By: Bola Olalekan
Igbomina is among the main clans of Yorubaland, the Igbomina people are in the north-eastern part of Yorubaland and are reported to be more than one million. About 90percent of them live in the present day Isin, Irepodun and Ifelodun local government parts of Kwara State, while the remaining occupy Ora and Ila-Orangun areas of Osun State.
Apart from those found in Ila area, Igbominaland is more precisely grouped into sixteen administrative parts in Kwara State. The areas are Omu-Aran, Omupo, Sare, Oke-Ode, Igbaja, Ajase, Isin, Oro, Oro-Ago, Ile-Ire, Ora, , Oko, Ola, Esie, Idofian and Idofin.
There’re known compartments of Igbomina towns and villages in few other locals of Kwara State including Apado in Iponrin area, Jeba in Lanwa district, Apa-Ole, Joromu etc., in Akanbi district and Ogbondoroko in Afon area.
The Igbominas are often grouped into two; the Igbomina Mosan and Igbomina Moye.
The Moye group includes Oke-Ode , Oro-Ago, Ora, Oko-Ola, Idofin and Agunjin districts.
Mosan group comprises the following areas: Omu-Aran, Ajase, Igbaja, Isin, Oro, Share, Esie, Omupo, Idofian and Ila-Orangun.
The cord that firmly holds the Igbomina clan together exhibits in their inseparable dialect, origins, values, culture, institutions and aspirations.
All across Igbominaland, the habit of eating Ewu-iyan and Ikasin oka or oka adagbona, isn’t peculiar.
These meals are a remake of the overnight leftovers of amala and iyan, a delicacy that adds refreshing flavours of delicious taste and aromas to them.
The “new” taste is highly cherished in especially Omu-Aran that its inhabitants have this refrain “ewu iyan d’omu o dotun” , meaning the re-make is no way inferior to the fresh one.
The Igbomina dialect is generally similar, however, there are slight to significant variations as one moves from one part to another within the land.
The Igbominas have overtime enjoyed Egungun Elewe, Layewu and Epa festivals.
Primitively, their occupations were generally pottery, carving, hunting and farming just like the rest of the olden day Yoruba nation.
Some decades ago, they were known to settle for secondary school education, where they often continued into trading and or apprenticeship which they relied upon as means of livelihood
Modern day Igbominas are known to be university graduates and even professors, they are now found in all aspects of Nigerian economy, including banking and finance, industry and commerce and in government administrations.
Igbomina was said by scholars to have been derived from “Ologbo lo mọ ọna” meaning the flag bearer who knows the road. Elaborated thus; during the olden days’ Yoruba conflicts, the Ajagunla (Ọrangun of Ila) was the flag bearer, who carried the flag, known as ‘Ogbo’, the Ogbo helped in directing warriors to the right paths. ‘Ologbo lo mọ ọna’ later become ‘Igbomina’ or sometimes pronounced Ogboona and even Igboona by the natives.
