Amara Iwuoha
There are many customs and traditions that have effectively given the Igbo of Southeastern Nigeria group identity and social cohesion. In Igboland, there are several symbols used to direct attention to significant realities; symbols like the Ofo, which symbolises authority; Ogu, the symbol of innocence; Ikenga, a symbol of strength, uprightness, success, integrity and ancestory; Mbari, the symbol of culture and aesthetics; Mmanwu, the symbol of the ancestors; and Udara, the symbol of fertility, procreation and abundance. Of the many cultural symbols in Igboland, none is as important as the Igbo kola nut (Oji Igbo) cola acuminata. The Igbo lay special claim to kola nut and view it as the king of all fruits on earth because it always comes first in every social gatherin
However, it is not only the Igbo that cherish and reverence the kola nut. In fact, kola nut is a highly prized fruit among the people of West Africa, where its importance is seen in the social and religious customs of the people.
The Igbo kola nut is a sacred symbol and an essential part of Igbo culture. It is central to the life and ceremonies of the Igbo. It is used in almost every Igbo ceremony, including worship, entertainment, and meetings. It’s often offered before other activities.
The kola nut is so important to Igbo culture that some say that any traditional Igbo gathering without it lacks authenticity. As the heartbeat of the Igbo culture and tradition, the Igbo kola nut is used for several purposes, which include:
1. Symbol of life: The Igbo say, “He that brings kola brings life”. Uniting the living and dead: It symbolizes a feast of togetherness, love, and trust.
2. To Welcome Guests: It’s used to welcome guests and strangers which is a sign that you wish the guest life.
3. To Open A Prayer: It is used for prayers and sacred communion because of the special place it occupies among the gods.
4. Marriage: Eating the kola nut signifies participation in the blessings offered to the couple and an acceptance of responsibility to support the new marriage.
5. Oath-taking or Covenant: Sharing a kola nut with a guest is considered a covenant, or Igba ndu, that neither party will harm the other.
6. Settlement of Disputes: When used during these circumstances, it is employed to call on God to be a witness.
7. Divination and Prophecy: Usually it is broken into lobes and cast on the ground, then the diviner makes an interpretation.
8. Receiving A New Day: It is used in the morning during invocatory poems and prayers.
9. Social regulator: It’s used to lodge complaints against a fellow citizen.
10. Rites, Rituals and Ceremonies: It is what the gods, ancestors and men eat together during these ceremonies.
11. Cleansing: It is used for ritual of cleansing of a person, property or place.
12. Religious phenomenon: It’s a sacred covenant between the living, the departed, and the ancestors. It’s also a solemn sacrifice to benevolent deities.
Every kola nut can be broken into lobes, and these lobes signify numbers. And number is very important for the African. Some have one lobe, some two lobes, some three, some four, some five, some six and some seven. One can also find a kola nut with more than seven lobes.
To the Igbo, the act of presenting, offering and breaking of kola nut constitutes in itself a serious ritual enactment. This significance of kola nut among the Igbo is seen in their ancestral claim that the kola nut originated in Igboland, hence, the people see the kola nut as the universal symbol and identity of acceptance, cooperation and solidarity.
