronomy, and astrophysical studies.

Robert Powell, since 1977, I repeat to the world 🌎 that I am not Jesus Christ

The famous lead actor in the movie Jesus of Nazareth, or he goes by The name of Jesus, hasn't finished suffering the consequences of his role.

Since then people can't tell The difference between his characters in the movie and his own person. " I'm not Jesus I don't even call myself Jesus, I was just 33- years old playing my part to make a living like Olivia Hussey.

He concludes, we're really shocked and we've exhausted everything we can to tell people they're wrong, so help us to tell men to burn our pictures and destroy our images and turn to God and to Jesus Christ in spirit and truth.

Me, I try to please God but I am addicted to alcohol and tobacco. Oh poor those who love my younger pictures and Olivia Hussey (Marie) producers and multiply them just to make money and give us quotas to sell our pictures.

Today I'm old no one can easily imagine that the young one in the picture is me they adore, we hide the truth from them. So, I say this truth so as not to be guilty of your foolishness. But if anyone listens and loves these pictures, that's their problem. He has left you with the truth.

Robert Powell,. Since 1977 I repeat to the world 🌎 I am not Jesus Christ.

- Source - World 🌎 Image. — feeling motivated.

The Story of the Epic Battle Between King Sunny Ade and Chief Bolarinwa Abioro

It was in 1974 that the news broke. Chief Bolarinwa Abioro, the Balogun of Ipokia, the Chairman of African Songs Limited, had taken his star musician to court! Everyone who knew KSA knew Abioro. Everyone who knew Abioro knew Sunday Adeniyi. Sunny was the son. Abioro was the father. What could have gone wrong between father and son?

KSA was the second artiste to be signed on to the stable of African Songs Limited. Ayinde Bakare was the first. Sikiru Ayinde Barrister was the third. Like most creative people, young Sunny Ade was more concern about his passion and less concern about the business aspect of music. His passion was to play music and to excel as a musician.

It was enough that Abioro – one of the biggest men in the music industry at the time – was ready to promote him. They brought documents for Sunny and his band boys to sign. They called it a contract. It could have been called any other name for all that KSA cared. Won ni ko wa je saara, o ni ojo ti wonu ju. Se ata ni won ni ko mu wa ni, abi iyo. You are invited to a free feast, you are complaining about the short notice, are they asking you to bring salt or pepper? Sunny Ade and his boys didn’t hesitate. It is doubtful if any of them read what the contract said. The most important thing was that they were going to become recording artistes. Sunny signed. His band boys signed. Everybody was happy.

The contract was for 5 years. However before its expiration, KSA had become a household name. His album, Challenge Cup, sold in excess of 500,000 copies. It was certain that King Sunny Ade was going to dominate the music scene for a very long time to come. African Songs Ltd knew a good product when it saw one. The management of the company didn’t wait for the first contract to expire before they brought a new contract.

The new agreement was carefully worded. KSA and his band boys agreed to perform and record exclusively for ASL for a period of five years. ASL had full copyrights to all compositions and recordings of Sunny Ade. ASL was entitled to the sole right of production, reproduction, and use of King Sunny Ade’s performance throughout the world. That was not all. During the period of the agreement, KSA was prohibited from rendering any performance whatsoever to himself, any company or group of persons. The contract also stipulated that ASL had the option to renew the agreement at its expiration for a further term of two years or for any longer period. Sunny Ade had no such right.

That was not all. On the sale of every album which price was then fixed at N6.00, KSA and his boys were entitled to a princely sum of 20 kobo. Yes, you read that right. African Songs would go home with the remaining N5. 80 kobo. Onigegewura’s mathematics has never been good. He is just an amateur historian. You can do the sum yourself.

Still basking in the euphoria of his growing fame, Sunny gratefully signed again. His band boys signed. 20 kobo was still something. Orogun iya re da sokoto fun o, o ni ko bale, melo ni iya to bi o da fun o? You are complaining that the trousers made for you by your step-mother was not long enough, where is the one your own mother made for you? They were expecting their 20 kobo royalty on every album. Well, when the time came for actual payment, it was then discovered that mathematically and arithmetically, it was not supposed to be 20 kobo. They had not factored the cost of publicity and promotion! And since it was the artiste that was being promoted, he must be the one to bear the cost! After the addition and subtraction, Sunny was given 15 kobo per album.

