The Dendi are an ethnic group located in Benin, Niger, Nigeria and northern Togo. They are part of the Songhai people. Dendi is a Southern Songhay language of the Nilo-Saharan language family. The Dendi people are patrilineal because they believe all men share the same male ancestor. Dendi society is split into social groups, including a noble caste. Among Dendi nobles the first male child born in a marriage is urged to marry the daughter of his paternal uncle, to maintain the purity of the line of the father.
The Edo people
The Edo or Benin people is an ethnic group primarily found in Nigeria. Edo, also called Bini is an Edoid language of the Niger–Congo language family. In the traditional religion of the Edo, there exists, besides the human world, an invisible world of supernatural beings acting as interceders for the human world. Offerings are made to them in their respective shrines.
The Bariba people
The Bariba people are the inhabitants of Benin and Nigeria. Bariba or Baatonum is a Savannas language of the Niger–Congo language family. The men’s costumes are varied and indicate their social status. Compared with the richness of the men’s clothing, women’s outfits can appear more modest, simply comprising a loincloth, skirt and head-scarf. Religion plays an important role in Bariba tribes and they are primarily Islamic.However a number of Bariba communities have their own indigenous beliefs..
