Awori

Awori refers to a Yoruba-speaking ethnic subgroup native to southwestern Nigeria, concentrated in Lagos State and parts of Ogun State. As a sub-branch of the Yoruba, the Awori are associated with several coastal and riverine communities in the Lagos region, including areas around the Lagos Lagoon. The name is used both by communities themselves and by outsiders to designate this cluster within the wider Yoruba nation.

Language and culture

The Awori speak a dialect of the Yoruba language. While sharing core Yoruba cultural patterns, Awori communities have distinct local customs, place names, and traditional institutions. Yoruba religious practices coexist with Christianity and Islam in many Awori communities, and traditional ceremonies, masquerades, music, and craft are part of their cultural repertoire.

History

Historically, the Awori were among the early Yoruba settlements in the Lagos coastal area and engaged in trade with inland and international traders. Early contact with Europeans, including Portuguese traders in the pre-colonial period, contributed to economic and social exchange along the coast. Over the 19th and 20th centuries, the Lagos area underwent substantial political and administrative changes under colonial and post-colonial governments, shaping the status and distribution of Awori communities within Lagos State and adjoining areas of Ogun State.

Contemporary status

Today, many Awori people live in urban and peri-urban Lagos and Ogun communities. They participate in regional commerce, politics, and culture, while maintaining distinctive local identities within the broader Yoruba and Nigerian contexts. As with other Yoruba groups, Awori identity is linked to language, shared history, and community ties rather than a single centralized political structure.

See also: Yoruba people, Lagos State, Ogun State, Ikorodu, Badagry