KSA was not Chike Obi, the mathematician. But he knew that 20 kobo and 15 kobo were not the same thing. Compared with his contemporaries in the music industry, KSA realized that he was holding the short end of the stick. His colleague, Baba Commander, Chief Ebenezer Obey was earning as high as 70 kobo per album. Others were earning between 35 kobo and 60 kobo.

That was when Sunny decided to ask Chief Abioro for a raise of the royalty payment. The chairman listened patiently to KSA and his colleagues. He was nodding as they canvassed one reason after another why a raise was in order. When they finished, Chief Abioro flipped open a file he had on his table. He brought out a bundle of documents. Even from where he was seated across the table, Sunny saw that it was a copy of the contract he signed. “An agreement is an agreement. It is a binding contract!” The chief informed them. “This is what you signed. This is what you are entitled to! No more, No less.” He returned the documents to the file. Case dismissed.

But Sunny was not done. “Chief, this is not about contract. You are our father. Our request is for adequate compensation! Let’s leave the contract aside.” Chief Abioro looked at the young star the way a parent looks at a child asking for another candy. “Leave the contract aside? We should leave the contract aside?” The chairman asked incredulously. “You know, it would be nice to leave the contract aside. But you know what? That would be illegal!”

Haba! Illegality ke! . It was then that someone brought up the idea of requesting some of his friends to plead their case. Sunny agreed. After all, Eni ti o mo oju Ogun, ni pa obi ni ‘re. It is the person who is conversant with Ogun, the god of iron, that is usually given the duty to administer its rites. They went to meet Prince Okunade Sijuwade who would later become the Ooni of Ife. They also met with Chief Afolabi Joseph. Even Chief Ebenezer Obey was also requested to intervene as well as Chief Nurudeen Alowonle.

The eminent persons appeared in the court of the Balogun of Ipokia as ‘amici curiae’ on behalf of the musicians. Amici curiae are lawyers invited by the judge(s) to assist in filling briefs that may be helpful to the court in deciding a case. Our eminent persons argued their case like experienced advocates. They cited relevant sections of the unwritten Yoruba constitution. They cited Yoruba proverbs. They made reference to the story of Oduduwa. The presiding chairman listened to their submissions and summarily dismissed the case. Contract is contract!

Chief did not only dismiss the request for a raise. He opened another file on his table and brought out a new set of documents. Your guess is right! A new five-year contract! By now, Sunny Ade had learnt enough law. He had become a professional mathematician. He had obtained his Master of Business Administration from practical experience. He knew the implication of putting pen to paper. He applied for an adjournment.

The King of African Beats found himself in a quandary. His new songs were ready but Chief had threatened not to release any new album until he signed the new contract. And KSA was not ready to sign any new contract until the issue of royalty was resolved.

KSA remembered his grandmother’s proverb. Ti abiku ba gbon ogbon ati ku ni igba erun, iya abiku a gbon ogbon ati sin oku e si etido. If an abiku decided to die during the dry season when he knew that the ground would be hard to dig, his parents would also decide to bury him by the riverside where the ground would not be hard to dig.

Sunny Ade decided to release his record with another company. His plan was to use the album to bargain for a better deal with African Songs. Instead of the measly 20 kobo, he was confident that the chairman would be ready to pay him at least N1.00 per copy. The album was recorded in Nigeria but taken to London for mixing. What Sunny Ade did not know was that Chief Abioro was a master at the game. Before Sunny could get a copy of his own album, Chief Abioro was already in possession of the new record.

Baba Ibeji was composing fresh materials at home when the court bailiffs arrived. They served him with an order of interim injunction! The court order was as comprehensive as it was broad. Sunny Ade was prohibited from sale, distribution, marketing, dealing, etc. etc. of the record. He read the order again. Even without being a lawyer, he knew the implication of the document he was holding.

With palpable emotion, his mind went back to how he came to Lagos from Abeokuta with only one shilling and eighteen pence! He remembered his years with Baba Sala. He recalled how he got stranded with Baba Sala’s travelling theatre in Jebba and Kano. How he did not see his mother for two years whilst he suffered to make it as a musician. He recalled how his first album sold only 13 copies. Now when he was at the threshold of success, this court order! With grim determination, he knew he couldn’t afford to quit.

