The Yoruba Value System Explained
Discover the six core principles of the Yoruba value system, from wisdom and integrity to honour and wealth, explained with cultural depth.
Akíńi ńjẹ́ akíńi – Yoruba Wisdom on Exposure and Discretion [Ẹ̀gbá Version]
This Yoruba proverb reflects on how careless words can expose identity, endanger others, and turn familiarity into betrayal.
Aṣọ ò b’Ọmọ́yẹ mọ́ – Yoruba Wisdom on Irreversibility and the Tragedy of Delayed Intervention
A striking Yoruba proverb that reflects on the moment intervention comes too late, when restraint fails, and reversal is no longer possible.
Ẹni à ńwò tó ńwòran – Yoruba Wisdom on Focus and Failed Example
A sharp Yoruba saying that mocks those meant to be examples but are too distracted to live up to expectations. When the watched becomes a watcher.
Ọdún á y’abo – Yoruba Wisdom on Fruitfulness and Yield
More than passing time, this Yoruba proverb expresses a hope for fruitfulness, that the year itself will produce results.
Ọdọọdún làá r’órógbó – Yoruba Wisdom on Continuity, Provision, and Stability
Some things return every year because they sustain life. This Yoruba proverb reflects on continuity, provision, and the strength of reliability.
Àìbẹ̀rù àgbà – Yoruba Wisdom on Sustainable Progress and Stability
Some lives move fast but fail to hold. This Yoruba proverb reflects on elders, wisdom, and the kind of progress that truly endures.
Kìí tán ninú igbá osùn – Yoruba Wisdom on Resourcefulness and Sufficiency
What if emptiness is never absolute? This Yoruba proverb reflects on residue, resourcefulness, and the understated power of what still remains.
Kìí tán nínú igbá osùn – Yoruba Wisdom on Integrity and Contamination
Some things stain even when they seem harmless. This Yoruba proverb reflects on integrity, association, and how purity is easily compromised by proximity.