INDIGENOUS KNOWLEDGE AND PHILOSOPHICAL APPROACHES TO DATA COLLECTION IN EGUNGUN MASQUERADE FESTIVAL CONFLICTS AMONG THE IBADAN PEOPLE OF SOUTH-WEST NIGERIA

Funmi Saliu Imaledo

Department of Criminology and Security Studies, Dominion University, Nigeria

Email: funmi.imaledo@dominionuniversity.edu.ng

Abstract

The study of the Egungun masquerade festival among indigenous Ibadan scholars faces significant challenges in method and methodology, primarily due to the application of Eurocentric frameworks that often deviate from African cultural and philosophical contexts. Limited attention has been paid to the reliability and validity of data collection and interpretation within the Yoruba heritage, particularly in the context of Egungun festival conflicts. This study addresses this gap by examining indigenous philosophical approaches to data collection and interpretation, focusing on the 1976 conflict between Egungun Olóòlù and Islamic worshippers in Ibadan, South-West Nigeria. The study employed empirically focused, community-based participatory methods, including oral traditions and site visits for participatory observations. In-depth qualitative interviews were conducted with individuals possessing extensive knowledge of the Egungun festival in Ibadan, alongside key informant interviews with Egungun cult members. The study proposes a culturally grounded framework rooted in Yoruba philosophies of ajobi (family kinship) and Ajogbe (communal kinship). This paper aims to offer a novel approach to understanding Egungun festival conflicts in Ibadan, South-West Nigeria. The adopted framework will undoubtedly encourage scholars to explore new directions in the study of the Egungun masquerade festival among the indigenous people of Ibadan, South-west, Niger and elsewhere. .  

Keywords: Egungun Masquerade, Festival Conflicts, Yoruba Philosophy, Indigenous Methodology, Ibadan.