Public discourse is at its healthiest when it is informed by knowledge rather than prejudice. Yet, from time to time, sweeping claims are made that betray a poor acquaintance with history. One such assertion is that Ifá kò gbajúmọ̀, that the Ifá tradition commands neither recognition nor relevance beyond the confines of Yorubaland.
Nothing could be further from the truth.
The question is not whether one subscribes to Ifá as a faith. Every Nigerian is constitutionally guaranteed the freedom to practise and propagate his or her religion. The real question is whether history supports the claim that Ifá is an obscure or insignificant tradition. On that score, the evidence is overwhelming.
Long before the emergence of modern Nigeria, Ifá had evolved into one of Africa's most sophisticated systems of philosophy, ethics, oral literature, medicine, cosmology and indigenous knowledge. Its corpus, known as the Odù Ifá, contains hundreds of verses transmitted across generations by trained Babaláwo. These verses explore morality, leadership, justice, social responsibility, diplomacy and humanity's relationship with the divine. To dismiss such a civilisation of ideas as inconsequential is to overlook centuries of intellectual development.
The international community has not ignored this legacy. In 2005, the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization, UNESCO, proclaimed the Ifá Divination System a Masterpiece of the Oral and Intangible Heritage of Humanity. It was subsequently inscribed on UNESCO's Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity. UNESCO's recognition was not an endorsement of a creed; it was an acknowledgement that Ifá constitutes one of humanity's invaluable repositories of philosophy, oral literature, ethics and indigenous knowledge.
No individual has done more to project that heritage than Professor Wande Abimbola, the Àwísẹ Àgbáyé of Ifá. A distinguished scholar, linguist, former Vice Chancellor of Obafemi Awolowo University and former Senate Majority Leader, Professor Abimbola has devoted more than six decades to preserving, interpreting and teaching Ifá to the world. His books remain authoritative references in universities across Africa, Europe, North America and Latin America.
His international stature was further affirmed on October 27, 2011, when he represented the Ifá tradition and indigenous African spirituality at the historic Interreligious Meeting for Peace in Assisi, Italy. Convened by Pope Benedict XVI, the gathering brought together some of the world's most influential religious leaders, including Archbishop Rowan Williams, Rabbi David Rosen and Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew I. Professor Abimbola's presence at that forum was neither ceremonial nor accidental. It was recognition that the Yoruba spiritual tradition deserved a respected voice in global interfaith dialogue.
Ifá's influence extends well beyond the shores of Nigeria. Through the tragic history of the trans Atlantic slave trade, Yoruba spirituality travelled to Brazil, Cuba, Trinidad and Tobago, Haiti and other parts of the Americas. Despite slavery, colonial repression and systematic attempts at cultural erasure, Ifá endured. Today, traditions rooted in Ifá continue to flourish across continents, attracting scholars, practitioners and cultural enthusiasts from diverse backgrounds.
Leading universities around the world continue to study Ifá as one of Africa's richest intellectual traditions. Anthropologists, historians, linguists and philosophers have written extensively on its literary depth, ethical teachings and worldview. Such sustained scholarly attention is not bestowed upon a tradition lacking substance.
None of these facts diminish Islam, Christianity or any other religion. Respect for one faith should never require contempt for another. Civilised societies thrive when religious convictions coexist with historical honesty and mutual respect.
Indeed, Islam itself places immense value on knowledge. The first revealed word of the Qur'an is Iqra, "Read." It is therefore fitting that discussions about indigenous African religions should also be grounded in learning rather than assumption. Disagreement is legitimate; distortion is not.
Those who insist that Ifá kò gbajúmọ̀ should first examine the historical record. UNESCO has recognised its cultural significance. International institutions continue to study it. Distinguished scholars continue to publish on it. Its foremost ambassador has stood among the world's leading religious figures in the cause of peace and dialogue.
History is a stubborn witness. It cannot be silenced by rhetoric, erased by prejudice or rewritten by ignorance.
One may reject Ifá as a matter of personal belief. That is every individual's right. But to deny its historical significance, global recognition and enduring contribution to human civilisation is not an exercise in faith; it is a rejection of verifiable fact.
In the end, history, not polemics, renders the final verdict. And history has already vindicated Ifá.
Ogungbemi Adeyemi Orimisan writes from the heartbeat of the old Okitipupa Divisional Headquarters.
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