Yoruba Descendants Association of Alabama Inc. ( YODAAI)
[ Egbe Omo Yoruba Ni Alabama]
Moved by lack of a forum for Yorubas in Alabama for fellowship and shared values and interests, a group of concerned men and women from Montgomery and Auburn planned a meeting. Professor Lekan Ayanwale hosted the first informal meeting at his Auburn residence in 2011.
From there, a committee was raised to recommend names for the association and to also draft the legal organizing document in preparation for a formal meeting that followed later in Montgomery, Alabama. Hence, The Yoruba Descendants Association of Alabama nc. ( Egbe Omo Yoruba Ni Alabama ) was established.
Our mission: We, the descendants of Yoruba living in the state of Alabama, USA hereby come together and form this Non-profit organization for the benefit of mankind and for the promotion of Yoruba culture, values, and language, among the people of our immediate community and the world in general. We will actively promote culturally appropriate education that build up individuals and communities to their utmost God given potentials.
Our vision: We seek to help people in our community to grow culturally, intellectually, and economically, using the rich cultural heritage of the Yorubas, particularly in areas of child upbringing, family foundation, communal service and personal values. We seek to create a community of productive and fully participating citizenry.
Our Values: As the children of 'good morning' where all people are families and all children are our children. We embrace: Deep knowledge, Self Restrain, Respect for others, Fairness and all encompassing attributes of an “omoluwabi”
"NIGERIA is a Country with a manifest destiny to Lead. Even before Nigeria attained independence from Britain, she played a significant role in the world order. Perhaps the most notably contribution of Nigeria to humanity is her resolve to see the end of Apartheid in South Africa. At a historical level, there can be no doubt that Nigeria was one of the leading African countries in the anti-apartheid struggle."
-Dr Oluyinka Adediji on the occasion of the 52nd Nigerian Independence day.
Yorubas' Rich Oral Tradition:
The Yorubas are an ancient people.
They may not have rigorously kept a written history
but there is a rich oral tradition of passing along
our history and our heritage in many different ways,
in song and interpretive dance like Ijala,
each one telling a story that is heavily laden with culture,
while taking detours through touchstones in our history.
See for example below, a modern day troubadour,
singing a special traditional greeting to members of the YODAAI association.
Listen as he mentions each members name, saying something about where they are from
and what their people may be known for, e.g warriors, hunters, etc
Mark Zuckerberg visits Nigeria
Mark Zuckerberg, the founder of FACEBOOK visits Lagos, Nigeria sometime in August 2016. His first stop was a local innovation center and tech hub in Yaba, an area on the mainland of Lagos known as Nigeria's Silicon Valley.
Zuckerberg said to Nigerians "This is my first trip to sub-Saharan Africa. I'll be meeting with developers and entrepreneurs, and learning about the startup ecosystem in Nigeria. The energy here is amazing and I'm excited to learn as much as I can."
Watch the video to your below...
Our First chairman Of the Board
Famous Yoruba People
Click on the slide show images to see more information!