Kolanut and the Nigerian Culture

Kolanut and the Nigerian Culture

Kolanut and the Nigerian Culture

Kola nut is grown more in Western Nigeria, revered more in Eastern Nigeria and eaten more in Northern Nigeria. In Eastern Nigeria, a woman cannot break kolanut. It is broken by the most elderly man in the gathering.

An igbo proverb says: “Onye wetere oji, wetere ndu”, which translates to “he who brings kola nut, brings life”. A Yoruba proverb says: “Enu agba lobi ngbo si” – the final verdict is heard from the elders. This tallies with the Hausa proverb “A bakin tsoho ne goro kan tsufa”.

Kola nut is a big business among the Hausa as they eat it the most. They even export it to Saudi Arabia where the Arabs have adopted the name “Goru’ or “Al goru” for it, which is borrowed from Hausa “Goro”…