Almost every family has them

Igbo-Ora:

On a normal day, a visitor might walk past Igbo-Ora little more than twice, wondering why so many pairs of residents wear matching clothes.

But this weekend left no one in any doubt what makes this city in southwestern Nigeria special.

With fanfare, pageants, talent shows and even a royal visit, hundreds of people gathered in the self-proclaimed “twin capital of the world” to celebrate the extremely high rate of multiple births.

“There is hardly a family in Igbo-Ora that does not have a twin,” said visiting Yoruba King Oba Kehinde Gbadewole Olugbenle, himself a twin.

Yoruba culture honors twins, and their names are traditionally fixed – Taiwo meaning “he who tastes the world” for the eldest child, and Kehinde meaning “he who came later” for the second child.

According to population experts, the city stands out even in the wider Yorubaland region, which boasts an above-average incidence of non-identical twins.

The average global twin birth rate is about 12 per 1,000 births, but according to research studies and hospital records in Igbo-Ora it is believed to be closer to 50 per 1,000 births.

Explanations for abundance vary.

Many locals attribute this to their diet, especially okra leaves or ilasa soup with yam and amala (cassava flour).

Fertility experts – as well as several locals – are skeptical, saying there is no proven link between diet and high rates of twins.

Scientists are investigating genetic factors and how the special cultural status of twins may make them more likely to find partners and have children.

“Gift from God”

Whatever the reason, everyone in town agrees that having an abundance of twins is a blessing – even more so this year as Nigeria grapples with its worst economic crisis in a generation.

Suliat Mobolaji gave birth to twins eight months ago and said the family has since been showered with gifts.

“It changed my life,” said the 30-year-old, hugging both of her sons in her arms.

“You can’t give birth to twins and not be lucky,” she beamed. “It’s a gift from God.”

Taiwo Ojewale, a research assistant specializing in Yoruba culture at the University of Ibadan, said the celebration of twins is “rooted in traditional religious beliefs.”

The twins are seen as a gift from the supreme god Olodumare, he explained, and Igbo-Ora oral history describes them as a reward after a series of disasters befell the community.

When the event began on Saturday, the city was filled with joy. On the festival grounds, workers rolled out a red carpet for dozens of twins, both younger and older.

They paraded in impeccably matched outfits, from striking sunglasses and patterned fabric to a pair of toddlers in purple dresses and matching handbags.

Dozens more of the twins watched from the stands or milled around the city side by side.

The festival organizers – themselves twins – say they ultimately want to break the world record for the largest gathering of twins in the world.

Taiwo and Kehinde Oguntoye, 39, also said they hope to organize a mass wedding of twin pairs next year.

“Twins bring favor, fame and wealth,” Taiwo said. “That is why we Yoruba celebrate their birth and maybe that is why God has blessed us in Yorubaland with the highest number of twins in the world.”

“It’s a blessing,” the Oguntoye twins nodded, speaking in unison.

(This story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)