Respectively, Atakpame, a settlement town that is about 160 kilometres away from Lome, the Togolese capital, defines its origin by seven mountains that surround it.
Just like many other towns in Yorubaland, where myths are explored to trace the people’s roots, Atakpame’s history is not complete without reference to the mountains. According to some elders of the town, the rocks played supernatural roles when the natives were engaged in battles with other ethnic groups.
This is how Atakpame also shares topographical and historical similarities with Idanre, Ondo State, a town famed for the huge and acrobatic mountains that surround it.
Ife Togo is widely used in Atakpame because the people, who trace their descent to ile-Ife, are the dominant group there.
As a result of the entrenched cross-fertilisation that Ife Togo has had with French, Ewe, et cetera, it is easier for the Yoruba in Lome, Cotonou and Ajase, among others, to understand one another than for the immigrant Yorubas in Lome to understand Ife Togo speakers in Atakpame – and vice versa.
A Yoruba scholar, Dr. Felix Fabunmi, notes that a language that is spoken by many people, such as Yoruba, usually has dialects that may differ from one another. Denisef Fantchede call the attention of Yoruba Worldwide to continue speaking yoruba language because our language represent us
One of the Popular Yoruba Actress from Togo is Liz Da Sliva, and also one of the popular Yoruba Fothballer from Togo is Emmanuel Seyi Adebayor (Baba Tunde).
By Denisef Fantchede
A Native of Atakpame, Lome Togo, interviewed by Lasisi Akeem(Nigeria)
