Ogu people
The Ogu people, sometimes called Egun people, are an ethnic group located majorly in Lagos and Ogun State in the South-Western part of Nigeria. The Ogu people have varieties of dialects including Thevi, Xwela, Seto and Toli and they also account for about 15% of the indigenous population of Lagos State.[1]
Egun | |
|---|---|
| Total population | |
| 811,000 | |
| Regions with significant populations | |
| Nigeria, Republic of Benin. | |
 | 393,000 |
| Languages | |
| Gun | |
| Religion | |
| Christianity, Islam, Vodun | |
Origin
The Ogu people were settlers in the old Dahomey presently known as Republic of Benin. Oral history has it that the Ogu people are a descendant of those who migrated from Whydah, Allada and Weme which are now part of the Republic of Benin as a result of the Dahomean War that occurred during the 18th century. According to Mesawaku, a historian; the Ogu people migrated to Badagry as early as the 15th century due to the need for security.[2]
Geography and people
The Ogu people are majorly found in Badagry and in the Yewa and Ipokia region of Ogun State. They are also located in some parts of the Republic of Benin. Since their environment is surrounded by water, majority of Ogu people are into fishing, coconut processing and salt production while some are involved in trading and farming.[3] Among the Ogu people, the use of condoms as a method of birth control is perceived to be a taboo due to their long held traditional belief in the old practice of coitus interruptus. The people of Ogu strongly believe in their traditions despite most of them being followers of other religions, they are seen worshipping a masquerade called Zangbeto.[4]
Bibliography
- J. A. Fiberesima (1990). Okrika: In Search of an Ancestry. Evans Brothers. ISBN 978-978-167-450-1.
- A. Babatunde Olaide-Mesewaku; Babatunde A. Olaide-Mesewaku (2001). Badagry district, 1863-1999. John West Publications Ltd. ISBN 978-978-163-090-3.
- Akinjide Osuntokun (1987). History of the Peoples of Lagos State. Lantern Books. ISBN 978-978-2281-48-7.
References
- Segun Olatunji (27 December 2013). "Egun people blame underdevelopment on minority status". The Punch. Retrieved 13 August 2015.
- Anthonia Duru (2 August 2015). "Ogu: A people United By Tradition". Daily Independent. Retrieved 13 August 2015.
- Steven L. Danver (10 March 2015). Native Peoples of the World: An Encyclopedia of Groups, Cultures and Contemporary Issues. Routledge. pp. 19–. ISBN 978-1-317-46400-6.
- Deolu (27 October 2012). "REVEALED: The Town Where Men Don't Use Condóm In Lagos". Information Nigeria. Retrieved 13 August 2015.
Template:Ogu Topics