He remembered his first day at Oshodi when he missed his way trying to locate Moses Olaiya’s house and how he was directed instead to Dr. Victor Olaiya at Tinubu. He recalled how he knelt down in the dust of Oshodi to pray. Immediately he knew what he must do. Sunny went down on his knees and with an emotional voice, he prayed and prayed. It was not the Sunday Adeniyi that knelt down to pray that stood up. He had become empowered. He had become emboldened. That same evening, he established his own label.

Sunny Alade Records was born! He didn’t bother to sit down again. He remembered the threat of Chief Abioro to bring him down at all cost. He needed a lawyer who knew his law and who would be prepared to fight his cause against the Magnate. He went off in search of Gani Fawehinmi.

Gani collected the court papers and looked at the claims. He looked at his client. He looked again at the claims. Chief Abioro was not leaving anything to chance. He knew what he wanted from the court. His lawyer had read the agreement between African Songs Limited and Sunday Adeniyi.

Chief Abioro wanted only four things from the court: a declaration that the agreement between ASL and Sunday Adeniyi and his boys was still subsisting; an injunction restraining Sunny Ade from distributing or selling the record; an account of all sales of the record; and N1 million for breach of contract.

I hope you are not sneering at the N1 million as being ‘chicken change’. Remember this was in 1974. The price of a brand new Volkswagen Beetle car was about N500 at that time. N1 million in 1974 was a princely sum!

On the day of the trial, the court was filled to capacity. Gani Fawehinmi was armed with every conceivable legal authority. The law books he brought to the court were more than enough to open a library. There were books on Contract. There were books on Human Rights. There were volumes on Intellectual Property. Gani even brought some books on Slave Trade.

The first application Gani brought before the court was for an order to compel African Songs to produce its statement of account over the preceding three years. The court granted the order. It was discovered that the company was making almost N900,000 every year from the sale of Sunny Ade Records. It was also discovered that the total sum that KSA received was N62,000 in the almost ten years he was with the company. How can you be asking me what is 900,000 divided by 62,000? I have told you that I’m not a mathematician. Please don’t ask me about percentages or fractions.

Gani did not forget to raise the issue of how 20kobo became 15 kobo. He also cross examined Chief Abioro at length on the onerous terms contained in the contract. Gani put it to the chief that the contract was in restraint of trade and that it was therefore null and void as it amounted to colonization of King Sunny Ade, a free citizen of the Federal Republic of Nigeria and a citizen of the Commonwealth!

My Lord Justice L. J. Dosunmu listened patiently to the parties. His Lordship also asked the witnesses some probing cases. The court thereafter adjourned the matter to February 14, 1975 for judgment. It did not even occur to the King of African Beats that the day was St. Valentine’s Day. His only preoccupation was to find out the direction in which the pendulum of justice was going to swing.

On February 14, people started arriving at the court as early as 7am. The court officials had hectic time controlling the mammoth crowd that had come to court to witness the historic decision. In His Lordship’s judgment, Justice Dosunmu held that although some of the terms of the contract were stringent, that was not a ground for holding the contract invalid. In effect, the contract between ASL and KSA was therefore valid. As the court pronounced on the validity of the contract, Sunny looked at his lawyer. Gani signaled to him to be calm, the court had only resolved one issue out of four.

With regard to the second claim, the court held that since the records in question had been distributed all over Nigeria, there was no way the court could order them to be recalled. The court therefore refused to restrain Sunny Ade and his marketer, M. Ola Kazim from distributing the album. A tiny smile crossed Sunny’s face.

You recall that Chief Abioro was asking for N1,000,000 as damages for breach of contract. The court ruled that for recording with another company during the subsistence of the contract, Sunny Ade was liable. He was asked to pay N300! Yes, Three Hundred Naira! From N1,000,000 to N300! Sunny smiled for the first time.

The court having found that the contract was still subsisting, KSA was ordered not to release another album pending the expiration of the contract with Chief Abioro’s company, which was due in six months. Six months! What am I going to be eating? Sunny thought. Apparently, this was the only part of the judgment that Anti Wura, Buroda Alani’s third wife must have heard, and heard wrongly too! As if reading Sunny Ade’s mind, Justice Dosunmu said he realized that Sunny Ade would need to eat and feed his family in the six months that the contract had to run. His Lordship therefore held that the injunction was limited to only recording of albums and that Sunny Ade was free to do live performances for fees. His Lordship said that this was in order to avoid a situation where the King of Music would starve or be compelled to go back to Chief Abioro.

