Kola Nut Hospitality In Igede culture signifies a warmth welcome and friendly behaviours to guests or a person who has just arrived to pay a visit.
That is, if a host is happy with a visit, he/she will offer kola nut as a symbol of love to welcome the visitors and make them feel accepted in the home of the host.
The fact that Africans are hospitable and welcome guests in their midst and abode is uncontestable. Various ethnic nationalities in Africa have different ways of saying welcome to their guests/visitors.
For the Tiv of Central Nigeria, any of a piece of roasted yam, groundnuts, ginger, garden eggs, water and smoking pipe (for smokers) symbolises welcome.
To the Idoma and Igala of Central Nigeria, it is Kunu (gruel) and water respectively. The paper established that for the Igede of Oju and Obi Local Government Areas of Benue State, Kola nut symbolises welcome. {Source: ajol.info}.
Therefore, the Igede way of expressing greetings to guests and showing that such guests are accepted is to offer them kola nut. This clearly depicts that the Igede are glad that such a visitor has come.
Also, the Igede gives kola nuts in odd numbers to their guest because even numbers are reserved for royalties (kings/chiefs).
The palm wine, soft drinks and any other form of alcoholic drinks accompany the kola to “wash” it down the throat. This paves the way for fruitful discussions and cross-fertilization of ideas in Igede culture.
The Igede belief that only the elders can break kola nut hence they are the only ones by virtue of the wisdom, who understand the language of kola nut and the spirits.
Thus, Kola Nut Hospitality In Igede has both social and religious implications. This calls for the preservation of African cultural values on hospitality for the maintenance of peace, growth and development of African societies.
