Olusegun Akinruli, a Nigerian resident in Brazil, in 2006, established the Yoruba Institute of Art and Culture in the South American country, to promote Yoruba cultural values. In this interview withAdewale Oshodi, he speaks on the similarities between the Yoruba and Brazillian ways of life, as well as what the institute has been able to achieve since inception. Excerpts:

Why was the Yoruba Institute established in Brazil and what are its functions?
The Yoruba Institute of Art and Culture is a Non-Governmental Organisation established to rescue the traditional African/Yoruba cultural value, while clarifying all longstanding misconceptions, in relationship to its influences on Africans in the Diaspora.

Before I first came to Brazil, the first impression I had was a different one, but no sooner had I arrived here than I realised that the Yoruba culture is strongly imbibed in the Brazilian social life. It is not hard to see people welcome you with faces full of smile, asking you questions like: "Are you from Africa? Are you a Yoruba?" e.t.c. These questions and interests in Afro-Yoruba is exactly what promted the establishement of the Yoruba Institute.

It came in exactly to play the role of a cultural promoter, to educate and strengthen the historical, cultural and political ties between both countries.

It is also pertinent to say that Brazilians are very much interested in learning the Yoruba language as they are so concerned about searching deeply into their roots. In an attempt to be faithful to their origin, amongst which the Yoruba nation is one of the most prominent, the Brazilian Federal Government has put up a wide range of mechanisms to promote and support  this cause.

Since the institute’s establishment, what impact would you say it is having in promoting the Yoruba culture in Brazil?
We have been making significant success in educating people and creating awareness in Brazil. First, we have succeeded in including Yoruba Culture and Language into the academic curriculum of one of Brazil’s best universities — Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais (The Federal University of Minas Gerais). Not only that, we have also succeeded in setting up several workshops, seminars, lectures and festivals to bring the Brazilian people closer to the Yoruba culture. So also, we do receive various Yoruba intellectuals here to contribute to our activities. Today, the Insitute can boast of a Yoruba choir group which comprises of 50 Brazilians and also, we have a Yoruba theatre group that explores and projects on stage the very many aspects of the Yoruba oral literature. All these, I will say, have been carrying our Brazilian sisters along and invariably the Yoruba culture is becoming more prominent in the country.

What similarities are there between the Yoruba culture and the Brazilian culture?
We can mention everything from common gestures to religion.  It is not hard to see, for example, a bill board or a giant poster on buses with  words like ase (Axe in portuguese), odun (festival), e.t.c. Also, words like Akaraje (our normal Akara (beancake), abada (Agbada) etc, feature prominently in everyday life in Brazil. We can also talk about the architectures of the cities, which reminds us of those old buildings in Lagos Island; the roofings made of bricks, the facades in front of the houses e.t.c. It is important to state here that Brazilians also have some influence on our culture, as those slaves who managed to return to their roots came back with the culture, know-how and tradition which they had hitherto acquired in Brazil. Today, the descendants of the slaves who returned to Nigeria from Brazil are the Agudas in Lagos; others are Soares, Cardoso, Silva, Salvador, Costa, etc. So, it is correct to say that Brazil and Nigeria are twin sisters who share the same interests, culture and challenges.

Who is Olusegun Michael Akinruli?
Olusegun Michael Akinruli is a Yoruba and a Nigerian. An Economist, business consultant and a cultural enthusiast. He is a originally from Ondo State, but raised in Lagos. Since his arrival in Brazil, he has been playing a vital role in diffusing and sustaining the cultural and historical ties Nigeria and Brazil. Some of his achievements ever since is the establishement of the Yoruba Institute, the formation of a Yoruba choir with the sole aim of diffusing African-Yoruba culture through art, the realisation of two successful Yoruba international congresses in 2009 and 2010, to mention a few.