Nomadic homestead and role structure amongst the Fulbe nomads in Nigeria

Abstract

The nomads operate an impeccably organised society where everyone identifies his roles and held tenaciously to it. Roles in typical nomadic communities are gender based with strong bias towards the efficiency of their flock management. No nomadic community exists outside its culture. Role players admonish their cultures. Under the pastoral nomadic culture, the homestead is the property of the women; they take custody of the household properties as well as the milk procurement and
sales. The male child is cultured along the ways of raising, nourishing and managing the family flock. Recent studies have discovered some developments around the homestead of the Fulbe nomads in Adamawa and Taraba states of Nigeria. How far has this influenced their role distribution? Using a simple
descriptive approach in explaining the data collected from the field work. A systematic comparative analysis of the nomadic groups was undertaken. This paper examines the entire homestead pattern; study the numerous roles divisions
and recommended an improvement in the facilities required for a better housing of the nomads. The findings established that there is sexual stratifications in the tent arrangement and room structure of the Fulbe nomads. Within the tent arrangement; the women are usually allotted a bigger spaced to the left hand side where they occupy. The bed on the left hand side belongs to the wife, while the right hand side is for the husband. Aside this arrangement the women also have a space allocated for the utensils around the eastern part of the tent while the water pot is on the western part. Fulbe nomads are indeed highly organized in terms of space management and allocation.