The Judge had hardly risen before King Sunny Ade jumped up to hug his counsel. He was free! He gave Gani a bear hug. He had learnt his lesson. Creativity and Business must go hand in hand. Years later, the King of Music recalled: “The lesson I learnt from the episode is that if an artiste is churning out hit records, he needs to keep an eye on the business side of things. If not, he would be in a mess.

(c) Written and copyrighted by Onigegewura

𝗘𝗠𝗘𝗞𝗔 𝗢𝗝𝗨𝗞𝗪𝗨: 𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗠𝗮𝗻 𝗪𝗵𝗼 𝗦𝗮𝘄 𝗧𝗼𝗺𝗼𝗿𝗿𝗼𝘄

Have you ever seen a child born with a silver spoon with unlimited access to his father’s wealth, yet choose to snub these rights and start a life of his own accord? Don’t ponder too deeply but read on about the life of one of Nigeria’s powerful men who influenced her history: Chukwuemeka Odumegwu Ojukwu.

Emeka Ojukwu was born on November 4, 1933, in Zungeru, present-day Niger State, Northern Nigeria to Sir Louis Odumegwu Ojukwu (1908-1966), a businessman from Nnewi, present-day Anambra State in South-Eastern Nigeria. Ojukwu Snr. was into the transport business; he took advantage of the business boom during the Second World War to become one of the richest men in Nigeria.

Ojukwu started his secondary school education at the C.M.S Grammar School, Lagos, at the age of 10 in 1943. He later transferred to King’s College, Lagos, in 1944 where he was involved in a controversy leading to his brief imprisonment for assaulting a white British colonial teacher who humiliated a black woman.

At 13, his father sent him overseas to study in the United Kingdom, first at Epsom College and later at Lincoln College, Oxford University, where he earned a master’s degree in History. Ojukwu then returned to colonial Nigeria in 1956. Ojukwu joined the military, against the wishes of his father, receiving his commission in March 1958, as a 2nd Lieutenant from Eaton Hall. He was one of the first and few university graduates to join the army as a recruit. Upon completion of further military training, he was assigned to the Army’s Fifth Battalion in Kaduna.

Emeka Ojukwu’s background and education guaranteed his promotion to higher ranks. At that time, the Nigerian Military Forces had 250 officers and only 15 were Nigerians. After serving in the United Nations peacekeeping force in the Congo, under Major-General Johnson Thomas Aguiyi-Ironsi, Ojukwu was promoted to Lieutenant-Colonel in 1964 and posted to Kano, where he was in charge of the 5th Battalion of the Nigerian Army. He was in Kano when the January 15, 1966 coup was executed.

On January 17, 1966, Lieutenant-Colonel Chukwuemeka Odumegwu Ojukwu was appointed Military Governor of the Eastern Region. Four months later in May 1966, there was a pogrom in Northern Nigeria during which Nigerians of Eastern origin were targeted and killed. This presented problems for Emeka Ojukwu. He did everything in his power to prevent reprisals and even encouraged his people to return to the North, as assurances for their safety had been given by his supposed colleagues up north.

On July 29, 1966, a group of officers, including Majors Murtala Muhammed, Theophilus Yakubu Danjuma, and Martin Adamu, led the majority of the Northern soldiers in a mutiny that later developed into a “counter-coup”. The coup failed in the South-Eastern part of Nigeria where Lieutenant-Colonel Emeka Ojukwu was the military Governor, due to the effort of the brigade commander and hesitation of Northern officers stationed in the region (partly due to the mutiny leaders in the East being Northern whilst being surrounded by a large Eastern population).

The Supreme Commander General Aguiyi-Ironsi and his host, Colonel Adekunle Fajuyi were abducted and killed in Ibadan. On acknowledging Ironsi’s death, Ojukwu insisted that the military hierarchy be preserved. In that case, the most senior army officer after Ironsi, Brigadier Babafemi Ogundipe, should take over leadership, not Colonel Yakubu Gowon (the coup plotters’ choice). However, the leaders of the counter-coup insisted that Colonel Gowon be made the Head-of-State.

