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60-476: Festac Town is a federal housing estate located at Lagos Nigeria. Its name is derived from the acronym FESTAC, which stands for Second World African Festival of Arts and Culture that was held there in 1977. It is also important to know that Festac is under Amuwo-Odofin local government area in Lagos. Festac town, originally referred to as "Festival Town" or "Festac Village", is a residential estate designed to house

120-408: A patrilineal people who live in towns, cities and villages that contain lineages. Each lineage is headed by the male elder. The male ancestors of Ewe are revered, and traditionally, families can trace male ancestors. The land owned by an Ewe family is considered an ancestral gift, and they do not sell this gift in any way. Ewe people are notable for their fierce independence, and they have supported

180-449: A ballot. Initial regulations forbade such winners from renting and disposing-of the properties to third parties. The first festival was held in 1966 at Dakar , Senegal . Festac town is built in a grid network consisting of seven major roads/boulevards or avenues from which minor roads extend. These avenues are identified by their numbers: 1st, 2nd, 3rd, 4th, 5th, 6th and 7th Avenues respectively. The 1st, 2nd, 4th and 7th Avenues surround

240-520: A contemporary dance, and is usually seen only on very important occasions like the Asafotu festival , celebrated annually by the Tongu people around December. The dance is also performed at the funerals of highly-placed people in society, mostly men. Mafi-Gborkofe is a small farming village near Mafi-Kumase . Gota uses the mystical calabash drum of Benin , West Africa. The calabash was originally called

300-422: A decentralization of power within a village or through a large state. Decisions have been made by a collection of elders, and they have refused political support to wicked kings or leaders, after their experience with the powerful 17th century despot named Agokoli. Despite all their internal conflicts, they come together in times of war and external conflicts. In regional matters, the chief traditional priest has been

360-445: A more active role in the accompaniment. It responds to the larger sogo or 'father' drum. The entire ensemble is led by the atsimevu or 'grandfather' drum, largest of the group. Lyrical songs are more prevalent in the southern region. In the north, flutes and drums generally take the place of the singer's voice. The Ewe have an intricate collection of dances, which vary between geographical regions and other factors. One such dance

420-633: A period of turmoil, particularly when Yoruba warriors of the Oyo Empire ruled the region. Their own oral tradition describes the brutal king Agɔ Akɔli (or Agor Akorli ) of Notsie (a formerly walled town in Togo), estimated to have ruled in the 17th century. The highhandedness of King Agor Akorli culminated in the escape and dispersal of the Ewe to their present locations. They share a history with people who speak Gbe languages . All Gbe speaking people regard

480-722: A population density of approximately 300,000 people per square kilometer. The LGA, with a population of over 1,500,000 according to the 2006 Census shares its boundaries with Ajeromi and Ifelodun LCDA in the East, Oriade LCDA in the West, the Badagry Creek to the South and Isolo/Igando LCDA to the North. The indigenous dwellers of Amuwo Odofin are mainly the Aworis who are the majority and

540-401: A portion of the town in what seems like an almost rectangular road network which are connected and accessible through each other. The 3rd and 5th avenues run parallel within the town. The 6th avenue is found in a portion of the town accessible through a bridge from the 1st Avenue. The town consists of cul-de-sacs or closes which are named in an alphabetical format. Festac town is accessible from

600-443: A spouse would during a marriage. Ancestral spirits are important part of the Ewe traditional religion, and shared by a clan. Christianity arrived among the Ewe people with the colonial merchants and missionaries. Major missions were established after 1840, by European colonies. German Lutheran missionaries arrived in 1847. Their ideas were accepted in the coastal areas, and Germans named their region Togoland, or Togo meaning 'beyond

660-480: A town now in the republic of Benin , in the region that is now the border between Benin and Nigeria ; and then, because of invasions and wars in the 17th century, migrated into their current locations. Archaeological evidence suggests that the Ewe people likely had some presence in their current homelands at least as early as the 13th century. This evidence dates their dynamism to a much earlier period than previously believed. However, other evidence also suggests

