Stop 1
River Benue
From the west comes the River Benue. It carries rich sediments, clay and organic matter from its long journey, which give it a muddy brown colour.
Gba’Aôndo U Tiv
Tiv Traditional School Academy
A 12-week spiritual transformational journey into Tiv cosmology, ancestral consciousness, traditional knowledge and spiritual responsibility.
- StartsSat, 24 Oct 2026
- Time6:00pm WAT · Online
- Tuition₦24,500
First class begins in
–days–hrs–min–sec
Our Knowledge
Our People
Our Identity
Our Continuity
Who we are
The Tiv Traditional Belief System, kept alive
Gba’Aôndo U Tiv practises the highly sophisticated spiritual systems rooted in the cycles of nature, cosmic order and a living relationship with our ancestors: complete life systems that integrate
- Spirituality
- Health Systems
- Governance
- Family Unit
- Justice Systems
- Ecology
Royal Life Patron & ChairmanHRH Ayua D. Abomtse (JP)Ter Tyoshin (Nagi) II
Now admitting
Elementary School: 12-Week Spiritual Transformational Journey
A 12-week online journey into Tiv cosmology, ancestral consciousness, traditional knowledge and spiritual responsibility, the first level of the Tiv Traditional School Academy.
Start dateSat, 24 Oct 2026
InjaaOne cock, one hen + ₦24,500
VenueOnline
See curriculum & enroll
15 lessons & quizzes
The journey
Learning. Remembering. Practicing. Becoming.
Each week builds on the last, so knowledge becomes memory, memory becomes practice, and practice becomes who you are.
- 01
Learning
Receive the teachings of Tiv cosmology and the order established by Aôndo.
- 02
Remembering
Reconnect with ancestral consciousness, lineage and the meaning behind our symbols.
- 03
Practicing
Carry the knowledge into daily life, family and community with responsibility.
- 04
Becoming
Grow into a custodian of the culture, ready to pass the wisdom forward.
Who am I?
The Composition of a Tiv Spiritual Being
A Tiv spiritual being exists in two layers: the spiritual being and the physical being. These two layers work together as one complete being.
The spiritual being
The higher, non-physical aspect: our higher consciousness, purpose and spiritual life.
The physical being
The material aspect: the visible, earthly form we live in and interact with in the physical world.
Spiritual being
Jijingi u Tamen (Higher Self)
Our highest consciousness, spirit essence and connection to Aôndo and the wider spiritual realm.
Spiritual being
Uma u Ken shima (The life of the mind)
The spiritual life of thought, understanding, intuition and inner knowing.
Spiritual being
Uma u Ken iyol (The life of the body)
The spiritual life-force that gives vitality, movement and life to the physical body.
Physical being
Jijingi (Spirit)
The life essence within the body that gives life, movement and vitality in the physical realm.
Physical being
Shima (Mind)
The seat of thought, reasoning, memory and decision-making in the physical being.
Physical being
Iyol (Body)
The physical form, made of flesh, bones and blood, through which we act, work and experience life.
Story map
How Guma came to existence
Follow the River Benue and the River Katsina-Ala to Gbajimba, where two waters became a new colour. Tap the numbered stops.
Illustrated story map, not to scale.
1 / 6
Stop 2
River Katsina-Ala
From the east flows the River Katsina-Ala, with clearer, greener waters, because it carries different sediments, minerals and suspended particles.
Stop 3
Gbajimba
Between the two rivers stands Gbajimba: the settlement at the confluence, where the two rivers meet.
Stop 4
The confluence
Where they meet, the two rivers do not mix at once. They flow side by side for a distance, brown beside green, before they mix.
Stop 5
Why the colours change
Each river carries something different:
- Sediments (clay, silt, sand)
- Minerals and dissolved substances
- Organic matter
- The amount of suspended particles
- Flow speed and turbulence
When they meet, these differences interact. The particles mix and the light reflects differently, creating a new, different colour.
Stop 6
Guma: change
Because of this natural phenomenon of change, the natives called the river at this point Guma. Guma in Tiv means change. The settlement of Gbajimba and the surrounding communities are today known as Guma Local Government Area in Benue State.
- Two different sources.
- One meeting point.
- A new identity.
- A shared destiny.
It is change produced through coming together, not by erasing either river. This is Guma, change. This is our story.
Heritage & knowledge
Tiv Traditional Cardinal Points
The four directions, named in Tiv.
Tap a direction on the compass or a name above.
Learn the cardinal pointsAdmission
How to join the academy
1
Create your account
Register with your full name, email and WhatsApp number.
2
Pay securely
Pay the tuition online with Paystack (card, transfer or USSD). Admission is confirmed instantly.
3
Present your Injaa
Bring the traditional Injaa (one cock and one hen) as directed by the facilitators.
4
Join the class
Open your lessons each week online and join the live sessions every Saturday at 6pm.
Prefer WhatsApp? Send your name and the title ACADEMY to 0702 535 3458.
Wisdom & Culture
Did you know?
Heritage & Knowledge
The Iho: Tiv Indigenous Metallurgy and Agricultural Engineering
The Iho (also pronounced Ihyo) is the Tiv harvest knife forged by Tiv blacksmiths: the material expression of Tiv farming heritage.
History & Places
How Guma Came to Existence: The Meeting of Two Rivers
The meeting of two rivers, the birth of a new colour and the meaning of change: how the River Benue and River Katsina-Ala gave Guma its name.
Cosmology & Spirituality
Gba’Aôndo U Tiv Spirituality Has No Concept of “Secret Worship”
In Gba’Aôndo U Tiv spirituality, spiritual power must be witnessed and ancestral shrines are open to the community.
Series
Custodians of the Tiv Order
The ancestral custodians who guard fertility and continuity, defence and courage, peace and restoration.
Custodians of the Tiv Order
Abaver: Primordial Custodian of the Ancestral Tiv Order
Abaver, son of Jua, from Ukum: the Primordial Custodian and Guardian, Sovereign Tutelary of the Ancestral Tiv Order, whose custodianship covered reproduction and continui…
Custodians of the Tiv Order
Tyev Ajir: Custodian of War, Courage and Strategic Order
Grand Custodian of Defense: the guardian who stood between chaos and preservation and wielded force not for conquest, but for balance.
Custodians of the Tiv Order
Iyoukor: Custodian of Restoration and Steward of Peace
Aôndo ú Iyoukor: steward of peace, weaver of harmony, restorer of what is broken. Where conflict hardens hearts, Iyoukor softens and realigns.
New custodians are coming. Be the first to know.
Notify meEvents & live sessions
Gather with us
Upcoming · Online (enrolled students)
Elementary School: Opening Class
The first live class of the 12-week Elementary School. Enrolled students receive the joining details by email and in the class WhatsApp group.
“To know where we are going, we must first understand who we are.”
Begin the journey