Oyo Empire culture in Oyo where victory was obligatory and defeat carried the duty of committing suicide. This do-or-die policy no doubt contributed to the military aggressiveness of Oyo's generals. The Oyo Empire was the only Yoruba state to adopt cavalry; it did so because most of its territory was in the northern savannah. The origin of the cavalry is disputed; however, the Nupe, Borgu and Hausa in neighboring territories also used cavalry and may have had the same historical source. Oyo was able to purchase horses from the north and maintain them in metropolitan Oyo because of partial freedom from the
Yoruba Academy Yoruba Academy The Yoruba Academy is a multi-disciplinary institution that brings together scholars, politicians, businessemen and experts in Yoruba language, culture, economics, law, science and technology, and governance. It was founded in Ibadan, Oyo State, Nigeria in October 2007 following a retreat of young Yoruba professionals, and it is currently operated by the Afenifere Renewal Group. Its main mission is to ensure the preservation of the Yoruba language, as well as the socio-cultural and economic development of the Yoruba peoples worldwide, that is both in its South-West homeland in Nigeria and in the Diaspora. In its language mission, a dictionary