Nigerian Culture is at the Crossroads
PRESS STATEMENT
Nigerian Culture is at the Crossroads
It is expedient to alert the authorities of this nation, Nigeria and Nigerians, that the Nigerian way of life is at a critical point in our life and a decision must be made, and quickly too if this potentially great nation in the world, especially Africa must be saved; and save Nigeria must be saved; it is the only place an African can truly call Home.
The trends of happenings and behaviors of our people in the country are a signpost that should not be ignored. An Anglo-Saxon means of communication, English, is replacing the many rich Nigerian languages to the detriment of our culture. Nigerian children are speaking English with their parents at home unchecked. Our traditional African music, the "highlife" is being replaced while some of the native folk blues and lullabies are begging to have a place in the life of our people. A greater part of our mode of dress and dressings are becoming a thing of the past as most apparel on display all around the country are foreign made unsuitable for our climate as well as it negatively affects our garment and fabric industries in the country. Second-hand clothing pervades every nuke and corner of our cities providing rooms for our women to buy and wear such public revealing things that are meant to entice men in their bedrooms in Europe and elsewhere in the western societies. Such behavior in dressing and what have you debase our African culture and traditions. Most Nigerian textile industries are suffering as a result they are unable to provide avenues for the employment of our teaming able-bodied unemployed youths of our land.
Something needs to be done to check these aberrations. We know that dethroning corruption in our society is a major focus of well-meaning Nigerians at this time, but some of the strange foreign behaviors and characteristics that constitute an affront to our way of life are a form of corruption that should not be overlooked.
The Media as the Fourth Estate of the Realm and as the watchdog of the people must rise up to its responsibility. The Nigerian men and women of the Media must not be seen as falling prey to what can be termed mental poverty (poverty of the mind). The role of the Media to inform, educate, and entertain is ascribed as well as the responsibility of a nation builder and of people. The Media should not be seen as colluding and abetting the destruction of the people’s culture; the men and women cannot become cultural imperialists; they are when they ignore the dangerous signpost as being pointed out. When at times the media men and women help to amplify foreign Media propagations that are termed events and news that Nigerians should be aware of in Nigeria, the Nigerian Media falls prey to cultural imperialism unacceptable in Nigeria. Most African music as an entertainment piece is like a drama, mundane or mystical; is always instructive, and informative as it educates and feeds the soul of the listeners. Our men and women in the broadcast Media may not be aware or conscious of the danger they pose to the survival of our cultural legacy in Music and the Arts of Africa when they continue to play foreign types of music which they say are Nigerian in origin. If these trends continue unchecked, the youths of this generation would have no Africa that we are proud of. This is a wake-up call, to my beloved country, Nigeria.
I wish you all a Happy New Year 2016.
Omoh T. Ojior, Ph.D.
Ph.D.
Professor of Political Science Executive Director/CEO
onimainstitute@gmail.com
Tel. +1404-740-5597
February 19, 2024