- Title: NIGERIA: Igbo Ora hsa a huge population of twins
- Date: 28th April 2003
- Summary: (L!X) IGBO ORA, NIGERIA (RECENT) (REUTERS) CLOSE OF SIGNBOARD WELCOMING VISITORS TO IGBO-ORA WIDE OF MARKET STREET WITH VENDORS SMV MARKET TRADER PEELING YAMS CLOSE OF BABY STRAPPED ON MOTHER'S BACK SMV WATCHING CHILDREN SITTING NEARBY WIDE OF TOWNSFOLK TALKING IN HOUSE SCU WOMAN LISTENING TO CONVERSATION SMV SET OF SMILING MALE TWINS AT THE GATHERING SCU SOUNDBITE)(English) TRADITIONAL RULER OF IGBO ORA, ADEKUNLE EMMANUEL SAYING: "You cannot get a family without the twins. So we have that belief that when you have twins, any family, automatically there must be twins before they stop giving birth." SCU (SOUNDBITE)(Yoruba) MARKET TRADER, MONSURAT ADEJARE SAYING: "Twins are a gift from God. They are a blessing. If you take care of them you will have more twins and God will continue to provide. You will never be short of money." VARIOUS OF WOMAN PREPARING YAM FLOUR ON EARTHEN STOVE (2 SHOTS) SMV WOMAN SCOOPING FLOUR ONTO STOVE WIDE OF VEGETABLES ON DISPLAY AT MARKET CLOSE OF YAMS ON DISPLAY IN BASKETS SCU (SOUNDBITE)(English) DOCTOR E.C IMOSEMI SAYING: "The belief, you know, basically is that because they have this naturally high level of gonadotrophins, apparently due to the yam flour, they, you know, they produce, they consume. The belief is that they produce more eggs at any cycle than their average, their equivalent counterparts elsewhere." VARIOUS OF BABY TWINS PLAYING ON MOTHER'S LAP (2 SHOTS) SCU KEHINDE TALKING SMV TWIN BROTHERS KEHINDE AND TAIWO IN CONVERSATION VARIOUS, THE TWINS PLAYING BASKET BALL SCU (SOUNDBITE)(English) TWINS, TAIWO AND KEHINDE SAYING: "We can't actually say who is senior because we both came out the same day, not same time but same day. But Yoruba people will say Kahinde Bgebo. So I don't whether he came out first then I came after him. But the name Taiwo says 'To-wai-o', so I came out first. But we should say we are both the same but different times." CLOSE-UP VICTORIA'S FACE VARIOUS OF VICTORIA AND VIVIAN SITTING IN ROOM VARIOUS, (SOUNDBITE)(English) TWINS, VIVIAN AND VICTORIA SAYING: "Vivian's English teacher asked if I was Vivian, I said no and tried to explain but she would not believe me. I was almost punished for something Vivian did. People there were laughing and making fun of me. It was very embarrassing." VARIOUS, FEMALE TODDLER TWINS STANDING BY EACH OTHER SCU (SOUNDBITE)(ENGLISH) TWINS MOTHER, OLATUNJI AJAYI SAYING: "It's not really easy. When they start their stress like this, it's not really easy, because they do the same things at the same time. If one wants to use the toilet, the other one asks too. If one is hungry, the other one asks too. If one wants to sleep, the other one wants to ask. You have to pet both of them, so it's not really easy." VARIOUS, BABY TWINS IN THEIR LIVING ROOM (3 SHOTS) SCU SOUNDBITE)(Yoruba) BOLA ISIAKA SAYING: "My older brothers are twins, Kehinde is the wicked one, while Taiwo is nice, and they are unique people though I would like to have twins anyway." VARIOUS OF CHILDREN IN CLASSROOM SMV FEMALE TWINS IN CLASS SESSION SMV TEACHER CORRECTING PUPIL'S WORK WIDE OF PUPILS WRITING AT DESKS VARIOUS OF CLASS ACTIVITY (2 SHOTS) SMV WOMAN SELLING YAMS AS SHE HOLDS HER TWINS SCU CHILDREN SITTING ON GROUND AT MARKET PLACE
- Embargoed: 13th May 2003 13:00
- Keywords:
- Location: IGBO ORA, NIGERIA
- Country: Nigeria
- Topics: Quirky,Light / Amusing / Unusual / Quirky
- Reuters ID: LVAHXIT9H4WLKV2OY0CQ11JT9AC
- Story Text: A visitor to Igbo Ora would be forgiven for blinking their eyes thinking they are seeing double. This is Nigeria's twin-city -- a place where at least every family has a set of twins or triplets! The town of Igbo Ora in southwestern Nigeria is unique: there's hardly a household here that doesn't have twins or triplets.
In pre-colonial Nigeria, twins were considered a bad omen, so the babies were often killed or abandoned. But in Igbo Ora today, not having a twin somewhere in your family is more likely to label you an outcast. "You cannot get a family without the twins." Says Adekunle Emmanuel, Traditional Ruler of Igbo Ora, "So we have that belief that when you have twins, any family, automatically there must be twins before they stop giving birth."
"Twins are a gift from God. They are a blessing. If you take care of them you will have more twins and God will continue to provide. You will never be short of money."
Believes Monsurat Adejare, a Market Trader One theory suggests the reason is in the food. The local delicacy here is called 'Amala' -- a product made from Yams and cassava flour. Extensive analysis on the yams has shown that they produce a chemical agent called gonadotrophins.
"The belief, you know, basically is that because they have this naturally high level of gonadotrophins, apparently due to the yam flour, they consume." explains Dr. E.C Imosemi, "The belief is that they produce more eggs at any cycle than their average, their equivalent counterparts elsewhere."
The belief in Igbo Ora is that the first of the twins to come out is the younger one, sent by the elder twin to go check out the world.
Most twins here, are called Taiwo and Kehinde, because they're believed to be names given by God.
So both the first names and the family names are used to differentiate the twins. It gets even more confusing when you ask who is the elder. "We can't actually say who is senior because we both came out the same day, not same time but same day. But Yoruba people will say Kahinde Bgebo. So I don't whether he came out first then I came after him. But the name Taiwo says 'To-wai-o', so I came out first. But we should say we are both the same but different times." Explains Taiwo and Kehinde twin brothers who reside in the town.
Although being a twin can be great fun, it can cause problems too.
Victoria and Vivian have often had to pay the price for mistaken identities. "Vivian's English teacher asked if I was Vivian, I said no and tried to explain but she would not believe me," recalls Victoria. "I was almost punished for something Vivian did. People there were laughing and making fun of me. It was very embarrassing."
The twins' parents also feel the pressure of having two of the same at home. Mrs Olatunji Ajayi has been blessed with two girls, but has found that most blessings bring their share of pain. "When they start their stress like this, it's not really easy, because they do the same things at the same time. If one wants to use the toilet, the other one asks too.
If one is hungry, the other one asks too. If one wants to sleep, the other one wants to ask. You have to pet both of them, so it's not really easy."
But if twins are double trouble, they're also a double-dose of joy. And no matter how similar their faces and habits, no two are the same. "My older brothers are twins, Kehinde is the wicked one, while Taiwo is nice, and they are unique people though..I would like to have twins anyway." Says Bola Isiaka.
The secret behind Igbo Ora twins is still a puzzle to many. At this school there is an average of two sets of twins in each class.
Since scientists are still a long way off finding a definite answer, it might just be up to these youngsters to one day unravel the secret behind their uniqueness. - Copyright Holder: REUTERS
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