In Igboland, they believe the kola tree was the first tree on Earth. The kola nut goes beyond sustenance; it symbolizes peace, prayer, and justice.
A famous Igbo is saying, "Onye wetere oji, wetere udo," which translates to "He who brings kola, brings peace," so typically, as a visitor, you'd bring an offering of kola nuts to someone's home.
Highly regarded in Igbo spirituality, kola nuts are typically prayed over before rituals and ceremonies, and there's a deep belief that they're a favorite of God and the ancestors.
While some diasporic religions use cowrie shells during divination rituals, the Igbo traditionally used kola by breaking them into lobes and casting them onto the ground to be interpreted by the reader.
Kola nuts are also used to settle disputes and oath-taking. When those involved in a dispute break, share, and eat the nut, it is considered an oath that peace must reign, and going back on this bond is frowned upon.
The sacredness of the kola nut reminds us that for all of our people to thrive, we must exist in community. Coloniality and whiteness teaches us to value individuality over one another, but we must always return to our indigenous ways in which we've always known that "I am because you are."