Based on the novel The Lekki Headmaster, the Yoruba proverb "The Oyingbo market never finds out a certain person did not even turn up" means

Assessment: JAMB UTME - Use of English - 2025 Subject: English Language

Question 1 Report

Based on the novel The Lekki Headmaster, the Yoruba proverb "The Oyingbo market never finds out a certain person did not even turn up" means

Answer Details

This question tests the ability to interpret a Yoruba proverb used in the novel. The proverb states: "The Oyingbo market never finds out a certain person did not even turn up." Oyingbo market is a well-known, bustling marketplace in Lagos, Nigeria, famous for its enormous size and constant activity.

The proverb means that the market is always busy - so crowded and active that no individual's absence is ever noticed. Whether one person comes or stays away, the market continues to thrive without interruption. The volume of traders, buyers, and goods is so great that the absence of a single person makes no difference to the overall activity.

This proverb is used to convey the idea that life goes on regardless of whether a particular individual participates. In the context of the novel, it may serve to remind characters (or the reader) that the world does not pause for anyone's personal decisions - a fitting reflection in a story about people choosing to leave or stay.

The other interpretations - that traders are greedy, the market is disorganised, or prices are fixed - do not capture the meaning of the proverb. The central idea is the market's ceaseless busyness, not any quality of the traders or their pricing.

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