Fulani is an ethnic group and one of the largest ethnic groups in the Sahel and West Africa. They make up the largest ethnic group in Senegal, Mali, Burkina Faso and Niger. They are also called Fula people or Fulbe.
These groups of people are found in West African countries such as Nigeria, Guinea, Senegal, Mali, Togo, Cameroon, Niger, Burkina Faso, Mauritania, Ghana, Benin, and Ivory Coast and so on. There are generally three different types of Fulani based on settlement patterns which are; the Nomadic/Pastoral or Mbororo, the semi-Nomadic and the settled or ‘’Town Fulani’’. The pastoral Fulani move around with their cattle throughout the year.
The semi-Nomadic Fulanican either be Fulbe families who happen to settle down temporarily at particular times of the year. They can also be Fulani families who do not move around past their immediate surroundings even though they possess livestock. They do not wander away from a fixed or settled homestead not too far away. The settled Fulanilive in villages, towns and cities permanently and have given up nomadic life completely in favor of an urban life.
They are traditionally a nomadic, pastoralist, trading people. The Fulani herd cattle, goats and sheep. They move across the vast hinterlands of their domain, keeping somewhat separate from the local agricultural populations. The Fulani follow a code of behavior known as ’Pulaaka’, which consists of the qualities of patience, self-control, discipline, prudence, respect for others, courage and hard work. Apart from nomadic life, the women in their spare time make handicrafts which includes engraved gourds, weavings, knitting, beautifully made covers for calabashes known as ‘’Mbeedu’’.
The traditional dress of these people consists of long colorful flowing robes, mostly embroidered or otherwise decorated. In the Futa Jallon highlands of Central Guinea, it is common to see men wearing a distinctive hat with colorful embroidery. In Nigeria, Cameroon and Niger, men wear a hat tapes off at three angular tips known as ‘noppiire’. The women decorate their long beads of hair with bead hair accessories as well as cowry shells.
They often use henna for hand, arm and feet decoration. The women often wear many bracelets on their wrists. They also wear a colorful cloth (modjaare) around the waist, head or over one shoulder. Fulas has markings on their faces around their eyes and mouths that they were given as children.
The Fula have a rich musical culture and play a variety of traditional instruments including drums, hoddu(similar to a banjo) and ritior rata (similar to a violin).
Their food include Kossam, Kettugol, lebol, nyiiri, latchiiri, millet, milk, cheese (wara)and meat as staples.
Fula people has produced many leaders and presidents in Nigeria which include Ahmadu Bello Shehu Shagari, Murtala Mohammed, Muhammadu Buhari, Umaru Musa Yar’Adua, Usman dan Fodio, Atiku Abubakar and several others. There are also notable leaders in the world such as Macky Sall of Senegal, Amina J. Mohammed, Mohammed Sanusi Barkindo, and Ibrahim Gambari and so on.