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720-431: Is a good drummer, it is because they inherited a spirit of an ancestor who was a good drummer. Ewe music has many genres. One is Agbekor , which relates to songs and music around war. These cover the range of human emotions associated with the consequences of war, from courage and solidarity inspired by their ancestors, to the invincible success that awaits Ewe warriors, to death and grief of loss. Cross-rhythm drumming

780-442: Is a part of Ewe musical culture. In general, Ewe drums are constructed like barrels with wooden staves and metal rings, or carved from a single log. They are played with sticks and hands, and often fulfill roles that are traditional to the family. The 'child' or 'baby brother' drum, kagan , usually plays on the off-beats in a repeated pattern that links directly with the bell and shaker ostinatos. The 'mother' drum, kidi , usually has

840-479: Is a written standard that was developed in the nineteenth century based on the regional variants of the various sub-dialects with a high degree of coastal content. With it, a standard colloquial variety has also emerged (spoken usually with a local accent), and is used very widely in cross-dialectal contact sites such as schools, markets, and churches. The storytellers use a dialect of Aŋlɔ spoken in Seva. Their language

900-454: Is divided into Oriade and Amuwo Local Council Development Area (LCDA) with 7 wards each; Abule-osun, Agboju, Ibeshe, Ijegun , Irede, Kirikir and Kuje wards constitute Oriade LCDA and Ado-soba, Ekoakete, Ifelodun, Ilado Tamaro, Irepodun, Odofin and Orire wards comprising Amuwo LCDA. Spread among the 14 wards are 67 communities, 12 of which are Urban, 8 semi-urban and 47 rural. Amuwo Odofin LGA has

960-437: Is generally performed at funerals and other social occasions. This is a social dance with a great deal of room for free expression. In general, the men sing and dance in the center while the women dance in a ring around them. There are "slow" and "fast" versions of Bobobo. The slow one is called Akpese and the fast one is termed Bobobo. Agahu is the name of a dance as well as one of the many secular music associations (clubs) of

1020-465: Is said to have been developed by Francis Kojo Nuatro. He is thought to have been an ex-police officer who organized a group in the mid- to late 1940s. The dance has its roots from Wusuta and in the Highlife music popular across West African countries. Bobobo gained national recognition in the 1950s and 1960s because of its use at political rallies and the novelty of its dance formations and movements. It

1080-531: Is similar to those of nearby ethnic groups, such as the Fon religion . This traditional Ewe religion is called Vodun . The word is borrowed from the Fon language , and means "spirit". The Ewe religion holds Mawu as the creator God, who created numerous lesser deities ( trɔwo ) that serve as the spiritual vehicles and the powers that influence a person's destiny. This mirrors the Mawu and Lisa (Goddess and God) theology of

1140-590: Is the Adevu (Ade - hunting, Vu - dance). This is a professional dance that celebrates the hunter. They are meant both to make animals easier to hunt and to give animals a ritual "funeral" in order to prevent the animal's spirit from returning and harming the hunter. Another dance, the Agbadza , is traditionally a war dance but is now used in social and recreational situations to celebrate peace. War dances are sometimes used as military training exercises, with signals from

1200-434: Is the spoken form and hence does not necessarily conform to the expectations of someone familiar with the standard dialect. For instance, they use the form yi to introduce relative clauses instead of the standard written si, and yia 'this' instead of the standard written sia. They sometimes also use subject markers on the verb agreeing with the lexical NP subject while this is not written in the standard. A distinctive feature of

1260-453: Is their refusal to blame others, their "deep distress and voluntary acceptance of guilt" for their ancestors' role in the slave trade. They have gone to extraordinary lengths to commemorate former slaves amidst them, and making the ancestors of the slaves to be revered deities as well. The Ewes have developed a complex culture of music, closely integrated with their traditional religion. This includes Ewe drumming . Ewes believe that if someone