Both Gowon and Ojukwu were of the same rank in the Nigeria Army then (Lieutenant-Colonel). Ogundipe could not muster enough force in Lagos to establish his authority as soldiers (Guard Battalion) available to him were under Joseph Nanven Garba who was part of the coup, it was this realisation that led Ogundipe to opt-out.

Thus, Emeka Ojukwu’s insistence could not be enforced by Ogundipe unless the coup plotters agreed (which they did not). The fallout from this led to a standoff between Emeka Ojukwu and Yakubu Gowon leading to the sequence of events that resulted in the Nigerian civil war, which lasted for 30 months.

After three years of non-stop fighting and starvation, a hole did appear in the Biafran front lines and this was exploited by the Nigerian military. As it became obvious that all was lost, Ojukwu was convinced to leave the country to avoid his certain assassination.

On January 9, 1970, the Biafran leader handed over power to his second in command, Major-General Philip Effiong, and left for the Ivory Coast, where President Félix Houphouët-Boigny – who had recognised Biafra on May 14, 1968 – granted him political asylum. After 13 years in exile, the Federal Government of Nigeria under President Shehu Aliyu Usman Shagari granted an official pardon to Ojukwu and opened the road for a triumphant return in 1982.

Emeka Ojukwu could speak Igbo, Hausa, Yoruba, English, French, and Latin fluently. Interestingly, during the civil war, he always slept with his boots on. On November 26, 2011, Ikemba Chukwuemeka Odumegwu Ojukwu died in the United Kingdom after a brief illness. He was 78.

Ethnicities: The Middle Belt of Nigeria

There are six states in the “Middle Belt” of Nigeria known as Kwara, Niger, Kogi, Abuja, Nasarawa, Plateau, and Benue. There are 31.6 million people in this region of Nigeria. 

If it were a separate country, it would be the 15th largest country in Africa. There are 40 countries in Africa that are smaller in population size than the middle belt of Nigeria, such as Lesotho, Gabon, Burkina Faso and Mali. 

Niger state has the largest landmass in the Middle Belt of the country, measuring about 68,900 square kilometres. Niger has a population of 5.9 million; Kwara has a population of 3.4 million; Kogi has a population size of 4.8 million; Abuja has 4.3 million people; Nasarawa has 2.7 million people; Plateau state has 4.4 million people; while Benue has 6.1 million people.

The Middle is also a highly diverse part of Nigeria with 68 unique ethnicities. The most diverse state in Nigeria is Plateau state with 47 ethnicities. Plateau state has more ethnicities than Kenya which has around 42 ethnicities. 

Who are the ethnicities of the middle belt of Nigeria?

Kwara:

• Yoruba

• Fulani

• Nupe

• Baruba

• Igbo

Niger:

• Abawa

• Baruba 

• Gwari

• Nupe

• Uncinda

• Zabara

Kogi:

• Bassa

• Ebirra

• Igalla

• Yoruba

Abuja (FCT):

• Gwari

Nasarawa:

• Tiv

Plateau:

• Afizere

• Afo

• Amo

• Anaguta

• Ankwei

• Bache

• Barka

• Bassa

• Berom

• Boghom

• Bwatiye

• Challa

• Chama

• Chip

• Fyam

• Fyer

• Gashaka

• Gengle

• Goernai

• Horom

• Jarawa

• Jere

• Kiballo

• Kulere

• Kunini

• Kwalla

• Kwanka

• Manguna

• Mbol

• Mwahavul

• Ninzam

• Pankshin

• Pyapun

• Qua

• Rubu

• Shan-Shan

• Shilin

• South East Zaria

• Talet

• Tarok

• Tur

• Verre

• Vommi

• Yuom

• Yungur

• Yott

• Zur

Benue:

(1). Tiv

(2). Idoma

(3). Igede

(4). Etulo

(5). Abakwa

(6). Alago

(7). Bachama

(8). Chamba

(9). Eggon

(10). Eggon Alago

(11). Gade

(12). Ham

(13). Hausa

(14). Jaba

(15). Kabwa

(16). Kanufi

(17). Kiballo

(18). Koro

(19). Kwalla

(20). Lunguda

(21). Mabo

(22). Migili

(23). Mwaghavul

(24). Ninzam

(25). Nungu

(26). Nyandang

(27). Pyapun

(28). Reki

(29). Rishuwa

(30). Rubu

(31). Tangale

(32). Tapshin

(33). Tarok

(34). Yot

(35). Yungur

(36). Zabara

Did you know Tanzania had more than 40 precolonial states before colonization?

