ECO-CULTURAL VALUES OF THE ARCHITECTURE OF FULANI HOMESTEADS IN OKE-OGUN, OYO STATE, NIGERIA

Abstract

The discourse of nomadism and its attendant socio-economic implications is a central theme in the ethnography of the Fulani. Existing anthropological studies have focused on the socio-economy of cattle herding and settlement patterns, devoting little or no attention to the ecological and cultural significance of the unique architecture of the Fulani homesteads. This study was, therefore, designed to investigate the adaptiveness of the homesteads of Fulani settlers, with a view to determining the roles that stable and sedentary lifestyles play in the evolution of their architecture. Acculturation Theory was adopted as framework, while the ethnographic design was used. Tede, Shaki, and Iseyin in Oke-Ogun area in Oyo State were purposively selected for the study because of its large population of Fulani settlers. Qualitative data were obtained through participant observation, thirteen key informant interviews conducted with elderly Fulani in the selected communities, 7 Focus Group Discussions sessions with young men, and In-depth interviews with ninety-six randomly selected residents. Data were analysed using ethnographic description. Fulani settlers in the Oke-Ogun area evolved a unique category of architectural designs that distinguished their dwelling places from those of the host communities. The architectural forms depicted a process of incorporation triggered by a combination of environmental and cultural factors such as climate change and building technology. Three forms of design―traditional, hybrid and contemporary―attested to contending forces of conservatism and modernisation. In terms of settlement pattern, buildings were still arranged in a patri-local fashion whereby the homestead place of the oldest male member of the household became the centre of activities and around which other buildings were organised. Elements of cultural continuity occurred in the retention of the “baa shiga” (no entry) model, although this is disappearing in recently built homesteads. Huts were deliberately located with precisions in ways that fostered relationships and social interactions among members. And with the scarcity of the preferred Beere (elephant grass), used for building, Fulani settlers employed all sorts of fudo (grass) and other synthetic materials in the construction of their homesteads. The grass for building are no longer imported from Ilorin as used to be the case, but are now cultivated locally. There is significant movement away from the cylindrical form of housing construction to square shape form of their Yoruba host. Socio-cultural values embedding religion, gender, economy and ecology were retained in the architectural designs of settlements and building styles. The social imagery of their public space is largely Northern in appearance and in feel, depicting an Islamic motif and ambience. There is evidence of acculturation process going on among the settled Fulani in Oke Ogun; which suggests that Fulani are amenable to changes within their eco-cultural system. These changes are responses to local climatic conditions and influence of gradual assimilation of Oke-Ogun culture. The design of their new architecture will be of value to cultural interchange in Nigeria.