Margaretha is a woman in Yoruba tribe, from Africal. The birth of a baby is a joyous occasion. It is often celebrated and lauded. In the Yoruba tribe, which originates in Nigeria, twin births have a high occurrence.
Margaretha said: “Ten years after my first set of twins one of each this time…. God, please grant me the same unending joy that I have as a small lady with five lovely children for all the ladies out there who are hoping and praying for such miracles. My Joy knows no bound…..God is been You…. children of my old age…. at 30 i had twin boys n at 40 am having one of each….. thank You heavenly Father.”
Twins, the birth of two offspring from the same pregnancy, is a relatively uncommon phenomenon, and as such, twins are often regarded as special.
Around the world, there are regional and national variations in the twin birth rate. Only 9 sets of twins are born for every 1,000 live births in Latin America and Southeast Asia, which have the lowest rates.
In the United States, there are approximately 33 twins born for every 1,000 live births, compared to approximately 16 twins in Europe.
However, the Yoruba people of southwest Nigeria boast the highest number of twin births in the world, with about 50 sets of twins for every 1,000 live births.
And in Yorubaland, one town in particular appears to take the prize for the highest number of multiple births in the world.
Unverified statistics from the quiet rural community of Igbo Ora assert that it is the undeniable center of the world’s twin population, with 158 sets of twins for every 1,000 live births. Lagos is 80 kilometers away from Igbo Ora.
At the entrance to the town, visitors are welcomed with a large plinth, which proudly celebrates its reputation as “the land of twins.”
Though there is no known scientific reason for the high rate of twin births in the town near Yorubaland, fertility specialists hypothesize that it may be connected to the consumption of a specific variety of yam that contains a natural phytoestrogen thought to encourage a woman’s ovaries to release eggs from both sides.
The locals and residents of Igbo Ora, however, say the secret of their multiple births lie in their staple, which consists of the leaf of an okra plant and yam.
In a 2013 interview, a community leader said, “We eat a lot of the okra leaf or Ilasa soup. We also eat a lot of yam and these diets influence multiple births.”
One could hardly enter a home in Igbo Ora, Oyo State, without encountering a pair of twins. The native inhabitants of the area believe that a specific form of okra leaves called ewe ilasa has the ability to cause twin pregnancies in female consumers. After visiting the town, Taiwo Abiodun wrote about the occurrence.
