What makes the Yorubas tick (4), By Sunday Adelaja

by · Premium Times

How the Yoruba Culture of Tolerance is Making them Indispensable Locally and Globally

The Yoruba people derive significant social, economic, and political benefits from their deeply ingrained culture of tolerance, primarily expressed through the concept of Omoluabi

This cultural foundation prioritizes communal harmony over individual or religious differences, creating a uniquely stable environment within a religiously diverse nation.

Key Benefits of Yoruba Cultural Tolerance

Exceptional Social Stability and Peace:

Low Conflict Rates: Compared to other regions in Nigeria, Yorubaland experiences a significantly lower rate of religious and ethnic violence.

Kinship or family Over Sectarianism:

The concept of Ẹbí (family/lineage) serves as a powerful “peace asset,” where shared blood ties transcend religious divides. It is common for a single family to include Christians, Muslims, and traditionalists who participate in one another’s ceremonies without friction. The family of our present President is an excellent example of this, when the head of the family the husband is a Muslim, the wife a pastor and the children are free to worship as they wish or even stay without religious practice.

Effective Conflict De-escalation:

When disputes arise, they are often treated as “family quarrels” and resolved amicably through established traditional mechanisms like councils of elders (Àgbà) or traditional rulers.

Economic Advantage and Commercial Success:

Investment Magnet: High tolerance levels make the Southwest a primary convergence point for different tribes and religions for business

Growth of Commercial Hubs:

This hospitality is a key reason why cities like Lagos became major commercial centers, as business thrives in environments where diverse groups can safely interact and transact

Educational Leadership and Cosmopolitanism:

Early Modernization: The Yoruba’s openness allowed them to be among the first to welcome foreign missionaries, which directly led to early access to Western education

Global Competitiveness:

This educational head start, fostered by a lack of hostility toward external influences, has historically positioned the Yoruba to excel in corporate environments and professional fields

Cultural Preservation and Identity

Dynamic Resilience: Instead of rigid religious boundaries, the Yoruba practice “religious fluidity”. This allows traditional practices, such as the Osun-Osogbo festival, to persist and even thrive as unifying communal spaces rather than sources of division.

Shared National Heritage

The “One Yoruba, Many Faiths” narrative fosters a strong sense of peoplehood that resists radicalism and external extremist ideologies  

Yoruba Traditional And Cultural Pillars. Values Sustaining This Tolerance

Omoluabi: Honesty, honour, probity, rectitude, and uprightness. A value system emphasizing honor, integrity, and respect for others

Sùúrù: The virtue of patience, and long suffering taught as a foundational requirement for maintaining communal peace

Ìwàpẹ̀lẹ́: Emotional Intelligence. Gentle character, which encourages non-aggressive social interactions

Ọmọ Ìyá: Humanity above all else. “Children of the same mother”—a belief that communal unity is more important than sectarian labels

Yoruba “tolerance” is not just a social trait, it’s a practical operating system for building alliances and doing business across differences. It shows up as flexibility, respect for plurality, and a bias toward negotiation. That combination creates real advantages in both politics and commerce.

Here’s How It Works in Practice

  1. Alliance-building across lines of difference
  2. Easier Cross-Regional Coalitions

Because identity is handled more flexibly, Yorubas can:

  • partner across ethnic and religious lines,
  • negotiate without insisting on sameness, or domination
  • keep channels open even with rivals.

That’s why broad coalitions, like those that elevated Bola Ahmed Tinubu through the All Progressives Congress are possible.

Effect:

More partners equals higher probability of winning complex negotiations. 

  1. “Bridge” Position in Mixed Environments

In diverse settings (national politics, big cities), Yoruba dignitaries often become:

  • intermediaries,
  • conveners,
  • deal-brokers.

In a hub like Lagos, this is invaluable.

Effect:

They connect parties that might not trust each other directly.

  1. Business relationships that scale
  2. Lower Barriers to Entry for Partnerships

Tolerance reduces “who can we work with?” constraints. Deals are judged more by:

  • competence,
  • delivery,
  • reputation,

than by identity.

Effect:

Faster deal formation and access to a wider pool of partners.

  1. Multi-Network Advantage

Instead of one tight, closed network, Yoruba professionals often maintain:

  • cross-tribal links,
  • cross-sector ties,
  • international contacts.

Effect:

More deal flow, more optionality, and resilience if one network dries up.

  1. Commercial Pragmatism

In trade-heavy environments, the guiding question becomes:

“Can we do business together?”

This pragmatism common in Lagos prioritises outcomes over identity.

Effect:

Transactions happen even in diverse or tense contexts.

  1. Global Compatibility

Tolerance translates well internationally:

  • easier cultural adaptation,
  • smoother collaboration with foreign partners,
  • credibility in multinational settings.

Effect:

Yoruba-led ventures plug into global markets more easily (finance, consulting, tech, trade).

  1. Negotiation As a Core Skill

Historically, Yoruba governance emphasized councils and checks (e.g., traditions from the Oyo Empire). That legacy favours:

  • dialogue over deadlock,
  • compromise over zero-sum outcomes.

Effect:

More deals get closed; fewer relationships burn.

  1. Trust Built On Performance (Not Identity)

In more closed systems, trust starts with “are you one of us?”

In Yoruba networks, it more often starts with:

  • “can you deliver?”

Effect:

High performers, regardless of background, can rise and integrate quickly.

  1. Diversification = Resilience

Because relationships span groups and sectors:

  • shocks in one area (political, sectoral) don’t collapse the whole network,
  • alternatives are easier to find.

Effect:

Businesses and alliances are more shock-resistant.

  1. The Trade-Off (Why It Still Requires Strategy)

The same openness can lead to:

  • less automatic “in-group” protection,
  • more internal competition,
  • the need to continuously prove value.

Practical takeaway:

Openness gets you in; consistent delivery keeps you in.

 FINAL INSIGHT

Yoruba tolerance turns networks into open architectures:

  • Closed model: high internal loyalty, limited reach
  • Yoruba model: broad reach, flexible alliances, performance-based trust

BOTTOM LINE

Yoruba tolerance strengthens alliances and business relationships by:

  • enabling cross-boundary partnerships,
  • expanding access to markets and capital,
  • improving negotiation outcomes,
  • supporting global integration,
  • and building resilient, diversified networks.

It’s not softness, it’s a strategic advantage built on adaptability and connection

In my fifth article in this series I will be discussing on the principles that make Yoruba the wealthiest ethnic group in Africa. 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