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1320-665: The Ewes living at the beach of Beshi, Ibeshe sea beach Between the River and the Atlantic Ocean who are minorities, this Ewes are seasoned fisherman and Farmers . Some of the festivals embraced by the people are Elegba Ewe , Oro Aworis , Zangbeto Ewe and Igunuko Ewe festivals . The custodians of culture and tradition in the area are the traditional rulers. The Local Government is blessed with highly reputable Obas and Chiefs and Baales. This includes Oba Mobadenle Obalade Oyekan-

1380-626: The environmentalists , sociologists, lawyers, engineers and economists to join in seeking sustainable solutions to flooding issues. Meanwhile, the Lagos State Government proposed to relocating of residents of the Mile 2 area in Amuwo-Odofin local government area for the construction and the management of the area against flood. Some of the areas have been controlled from flooding which made the federal government to nominate it as

1440-417: The "drum of the dead" and was played only at funerals. It is now performed for social entertainment. The most exciting parts of Gota are the synchronized stops of the drummers and dancers. Tro-u is ancestral drum music that is played to invite ancestors to special sacred occasions at a shrine. For religious purposes, a priest or priestess would be present. There are fast and slow rhythms that can be called by

1500-626: The Adja as the mother tribe. These speakers occupied the area between Akan land and Yorubaland . Previously, some historians have tried to tie them to both Akan and Yoruba ethnic groups. More recent studies suggest these are distinct ethnic groups who are neither Akan nor Yoruba , though they appear to have both influenced and taken influence from those groups. The Ewe people had cordial relations with pre-slave trade and pre-colonial era Europeans. However, in 1784, they warred with Danish colonial interests as Denmark attempted to establish coastal forts in

1560-757: The Aŋlɔ dialect is that the sounds made in the area of the teeth ridge are palatalised when followed by a high vowel. For instance, the verb tsi 'become old' is pronounced " tsyi " by the storyteller Kwakuga Goka. As the Ewe demographic is a sparse but contributing population in West Africa, there have been organizations such as CEANA and Central Ewe Association of North America which aim to fund and initiate development projects and schools in Eweland, comprising Ghana, Benin, and Togo. Closely related: Gbe (Tadoid) languages- Adja , Fon , Mahi , Phera , Gun , Gen . Adja

1620-653: The Ewe Settlement, mostly fishermen, heard and adapted it. In dancing the Agahu, two circles are formed; the men stay stationary with their arms out and then bend with a knee forward for the women to sit on. They progress around the circle until they arrive at their original partner. Gbedzimido is a war dance mostly performed by the people of Mafi-Gborkofe and Amegakope in the Central Tongu district of Ghana's Volta Region . Gbedzimido has been transformed into

1680-624: The Ewe and Yoruba regions for its officials and merchants. Nestled between powerful slave-trading kingdoms like the Asante, Dahomey and Oyo, the Ewes not only were victims of slave raiding and trade, but also sold their war captives to the Europeans. After slavery was abolished and the slave trade brought to a halt, the Ewes flourished in their major economic activities of cotton and rice farming, palm oil and copra production and exports. Their region

1740-638: The Ewe nation or Eʋedukɔ́ region ( Togoland in colonial literature). They consist of several groups based on their dialect and geographic concentration: the Anlo Ewe, Ʋedome (Danyi), Tongu or Tɔŋu. The literary language has been the Anlo sub-branch. The Ewe people were formerly known as the Dogbo. The ancient history of the Ewe people is not recorded. They may have migrated from a place vividly recalled in their oral history called Ketu or Amedzofe (Amejofe) ,

1800-610: The Ewe people of Togo, Dahomey, and in the south-eastern part of the Volta Region. Each club (Gadzok, Takada, and Atsiagbeko are other such clubs) has its own distinctive drumming and dancing, as well as its own repertoire of songs. A popular social dance of West Africa, Agahu was created by the Egun speaking people from the town of Ketonu in what is now Benin . From there it spread to the Badagry area of Nigeria , where inhabitants of

