What makes the Yorubas tick (2), By Sunday Adelaja

True politically savvy readers cannot deny the fact that out of the three power balance in Nigeria, the Yoruba is the most balanced across all dimensions of the society. The people are better represented in all aspects of the country. They are almost equally powerful in politics, media, education, finance, technology, medicine, culture, entertainment, civil society, sports and others.

The Power Dynamics, Strategy, and Real Global Influence of the Yoruba Within Nigeria

I think this second article is possibly going to be the most consequential of the series of articles on what makes the Yoruba tick. This second article will be the most strategically relevant, I assume, to other ethnicities in Nigeria, especially those who wish to come to a place of national relevance and dominance.

A. Yoruba Versus Igbo Versus Hausa-Fulani Power Dynamics

Nigeria is effectively built on a three-pillar balance, as seen below. This balance is not constitutionally written or even recognised, but for ardent students of nation building, it is poignantly visible.

1. The Northern Power Block (Hausa/Fulani)

• Political dominance (historically the longest control of power in Nigeria);
• Strong population advantage;
• Highly centralised elite structure.

2. Igbo (South-East)

• Strong in commerce and entrepreneurship;
• Highly networked economically;
• Less centralised politically.

3. Yoruba (South-West)

• Most balanced across all dimensions;
• Political sophistication;
• Economic strength;
• Institutional depth.

In the first article, I expressed my doubts about writing this series of articles out of the concern that I might be accused of being biased. But I decided to go ahead anyway, also relying on the modern technology of AI to fact check myself in a lot of my claims and conclusions.

The Unique Yoruba Position

True politically savvy readers cannot deny the fact that out of the three power balance in Nigeria, the Yoruba is the most balanced across all dimensions of the society. The people are better represented in all aspects of the country. They are almost equally powerful in politics, media, education, finance, technology, medicine, culture, entertainment, civil society, sports and others.

The Yoruba are often:

The “swing power” in Nigeria.

Why?

• They can align with the North (to win federal power);
• Or form southern coalitions;
• They are less politically isolated than the Igbo;
• More decentralised than the North.

 This flexibility makes them strategic kingmakers

B. YORUBA POLITICAL STRATEGY (VERY IMPORTANT)

Yoruba political thinking is heavily influenced by Obafemi Awolowo:

His doctrine emphasised:

• Education;
• Institutional development;
• Long-term planning;
• Regional strength, first; national power, second.

The Yoruba sophistication is not out of nowhere, and it’s not because the people are smarter or more intelligent than the other ethnicities in Nigeria.

Their dominance can be explained, first, by their respect of their sage, Obafemi Awolowo, and their willingness to continue in his political education, life principles and intellectual legacies.

At the risk of not being accused of tribalism by my Igbo brothers, in contrast to the Yoruba and their reverence of Awolowo, I’ll like to use the Igbo as a sharp contrast. I feel that if the Igbo nation has continued in the tradition of its founding fathers like Dr Nnamdi Azikiwe (“Zik”), Dr Michael Okpara, Mazi Mbonu Ojike, and Alvan Ikoku, there won’t have been room for the dominance of such dissident groups/individuals like the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), its leader Nnamdi Kanu, Simon Ekpa, and even Chukwuemeka Odumegwu Ojukwu, etc.

Those early Igbo leaders were greater individuals than these young men of today, and the faster the Igbo nation rediscovers their leadership, legacy and philosophies, the faster and better will they come to a position of political domination again in Nigeria as a whole.

There is another factor responsible for the exceptionalism of the Yoruba in Nigeria and beyond apart from the Awolowo factor.

Nations and peoples are formed by their belief systems, as such the Yoruba are lucky that they have a preserved system of values passed down to them by their beliefs system like Ifa, which is more than a religious concept. In fact Ifa is a composition of all the ancient wisdom of the Yoruba cosmology.

Almost all the Omoluabi value system and virtues that the Yoruba extol today are rooted in Ifa philosophy. These virtues, though previously unwritten, were retained in Ifa rendition and Ifa chants. I will assume most nationalities in Nigeria have similar philosophical cosmologies.

Unfortunately, with the advent of Christianity and Islam, most Yoruba people tend to be throwing away the child with the bath water. It’ll be a generational mistake to dismiss the Ifa cosmological philosophy, just because of religion. It is the spinal bone of the Yoruba people worldwide.

Key Strategic Traits of the Yoruba people that come out of their value system based on the two factors mentioned above.

1. Pragmatic Alliances

Yoruba politics is not emotional; it is strategic. The people learnt this the hard way. Thanks to the failure of their sage Obafemi Awolowo in the First and Second Republics.

