Omoluwabi or Omoluabi

“The Yoruba system of child training is presented in this chapter, not as African epistemology, but as one example of it. This system of child training is driven by Yoruba oral traditions and philosophy. The oral traditions of Yoruba people consist of proverbs, poems, wise sayings, songs folktales and riddles. The Yoruba people use these oral literatures to teach and train their children how to grow up and become omoluwabi (omoluabi), which is the concept of a “person” that forms the central focus and the ultimate goal of Yoruba traditional education. The concept of omoluwabi is comprehensive, total, complete, and all embracing. To be an omoluwabi is to be a complete, total and well-rounded person in all its ramifications. An omoluwabi is someone who has good character which in Yoruba language is called iwa. A person of good character would show respect for old age and seniority by respecting those that are older and those in higher classes or positions. A person of good character would be loyal to his/her parents and local traditions, would be honest in all public and private dealings, be devoted to duty, be ready to help the needy and the infirm, would be sympathetic, sociable, courageous, intelligent, energetic, and with burning desire for hard work, as well as possessing other desirable attributes. Literarily, omoluwabi means Omo ti o ni iwa’ bi eni ti a ko ti o si gba eko, meaning a person who behaves like someone who is properly and well nurtured and who lives by the precepts of the education s/he has received. Sayings such as Iwa rere l’eso eniyan, which means good character is an ornament for a person; Oruko rere san ju wura ati fadaka lo which means good name is more precious than gold and silver, and Ise ni ogun ise which means hard work is the antidote to poverty are part of the oral traditions that are used to train Yoruba children. These sayings reflect the importance attached to character building through the concept of omoluwabi by Yoruba people” (Akinsola, 2011, pages 225-226).

Esther F. Akinsola (2011). Omoluwabi’s approach” to educating the African child in Handbook of African Educational Theories and Practices: A Generative Teacher Education Curriculum: A Generative Teacher Education Curriculum (pages 223-233). Editors: A. Bame Nsamenang andTherese M.S. Tchombe. Bamenda, Cameroon.  Human Development Resource Centre (HDRC).