1860-409: The Ewe speaking people of Togo, Benin, and in south-eastern parts of the Volta Region. Yewe is a very exclusive cult and its music is one of the most developed forms of sacred music in Eweland. A key aspect of Ewe culture is a philosophy about how to interpret and educate oneself through life's events. The Ewe traditionally pass on generational wisdom through proverbs, many of which aim to contextualize

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1920-476: The Ewe-speaking area, the dialects may be broadly grouped geographically into coastal or southern dialects, e.g., Aŋlɔ, Tɔŋú Avenor, Watsyi and inland dialects characterised indigenously as Ewedomegbe, e.g., Lomé, Danyi, and Kpele etc. (Agbodeka 1997, Gavua 2000, Ansre 2000). Speakers from different localities understand each other and can identify the peculiarities of the different areas. Additionally, there

1980-458: The Fon religion, and like them, these are remote from daily affairs of the Ewe people. The lesser deities are believed to have means to grant favors or inflict harm. The Ewe have the concept of Si , which implies a "spiritual marriage" between the deity and the faithful. It is typically referred to as a suffix to a deity. Thus a Fofie-si refers to a faithful who has pledged to deity Fofie, just like

2040-428: The Lagos state government accredited for the vaccination of coronavirus. The COVID-19 vaccines made available for the residents were AstraZeneca vaccines. In a bid to stop the spread of the virus, all the sporting activities and centers in the area were stopped to prevent the spread. The bars and clubs were also closed up, due to the spread of the virus. Hence, coronavirus awareness and medical outreach were offered to

2100-765: The Lagos-Badagry Expressway through three main gates that open into the 1st, 2nd and 7th avenues and are called the First, Second and Third gates respectively. The town is also accessible through the Festac Link Bridge. The status of FESTAC Town is somewhat confusing as the Federal, State and Local Government all lay claim to the management of the estate and occasionally issue the residents with various charges ranging from valuation fees, local government levies to tenement rates. FESTAC town has over

2160-528: The Onilado of Ilado/Inagbe Islands and Oba Lateef Olayinka Ado, Fabuwa 1, Alado of Ado Land. Nonetheless, considering its location as a near border Local Government, International trade has found its root in the area with people of various extractions engaging in various forms of trading activities. It must also be stated that the Igbos account for more than half of the area's total population. Amuwo-Odofin

2220-555: The Shoba community of Amuwo Odofin, Lagos State. The ban on the bars and clubs as well as the sporting centers was emphasized and everyone was urged to comply with the guidelines and take responsibility for protecting themselves against the virus as directed by the NCDC. The virus was no respecter of gender, age, or status. Meanwhile, a voice note reported that the residents of the Amuwo-Odofin local government area (AOLG) were infected by

2280-571: The art electrical generators, police and fire stations, access to public transportation, supermarkets, banks, health centres, public restrooms, and postal services. The village was therefore intended to evoke the modern age and the promise of state-sponsored economic development fuelled by oil revenues. After the Festival, the Federal Government of Nigeria allocated the housing and landed properties to eventual winners who participated in

2340-637: The coastal regions of West Africa : in the region south and east of the Volta River to around the Mono River at the border of Togo and Benin; and in the southwestern part of Nigeria (close to the Atlantic Ocean, stretching from the Nigeria and Benin border to Epe). They are primarily found in the Volta Region in southeastern Ghana , southern Togo , The Ewe region is sometimes referred to as

2400-548: The coronavirus. This was posted on all the social media platforms which caused concern in the area. However, the NCDC and the local government administration denied the claim. They organized a press conference where the Chairman of the Council stated that “the person who recorded the audio – who he identified as Dr. Faith Anyanwu – is neither a staff of the Lagos State Government nor that of the NCDC.” On coronavirus palliative,

