The Gbagyis and Egbas are ethnic groups in Nigeria in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) and Ogun, one is known for farming and the other for entrepreneurial skills.
The two groups though far apart in geographical location, still have something in common.
The Egbas are a subgroup of the Yorubas, an ethnic group of western Nigeria, a majority of whom are from the central part of Ogun, that is Ogun Central Senatorial District.
While the Gbagyis or Gwaris are found in the North-Central geo-political zone of Nigeria. They predominantly live in Niger, Kaduna State, Federal Capital Territory, Nasarawa and Kogi States.
Gbagyis are the most populated ethnic group, indigenous in the FCT, where their major occupation is farming.
They have a common food, cassava flour, the Gbagyis call it Alibo, while the Egbas call it Lafun (Elubo Lafun).
Lafun also known as white Amala is similar to fufu but the method of preparation is different, fresh cassava tubers are cut into chunks and soaked for four days for fermentation to take place, then it is sun dried.
Unlike fufu, the fibers of the retted tubers for Lafun are dried along with the mash and later sieved out, thus, Lafu is coarser than fufu in texture.
Alibo is the indigenous food of the Gbagyis, it is similar to Lafun. It can be made from cassava tubers and also from the cassava chaff gotten from the process of making fufu.
Both Lafun and Alibo have same method of preparation, which is a significant feature.
Speaking with the News Agency of Nigeria, Mr Olawale Alabi, an Egba man, said Lafun was one of the favorite delicacies of the Egbas and could be best enjoyed with Ewedu soup or Waterleaf soup popularly known as Gbure in their native language.
”Lafun is prepared using the same process of making Eba (garri), it is not prepared like Amala, which is done on the cooking fire, and it is less stressful,” he said.
Also, Mr Isaac Adebayo, who is from South West Nigeria, stated that Lafun was one of the delicacies they enjoyed eating because of its carbohydrate and starch content.
“There is no special feeling attached to eating Lafun for me, it is a normal food that gives energy,” he said.
Mr Gift Samson, a Gbagyi man, said that Alibo was the native food of his people, adding that it is produced from the chaff of fermented cassava.
“We grind the chaff and filter to make the food called Alibo, we also sell it in the market, as extra means of income,” he said.
According to him, making Alibo can be likened to Amala or Semovita and it is best served with Okro and Egusi (melon) soup.
“I prefer Alibo to Garri because it is sweet and satisfies me easily,” he said.
Also, Mr Matthew Tanko, a Gbagyi man who resides in Kogi, said that Alibo was one of the indigenous food they had.
According to him, he prefers Alibo to garri but can alternate for fufu and loves eating it with Egusi soup.
Mrs Ayodele Michael, a caterer, who is Egba but grew up among the Gbagyis in the FCT, told NAN that the similarity in the delicacy between the Gbagyis and Egbas could be historical.
“ In this Nigeria we are all one, see how Yoruba and Gbagyi people have same food.
“ If we check history, am sure there is relationship between the two tribes and others too. “