Tanzania is a large country by population size with 62 million people. There are over 100 ethnic groups and a similar number of languages spoken in Tanzania (c. 100 languages). Ethnicities with more than a million people include: Shambala, Sukuma, Nyamwezi, Chagga, Ha, Bena, Gogo, Haya, Dholuo, Makonde, Nyaturu, Maasai, Jita, Pare. Tanzania has one of the most beautiful views of nature on earth. The capital is Dodoma while the largest city is Dar es Salaam meaning the “city of peace”.

The two largest ethnicities are the Sukuma with 8.1 million people, and the 4 million or more Luo people (who speak a dialect called Dholuo). (Tanzanians, let me know if you disagree).

About 63% of Tanzanians are allegedly Christians and 34% are Muslims, with atheists being the third largest group making up 1.5%. (Source: "Religions in Tanzania | PEW-GRF". www.globalreligiousfutures.org. Archived from the original on 4 March 2021. Retrieved 8 November 2021.)

The precolonial history of Tanzania is a captivating narrative that unfolds across its diverse landscapes, showcasing a tapestry of ethnic groups, ancient civilizations, and cultural exchanges. Tanzania's rich historical heritage spans millennia and reflects the intricate interplay of societies in the region. Can you believe Tanzania had more than 40 precolonial states?

In northern Tanzania, you will find 1 million Masaai people, split between Kenya and Tanzania due to borders drawn by Britain and Germany during the Scramble for Africa. There are 2 million Masaai people in total. In precolonial times, they operated as a federation of clans with leaders selected through the age set system.

In the eastern part of Tanzania, along the Swahili Coast, early African Arab-speaking communities established coastal city-states, such as Kilwa and Zanzibar, as early as the 8th century AD. Later, Persian traders arrived and intermarried with the local populations. These city-states became vibrant centers of commerce, connecting East Africa with the broader Indian Ocean trade networks. They were known for their exquisite architecture, including coral stone buildings and intricate carvings.

Further inland, in the Great Lakes region, numerous kingdoms and societies thrived. The Kingdom of Buganda, located to the northwest of Tanzania in present southern Uganda, was one of the prominent precolonial kingdoms. Known for its sophisticated political structure and cultural traditions, Buganda played a significant role in shaping the region's history.

To the southwest, the Kingdom of Karagwe, with its cultural and political significance, was another noteworthy civilization. The region was also home to the Nyamwezi people, who were engaged in trade and known for their long-distance trading caravans.

In the central and southern highlands of Tanzania, ethnic groups such as the Chaga, Hehe, and Gogo established thriving societies based on agriculture and cattle herding. They had distinctive cultural practices and were known for their artistic expressions, including intricate wood carvings and traditional textiles.

According to legend, the Chagga people were derived from several Bantu groups that arrived through migration to the slopes of Mt. Kilimanjaro around the turn of the 11th century from various parts of Africa. Despite being Bantu speakers, the Chaggas have a few dialects similar to the Kamba dialect spoken in the southeast corner of Kenya. They are linked to the Shambaa, Taveta, Pare, and Taita ethnic groups. Because history shows that migrants moved back and forth between the different groups, the Chagga people should be considered part of the larger population occupying the whole Kilimanjaro region.

Chaggaland was traditionally divided by several minor kingdoms known as Umangi. These kingdoms have a male-line descent and succession system. Irrigation on hilly terrain and oxen feces were among the traditional agriculture methods. Even though bananas constitute their primary source of nutrition, they also cultivate other crops such as beans, maize, and yams. When exported to international markets, arabica coffee is their most important agricultural export and is also the country’s principal cash crop.

Kilimanjaro’s Chagga-speaking people were calved out into 37 sovereign kingdoms known as “Umangi” in Chagga tongue a century ago. Historically, each kingdom’s residents were divided into distinct tribes. Despite their primary residence in northern Tanzania on Mt Kilimanjaro, the Chagga and other tribes migrated to different regions during the course of the 20th century. Because of extensive reorganization and the formation of the newly occupied areas on the gentle slopes of Kilimanjaro’s eastern and western slopes, the British authorities drastically reduced the number of settlements in 1946.