2460-541: The cultural reverence of life-long education. The traditional Ewe proverb which states "knowledge is like the Baobab Tree and no one can wrap the hands fully around it" exemplifies a profound appreciation of continual self-betterment, even if such a process will never realistically conclude within a natural lifetime. In the post-colonial era, the Ewe people have acquired renown among Africans for their pursuit of academia and higher education. Many Ewe people travel across

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2520-528: The estate and its environs. Today, there is a growing number of commercial banks, and shopping complexes that cater to the residents. There are also several hotels and hangout spots within the estate which have contributed to the vibrant night life. Amuwo-Odofin Amuwo-Odofin is a local government area (LGA) in the Badagry Division , Lagos State , Nigeria . Amuwo Odofin LGA

2580-662: The flood early warning communication, accurate flood susceptibility map, use of proper land use regulation, planning and management, need for afforestation and programs that support tree planting, use of the presence of mangroves and wetlands should be available and accessible to the people before the rain sets in. In 2017, the Nigerian Society of Engineers (NSE), the Victoria Island branch, during its conference recommended good management of flooding in some areas of Lagos. They called on other professional bodies like

2640-609: The food items that were meant to reduce hunger for the residents of the Amuwo-Odofin were packed at the warehouse on Benster Crescent, also known as Monkey Village in the Mazamaza area of the local government. The warehouse was looted of the COVID-19 palliatives. The palliatives were food items meant to get across to different groups of people in the area. The items included bags of rice, macaroni, spaghetti, salt, garri, sugar, and cartons of noodles. The Lagos State Government condemned

2700-586: The lead drum ordering the warriors to move ahead, to the right, go down, etc. These dances also helped in preparing the warriors for battle and upon their return from fighting they would act out their deeds in battle through their movements in the dance. The Atsiagbekor is a contemporary version of the Ewe war dance Atamga (Great (ga) Oath (atama) in reference to the oaths taken by people before proceeding into battle. The movements of this present-day version are mostly in platoon formation and are not only used to display battle tactics, but also to energize and invigorate

2760-484: The looting, stating the palliatives were donated by the Private Sector Coalition against COVID-19. The vandalization of the warehouse in search of food led to unrest and protest in the areas. The unrest continued, causing the looting and burning down of banks, police stations, local government secretariats, television station, newspaper office, shopping malls, court, and many others. When coronavirus

2820-736: The most climate change-friendly local government in the country. The nomination synchronized with the 16th edition of the United Nations global on Conference on climate change also known as Conference of Parties, (COP 16) scheduled for November 29 to December 10, 2010. Thus, Amuwo-Odofin local government area was appointed to advocate for friendly climate conditions across the continent. See also: List of schools in Lagos See also: List of hospitals in Lagos See also: List of festivals in Lagos See also: Architecture of Lagos Ewe people Ewe people are located primarily in

2880-459: The newly independent Ghana. French Togoland was renamed the Republic of Togo and gained independence from France on April 27, 1960. There have been efforts to consolidate the Ewe peoples into one unified country since the colonial period, with many post-colonial leaders occasionally supporting their cause, but ultimately none has been successful. The sophisticated theology of the Ewe people

2940-528: The participants of the Second World Festival of Black Arts and Culture of 1977 (Festac77). Consisting of 5,000 contemporary dwelling units and seven major avenues, the town was designed in an efficient grid in order to accommodate upwards of 45,000 visitors as well as any Nigerian employees and officers working at the Festival. The Nigerian government invested substantial sums of money and resources into building Festac Town, which sported state of

3000-498: The primary power. In contemporary times, the Ewes have attempted to connect and build a common culture and language-driven identity across the three countries where they are commonly found. While the Ewe are patrilineal, women are traditionally the major merchants and traders, both at wholesale and retail level. "They deal in a wide variety of items, many of which are produced by men." Another notable aspect of Ewe culture, as stated by ethnologists such as Rosenthal and Venkatachalam,

