Ifa, the deity of wisdom, and importance of work among the Yoruba people

Purpose - To provide a background examination of the role of work and self‐employment, and their relationship with religious beliefs for the Yoruba people of Nigeria. Design/methodology/approach - An in‐depth discussion regarding the Yoruba world view and the key components of the Yoruba peoples' religion is provided. In particular, these elements are discussed within the context of the Yoruba's historical attitudes regarding work, self‐employment, markets, investment, and social support. Findings - For the Yoruba people, work always has a supernatural dimension to it, and the chosen profession is rarely left to chance. Hard work is valued and encouraged, from childhood to death. In order to obtain tangible rewards, an individual must match hisoriwith his chosen field of work. The Yoruba believe in a gentle rise to wealth, and that success is based upon consultation with deities, ancestors, and religious intermediaries. Under Yoruba tradition, successful individuals should sponsor, hard‐working, but less fortunate people, but reciprocity is highly valued. For the Yoruba, the highest form of employment is self‐employment. A combination of these factors has resulted in a well established and historically successful market‐based system. Research limitations/implications - Yoruba traditions have been important in framing modern culture in Nigeria, and parts of many other African nations. Yoruba immigrants are also well established in other countries through out the world, including Brazil, Cuba, and the USA. Although many modern Yoruba are now Christian or Moslem, the Yoruba culture and historical attitudes about work, markets, and self‐employment are still critically important in framing our understanding of the economic structure of these communities. Originality/value - This paper is one of the few efforts that specifically examines economic forces within the broader context of religion for the Yoruba people.