Over the turn of the twentieth century, the German imperial authority estimated that Kilimanjaro had around 28,000 houses. And by 1988, The Chagga population was projected to be above 800,000 people.

To the west of Tanzania, the Kingdom of Rwanda, although primarily located in present-day Rwanda, had an impact on the western regions of Tanzania, influencing cultural exchanges and trade networks.

Various ethnic groups claim they came from Egypt and Sudan, starting from the Macedonian invasion due to displacement and climate change. We will find out if the evidence supports this as academics look into this.

Tanzania's precolonial history was marked by vibrant trade routes that crisscrossed the region, connecting it with neighboring territories. Ivory, gold, and other valuable commodities flowed through these routes, contributing to prosperity and cultural exchanges in the area.

The arrival of European explorers and colonizers, including figures like David Livingstone and Carl Peters, introduced a new chapter in Tanzania's history, eventually leading to the establishment of German and British colonial rule.

As we explore Tanzania's precolonial past, we uncover a rich mosaic of civilizations, ethnic diversity, and cultural legacies that have shaped the nation's identity. This history reflects the resilience and ingenuity of Tanzania's peoples, highlighting their contributions to the cultural heritage of East Africa.

Pic: Chagga, Dangota, Masaai people

The first Statues of Deities were Black

India : The first statues of the Indi-Kush pantheon were represented with black skin (Krishna, Kali etc,,) and before Buddha looked like a Chinese, he looked like us and was worshiped as such throughout Asia.

Mexico: The Olmec civilization begins around 3400 before the birth of Lumumba, that is to say thousands of years before the Mayas and the Aztecs and the first divinities were represented with black skin, such as for example Ixtlilton (Little Black) comparable to Bes.

Egypt : All early Neteru were also depicted with Black skin, so the further back you go in the history of the Nile Delta the more Negroid the statues become.

Vietnam: The first statues of the Vietnamese pantheon were also represented with a very black skin like for example Vishnu or Champa and in this connection, the Chinese called the Empire Champa or the people of Cham, now known under the name of VietNam;  the country of the Black Men.

Thailand: The first statues of the Thai Pantheon were also represented with Black skin and the old representation of Buddha had a very dark complexion and African features.

Greece: The first statues of the Greek pantheon were represented with Black skin such as Afrodite, Heracles and many others.

Roma: Many important deities were also represented with black skin such as Hermes or Isis.

China: Even the first Chinese statues were represented in the same Africoid mold.

Russia: The first representations of the Virgin and her Son were black, and they were revered as such throughout Europe until the idea of ​​white supremacy arose.  Russia and Poland still love the original images even if little by little the same bleaching phenomenon is gaining ground.

Cambodia: Angkor Wat is a temple that was built in the 12th century by the Khmer king;  Suryavarman and it is still considered the greatest religious monument in the world.

The Chinese have always portrayed the Khmer people as short.

Who are the Maasai?

The Maasai people of East Africa live in southern Kenya and northern Tanzania along the Great Rift Valley on semi-arid and arid lands. The Maasai occupy a total land area of 160,000 square kilometers with a population of approximately one and a half million people. However, many Maasai see the national census as government meddling and often miscount their numbers to census takers.

The Maasai society is comprised of sixteen sections (known in Maasai as Iloshon): Ildamat, Ilpurko, Ilkeekonyokie, Iloitai, Ilkaputiei, Ilkankere, Isiria, Ilmoitanik, Iloodokilani, Iloitokitoki, Ilarusa, Ilmatatapato, Ilwuasinkishu, Kore, Parakuyu, and Ilkisonko, also known as Isikirari (Tanzania's Maasai). There was also once Iltorobo section but was assimilated by other sections. A majority of the Maasai population lives in Kenya. Sections such as Isikirari, Parakuyu, Kore and Ilarusa lives in Tanganyika.

Homestead and Labor:

The Maasai live in Kraals arranged in a circular fashion. The fence around the kraal is made of acacia thorns, which prevent lions from attacking the cattle. It is a man's responsibility to fence the kraal. While women construct the houses. Traditionally, kraals are shared by an extended family. However, due to the new land management system in the Maasai region, it is not uncommon to see a kraal occupied by a single family. 

