The kolanut has special significance in Nigeria, it is one of the country’s major cash crops. It is used as a gesture of peace, friendship and hospitality. For the ancients, the use of kola nuts symbolized everything that was civilized and peaceful in their world. It can be compared to the traditional Indian peace pipe or the religious idea of breaking bread.

Historically the green or brown nuts were used as currency (money). Its addictiveness creates a huge demand, even in areas far from its rain forest origins.

Today in many places the nuts are still regarded as a store of wealth. Travelers can go to markets with the certainty that they can trade their kola for the goods which they need.

Fortunately, when kept in moist wrappings--burlap is often used-- the green and brown nuts can be stored for several weeks without losing much of their freshness.

The kola nut (Kola acumata) has a bitter flavor and contains caffeine. It is chewed in many West African cultures, individually or in a group setting and is often used ceremonially, presented to tribal chiefs or presented to guests.

The use of the kola nut, like the coffee berry and tea leaf, appears to have ancient origins. It is chewed in many West African cultures, individually or in a social setting, to restore vitality and ease hunger pangs.

As the kolanut is bittersweet in taste, so too are its significance and the variance of its usage in different cultures. The broad spectrum of beliefs and rituals associated with the kolanut can best be grasped by the saying: “He who brings kola, brings life.” Likewise, an old Igbo adage warns: “He who chews and swallows the kola in a huff hearkens to the call of his ancestors.”

The kolanut can be comprised of two or more parts... up to seven parts.The “four-lobed kolanut is the king nut…” four being in Igbo cosmology “the number of completion, dominion over the physical universe’’. Four also represent the market days and hence industry and livelihood. But it is a seven-lobed kolanut that is the most rare and significant.

The seven-lobed kolanut is the mother of all kolanuts, the unmitigated good head which also replicates the seventh day on the dawn of creation and encompasses the four market days, the two farm days, and the final day of rest. The seven-lobed kolanut also represents double indemnity, unmitigated progress, and an accord with one’s forebears.

By: Yetunde Farinloye 19/01/09