NIGERIA plans to send Yoruba teachers to Brazil as part of an ongoing educational programme aimed at promoting African culture to the world and spreading knowledge of Nigerian historical traditions. 

Brazil, like Cuba, is a country with a large Yoruba-speaking community that grew as a result of the trans-Atlantic slave trade during which millions of Nigerians were shipped there to work on plantations. However, with the language under possible threat as the number of speakers dwindles, Nigeria has decided to come to Brazil's assistance. 

Aminu Nabegu, the director of monitoring evaluation and research in the Directorate of Technical Aid Corps, that Nigeria's federal government would soon deploy teachers to teach the Yoruba Language in Brazil. He said that the countries were already discussing the modalities for the implementation of the programme. 

According to Mr Nabegu, once the agreement was reached the government would deploy the teachers and some cultural experts to Brazil. He added that a centre for the study of Yoruba culture and language had already been opened in Brazil under the scheme.

 Mr Nabegu said: “The Yoruba-speaking communities, which reside in the Bahia region of Brazil, are the major target for this programme. That is where we have large numbers of people believed to be the descendants of the Oduduwa.”

 According to Mr Nabegu, a similar programme has been extended to Yoruba-speaking communities in Benin Republic, where there is a sizeable community. It is not yet clear if there are any plans to extend the programme to Cuba.

 During the trans-Atlantic slave trade, Yorubas were among the most numerous African peoples shipped to the New World, particularly to work on plantations as slaves. Shipped via the ports of Badagry and Lagos, most of them were prisoners captured during the Kiriji Wars of 1877 to 1893 that broke out after the collapse of the Old Oyo Empire.