The Inkajijik (maasai word for a house) are loaf-shaped and made of mud, sticks, grass, cow dung and cow's urine. Women are responsible for making the houses as well as supplying water, collecting firewood, milking cattle and cooking for the family. Warriors are in charge security while boys are responsible for herding livestock. During the drought season, both warriors and boys assume the responsibility for herding livestock. The elders are directors and advisors for day-to-day activities. Every morning before livestock leave to graze, an elder who is the head of the inkang sits on his chair and announces the schedule for everyone to follow.

The Maasai are a semi-nomadic people who lived under a communal land management system. The movement of livestock is based on seasonal rotation. Contrary to many claims made by outsiders, particularly the Hardinian school of thought, this communal land management system allows us to utilize resources in a sustainable manner. Each section manages its own territory. Under normal conditions, reserve pastures are fallowed and guarded by the warriors. However, if the dry season becomes especially harsh, sections boundaries are ignored and people graze animals throughout the land until the rainy season arrives. According to Maasai traditional land agreement, no one should be denied access to natural resources such as water and land.

Subsistence Economy:

Livestock such as cattle, goats and sheep are the primary source of income for the Maasai. Livestock serves as a social utility and plays an important role in the Maasai economy. Livestock are traded for other livestock, cash or livestock products such as milk and siege. Individual, families, and clans established close ties through giving or exchange of cattle. "Meishoo iyiook enkai inkishu o-nkera"- so goes a Maasai prayer. The English translation of this praye is: "May Creator give us cattle and children. Cattle and children are the most important aspect of the Maasai people.

Maasai Economy with Outsiders:

The Maasai economy is increasingly dependent on the market economy. Livestock products are sold to other groups in Kenya for the purchase of beads, clothing and grains. Cows and goats are also sold for uniform and school fees for children. It is now common to see young Maasai men and women in major towns and cities of Kenya selling, not just goats and cows, but also beads, cell phones, chacoal, grain among other items. The entrepreneurial spirit is something new in our society.

It was not until the early 1980s with the Group Ranch project that the [Maasai] became much more entrenched in a market economy and, hence, more impoverished generally speaking.

Maasai Diet:

Traditionally, the Maasai rely on meat, milk and blood from cattle for protein and caloric needs. People drink blood on special occasions. It is given to a circumcised person (o/esipolioi), a woman who has given birth (entomononi) and the sick (oltamueyiai). Also, on a regular basis drunk elders, ilamerak, use the blood to alleviate intoxication and hangovers. Blood is very rich in protein and is good for the immune system. However, its use in the traditional diet is waning due to the reduction of livestock numbers.

More recently, the Maasai have grown dependent on food produced in other areas such as maize meal (unga wa mahindi), rice, potatoes, cabbage (known to the Maasai as goat leaves), etc. The Maasai who live near crop farmers have engaged in cultivation as their primary mode of subsistence. In these areas, plot sizes are generally not large enough to accommodate herds of animals; thus the Maasai are forced to farm. [The traditional Maasai] people traditionally frown upon this. Maasai believe that tilizing the land for crop farming is a crime against nature. Once you cultivate the land, it is no longer suitable for grazing.

Private Ownership:

The concept of private ownership was, until recently, a foreign concept to the Maasai. However, in the 1960s and 1980s, a program of commercializing livestock and land was forced on us initially by the British and later by the government of Kenya. Since then, [Maasai] land has been subdivided into group and individual ranches. In other parts of Maasailand people subdivided their individual ranches into small plots, which are sold to private developers.

The new land management system of individual ranches has economically polarized [Maasai] people; some Maasais, as well as outside wealthy individuals, have substantially increased their wealth at the expense of others. The largest loss of land, however, has been to national parks and reserves, in which the Maasai people are restricted from accessing critical water sources, pasture, and salt lick. Subdivision of Maasailand reduced land size for cattle herding, reduced the number of cows per household, and reduced food production. As a result, the Maasai society, which once was a proud and self-sufficient society, is now facing many social-economic and political challenges. The level of poverty among the Maasai people is [challenging]. It is sad to see a society that had a long tradition of pride being a beggar for relief food because of imposed foreign concepts of development.

The future of the Maasai is uncertain at this point. One thing, however, is certain that the Maasai culture is quickly eroding at the expense of “civilization”.

Source: Maasai Association