Our culture

Ónwu egbune ukubili, nonya ekpa.

If the shoulder stays alive, it will carry a shoulder bag.

Meaning: Where there is life, there is hope.

Ife bu ewokor ni enu.

A climbing plant is supported by something.

Meaning: Look into it properly to find the root cause.

Ishi anu kuwe acho enya.

It is in the head of an animal that you find the eyes.

Meaning: Look in the right place.

Yafu dibie ni otulu eka, yaju efa ekene ye.

You see a native doctor with all his tools, and you ask what his job is.

Meaning: An unwise question.

Ónwuni (ewo iyo) aka ofiekulu.

What could be more welcoming than a hug?

Ewu amu ni uno nnu.

A goat has given birth in a house full of salt.

Meaning: Being in the right place at the right time.

Agwa we nwa nweni uche si iya puni anwu.

You do not tell a sensible child to get out of the hot sun.

Meaning: A sensible child knows better.

Otefu ututu ni etu.

The morning and etu (the native chewing stick) go back a long way.

Meaning: We have known each other for a long time.

Shini ngba je mbubu.

Go from wrestling to lifting.

Meaning: Kill two birds with one stone. Do things step by step, in the right order.

Onye di ndu nweni ife Óné ché.

The living are waiting for something.

Meaning: Where there is life, there is hope.

Kpa okanete umu nne.

Harvesting okra from the family farm.

Meaning: Handle it as a family matter.

Ósa ife tani ni ngede bulu enwu.

Let every insect that bites at night be called a mosquito.

Meaning: Let us not ask any further. Let sleeping dogs lie.

Wa gbamgba ni enu opo, odibu enu ichekele aku.

We wrestled on top of a palm tree, never mind a cracked palm kernel shell.

Meaning: We have done something much harder than that.

Ke we kè ni uku ka iba kè kwè onu?

Is anything tied to the ankle louder than the iba (a rattle worn on the ankle)?

Meaning: Nothing suits better than what we already have.

Kè wè nacho ni ngba kali obutu.

All you need to win a wrestling match is to floor your opponent.

Meaning: We have the result we wanted.