The Yoruba were taught a bitter lesson that brilliance, intelligence and the political sagacity of their sage could not get him to rule Nigeria twice. This failure became their blessings in disguise, hence the alliance with the North and other regions of Nigeria today.

Example:

• Alliance with the North to produce Bola Ahmed Tinubu;
• Earlier cooperation that enabled Olusegun Obasanjo.

Principle

“Power is negotiated, not assumed.” This is a lesson that our Igbo brothers too must learn. I think it’s their time to rule Nigeria again but power must be negotiated through dialogue and compromises.

2. Strong Regional Base

The South-West is:

• Politically coordinated;
• Economically viable;
• Internally influential.

3. Elite Consensus Culture

Unlike fragmented regions:

• Yoruba elites often negotiate internally before acting externally.

This creates:

• Coherence,
• Bargaining strength.

4. Long-Term Thinking

Policies like:

• Free education (Awolowo era);
• Infrastructure development;
• Media and intellectual dominance, in these policies Yoruba were decades ahead of other regions.

C. YORUBA ECONOMIC NETWORKS (HOW POWER REALLY FLOWS)

This is where things get very practical.

1. Lagos — The Power Engine

Lagos is:

• Nigeria’s financial centre;
• West Africa’s biggest economic hub;
• Entry point for capital, trade, and investment.

Who controls Lagos influences:

• Banking;
• Ports;
• Real Estate;
• Tech;
• Politics.

Key details regarding Lagos’s economic position:

* Ranking: Second largest city economy in Africa after Cairo

* GDP Size: Approximately $259 billion (PPP).

* Economic Impact: The state accounts for roughly 26.7 per cent of Nigeria’s total GDP and holds over 50 per cent of the country’s non-oil industrial capacity.

A. Business Culture

Yoruba economic behaviour is characterised by:

• Structured entrepreneurship (not just hustle);
• Family-based and institutional growth;
• Strong professional class (lawyers, bankers, consultants).

These above mentioned factors tell us why the Yoruba is the richest ethnic group in Africa. (I will address this fully with facts and proofs when I write on the economic power of the Yoruba people worldwide).

B. Elite Networks

Power is often concentrated in:

• Political families;
• Business circles;
• Professional associations;
• Social clubs.

Deals and influence often happen through:

• Trust networks;
• Long-term relationships;
• Reputation.

C. Diaspora Leverage

Yoruba diaspora:

• UK, US, Canada, Brazil;
• Strong in academia, finance, tech.

They contribute:

• Capital;
• Influence;
• Global access.

D. HOW YORUBA NETWORKS OPERATE IN PRACTICE

This is the part most people don’t understand.

1. Relationship-Based Power

Influence is built through:

• introductions,
• trust,
• consistency,
• reputation.

Not just money.

    2. Multi-Layered Influence

A typical powerful Yoruba figure may operate across:

• Politics;
• Business;
• Social organisations;
• Religious or cultural institutions.

    3. Soft Power and Hard Power Combination

Yoruba influence blends:

• Soft power (education, culture, media);
• Hard power (politics, finance, state influence).

This is rare — and very powerful.

   4. Institutional Memory

Yoruba society:

• Remembers alliances;
• Tracks loyalty;
• Values long-term relationships.

This affects:

• Business opportunities;
• Political access;
• Trust levels.

E. REALITY CHECK (CRITICAL INSIGHT)

Despite all strengths, weaknesses include:

• Internal rivalries;
• Elite fragmentation at times;
• Over-intellectualisation vs execution;
• Competition for influence within the group.

However…

Their ability to organise, reorganise and adapt keeps them consistently relevant. Remember all this wisdom is rooted in the two factors of the Awolowo legacy and Ifa cosmology(Omoluabi ethos).

FINAL STRATEGIC UNDERSTANDING

In short:

• Hausa-Fulani – Control political structure (power base);
• Igbo – Control economic power and  drive (commerce engine)
• Yoruba – Are balanced in all power equations as strong politically as the North and as strong economically as the Igbo and coordination (system integrator).

Hence The Yoruba are: Nigeria’s most strategically flexible and institutionally balanced power bloc.

They:

• Shape outcomes,
• Influence direction,
• And often determine who ultimately governs.

If you managed to read this my long thesis to the end then you will possibly agree with me that this second article is the most consequential of all these series. He who has ears let him not only hear but also apply the wisdom in it.

In the third article of this series I hope to raise the question of why the Yoruba people are the most tolerant ethnic group in Nigeria both religious wise among themselves and towards other migrants in their land.

For The Love Of God, Church And Nation

Sunday Adelaja is a Nigerian born leader, transformation strategist, pastor and innovator. He was based in Ukraine