Before ‘Yoruba’: How Colonial Rule Forged a Unified Identity

Long before “Yoruba” existed, the Ekiti, Egba, Ijebu, Oyo and other kingdoms were independent polities. Each had its own Oba, its own walls, its own laws and its own fierce pride. The term “Yoruba” began as the Hausa word “Yaraba,” used to describe the Oyo Empire. Baatonu neighbors called Oyo people “Yoru” (singular) and “Yorubu” (plural). European explorers and missionaries later adopted and corrupted this external label. In the late 19th century, Bishop Samuel Ajayi Crowther’s dictionary and British colonial administration cemented “Yoruba” as the umbrella name. Dialects were merged under Oyo orthography and separate histories were woven into one narrative for administrative convenience. Reflecting on this history reminds us that identity imposed from outside differs from identity chosen within. The original names—Ekiti, Egba, Ijebu, Oyo—carry ancient sovereignty and deserve to be remembered on their own terms.

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