Detailed List Of Five Tribes Found In Kwara State

Kwara State logo Kwara State, also known as 'The State Of Harmony', sits peacefully in the North Central geopolitical zone of Nigeria. The state got its name (Kwara) from the Nupe word for the River Niger which flows through Jebba, Edu and Patigi local government areas of Kwara State. Also, Kwara State got its slogan (The State Of Harmony) from its ability to peacefully accommodate dwellers from different Nigerian tribes/ethnic groups. OldNaija bring you a detailed list of five tribes found in Kwara State. Enjoy! Bariba Tribe Bariba People The Bariba tribe, also called Baruba and Baatoumbu (plural), are found in Kaiama and Baruten local government areas of Kwara state with a population of about 400,000. Geographically, 80% of the Baribas inhabit the neighbouring Benin Republic with about one-eleventh of Benin's total population. As a matter of fact, they are the fourth largest tribe in Benin Republic. They also are the principal inhabitant and cofounders of the Borgou empire in Benin. The Bariba people are predominantly Muslims and speak the Baatonum language. Oworo Tribe Oworo People The Oworo people are one of the tribes found in Kwara State. They are believed to have broken out of the Yoruba ethnic group and this is evident in their language which is a dialect of Yoruba and their ability to speak plain Yoruba language fluently. OldNaija gathered that the Oworo people do not have the letter 'f' in their language while the Yorubas do. And so, the word "funfun" (white) in Yoruba is pronounced as "hunhun" in Oworo dialect. According to history, the Oworo people migrated from Ile-Ife and settled in modern-day Oworo land which consist of 32 towns and villages. They inhabit a mountainous region at the western bank of the River Niger. Farming and trading are the major occupations of the Oworo tribe. Nupe Tribe Nupe People The Nupe people are one well known tribe/ethnic group in the middle belt and northern regions of Nigeria. Called 'Tapa' by their Yoruba neighbours, the Nupe tribe bear some similarities with the Yoruba and Hausa ethnic groups. One of the similarities they bear with the Yorubas is the tradition of tribal marks. The Nupe tribe are primarily Muslims and are the dominant tribe in Niger state as well as an important minority in Kwara State. Fulani Tribe Fulani People Though the Fulanis live in Kwara State not in a very large number, they are still one of the major tribes dwelling in the multiethnic state of harmony. Also known as Fula and Fulbe, the Fulani people spread across many African countries such as: Nigeria, Senegal, Mali, Gambia, Sierra Leone, Ivory Coast, Sudan, Togo, Cameroon, Niger, Ghana and so on. They constitute the major ethnic group found in the Ilorin capital of Kwara state. The oral histories of the Fulani tribe point to Egypt as their place of origin, but their language seems to originate from Senegambian region. The Fulanis are known to be unrivaled experts in cattle rearing. Yoruba Tribe Yoruba People The Yoruba tribe is one of the major tribes in Kwara State claiming about 75% of the total population which in multiple folds supersedes that of other tribes in the state. They control the political and economy arenas of Kwara state. It is worthy of note that Kwara State is regarded as a Yoruba state and this is not only because of their large population but the history of Kwara State. History has it that the Yorubas originally were in charge of Ilorin, the capital of Kwara State, before the Fulanis usurped powers from them. Thanks for your visit, OldNaija.com With this post, we hope to have answered the following questions: What are the tribes found in Kwara State? Who are the Oworo tribe? Is Kwara State a Fulani State? If you find this useful, kindly drop a comment below and share on social media.