3060-461: The religious leader in order to facilitate communication with the spirit world. The bell rhythm is played on a boat-shaped bell in the north, but the southern region uses a double bell. The three drums must have distinct pitch levels in order to lock in. Sowu is one of the seven different styles of drumming that belong to the cult of Yewe, adapted for stage. Yewe is the God of Thunder and lightning among

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3120-630: The sea' in Ewe language. Germans lost their influence in World War I, their Christian missions were forced to leave the Togoland, and thereafter the French and British missionaries became more prominent among the Ewe people. About 89% of the Ewe population, particularly belonging to the coastal urban area, has converted to Christianity. However, they continue to practice the traditional rites and rituals of their ancestral religion. The Ewe people are

3180-440: The soldiers. Today, Atsiagbekor is performed for entertainment at social gatherings and at cultural presentations. The Atsia dance, which is performed mostly by women, is a series of stylistic movements dictated to dancers by the lead drummer. Each dance movement has its own prescribed rhythmic pattern, which is synchronized with the lead drum. "Atsia" in the Ewe language means style or display. The Bobobo (originally "Akpese")

3240-589: The southern parts of the Volta Region , in Ghana and across southern Togo, to the Togo-Benin border by about three million people. Ewe belongs to the Gbe family of Niger-Congo. Gbe languages are spoken in an area that extends predominantly from Togo, Benin and as far as Western Nigeria to Lower Weme. Ewe dialects vary. Groups of villages that are two or three kilometres apart use distinct varieties. Nevertheless, across

3300-570: The total area. The finding related the risk to being close to the bodies of water and having low terrains. Thus, the areas experience flooding whenever it rains. Residents are advised to be more careful whenever it rains to avoid being washed away and meeting with other flooding issues, especially the blocked drainages. It has been noted that properties worth millions of naira have been destroyed by floods in Amuwo-Odofin and other areas in Lagos state. A flood consultant and environmental risk researcher, Taiwo Ogunwumi, stated that to manage flooding,

3360-422: The world to pursue their education at leading institutions, following the aforementioned cultural motivations to enhance their knowledge base, and status among other Ewes. Of those who pursue higher education, many Ewe people attain graduate degrees in technical fields such as finance, engineering and law. Ewe, also written Evhe, or Eʋe, is a major dialect cluster of Gbe or Tadoid (Capo 1991, Duthie 1996) spoken in

3420-469: The years evolved and has become a city of its own, the town has had various information dissemination platforms such as Festaconline which has become a household media brand that dishes out information, happenings in Festac Town, Mile 2 and the entire Local Government Area, Amuwo Odofin, Lagos State Once a sleepy estate, FESTAC Town has in the past few years attracted varied forms of businesses within

3480-466: Was controlled, the markets in Amuwo-Odofin were allowed to open for business but the market leaders signed an undertaking, agreeing to comply with all the safety protocols to stop the spread of the virus. The communities in Amuwo-Odofin local government area are prone to flooding because of blocked drainages and the terrain. A published research in a journal reported that Amuwo Odofin has a rate of 10 percent risk zone of being flooded and 50 percent risk of

3540-582: Was divided between the colonial powers, initially between the German and British colonies, and after World War I, their territories were divided between the British and a British-French joint protectorate. After World War I, the British Togoland and French Togoland were respectively renamed Trans Volta Togoland and Togo. Trans Volta Togoland later voted in a United Nations-supervised plebiscite to join

3600-475: Was regarded as one of the areas with a high rate of coronavirus in Lagos state. Coronavirus was detected in this Local Government Area, among eight people who had confirmed cases. To reduce the spread of coronavirus, the Nigerian Centre for Disease Control (NCDC), doctors, and other health doctors were posted to the local government. Amuwo-Odofin was also listed as one of the 88 healthcare facilities,

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