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African Folktale Wisdom

An illustration of an elder teaching a youth by firelight, symbolizing wisdom and folly in a Nigerian folktale.

Paths of Light and Shadow: 100 Nigerian Proverbs on Wisdom and Folly

November 11, 2025

In Nigerian culture, wisdom is not measured by intelligence alone, but by the ability to live rightly, speak carefully, and act with foresight. Folly, in contrast, is viewed as blindness of the heart, ignoring truth, advice, or experience. Across Nigeria’s many ethnic traditions, proverbs about wisdom and folly illuminate the contrast between the thoughtful and the reckless, teaching that wisdom

An illustration of villagers cooperating, forest and river symbolizing unity, Nigerian folktale scene.

African Proverbs and Sayings·Proverbs

Stronger Together: 20 Nigerian Proverbs on Unity and Community

In Nigerian culture, no person exists in isolation; identity, survival, and success are woven into the fabric of the community. Across Yoruba, Igbo, Hausa, and other ethnic groups, proverbs celebrate collective effort, mutual support, and harmony. They teach that unity is both a moral obligation and a practical necessity, whether