The Nation Newspaper

Tag: CULTURE

  • The politics of security, change and culture

    In China recently the authorities organized earthquake drills to educate citizens on how to react to real earth quakes and escape or save lives in what is a dangerous natural disaster that has claimed many lives and property and is more common in that part of the world than others. In the UK a great debate ensued in Parliament recently on the gay rights Marriage bill that polarized the Conservative party, the senior partner in the ruling coalition just as two men shouting religious slogan killed a British soldier in Woolwich in a terrorist act that saw the PM cutting short an official trip to denounce the terrorist act while stressing that Britain will never succumb to terror or terrorism. In Kenya the Truth, Justice and Reconciliation Commission -TJRC – which investigated various political crimes and assassinations in Kenya from independence till the 2007 post election violence, found the newly elected President and Vice President in the March 2013 elections culpable, but did not recommend sanctions as the two leaders have similar charges pending against them on the matter at the International Criminal Court at the Hague. In Nigeria the newspapers were replete with pictures of the Chief Priest of a cult whose members killed over 20 men recently with the Chief Priest asserting that his god protected him against the policemen who he said had been given orders to bring him to the state capital dead or alive, but got killed instead as they were drunk on their way to destroy him.

    From preparing against a natural disaster, to making laws that change the face and nature of marriage, to having financiers and executors of thuggery and violence in positions of power in a democratic dispensation or allowing a security risk to market the prowess of his clan god or deity on a national and global scene, the contention I am making today is that a cultural and religious sea change is abroad in the world as we know it today and this has great and far reaching import for the peace and security of the world as we know for now.

    Let me start on a happy note even though the issue is a natural tragedy like an earthquake but it is its planned management and the foresight involved, that creates a good lesson on crisis management. The new Chinese leadership in China has identified corruptionas a target for zero tolerance and elimination in China under its new mandate. But natural disasters have no calling cards and do not give notice of appearance. China’s earthquake drill is therefore a pragmatic and innovative effort to protect lives and give people courage when such disasters happen so that people, as far as is possible under the circumstances, know what to do to keep alive or even to save lives in the process. Coincidentally a recent survey on the global perception or sovereign reputation of key nations of the world put Germany as No 1 dethroning Japan which obviously lost its enviable position because of the way it handled it nuclear plant radiation explosion in recent times . It is instructive that Germany closed its own nuclear plants after the Japanese nuclear disaster at great economic costs but in deference to German public opinion. Iran was rated the worst nation in terms of global perception not unlikely because of its quest for nuclear power on the pretence of getting electricity for which it is facing UN sanctions. In addition Iran has been reluctant to ask for expert aid during outbreak of natural disasters in which it has had more than its fair share in recent times.

    My fascination with the Chinese Earthquake drill stems from the socio economic and cultural problems of armed robbery and now terrorism facing some nations especially Nigeria. People flee here at the sight of armed robbers whereas if drills can be organized the robbers would know that people in the environment have some knowledge and information on how to react to them rather than just fear and that they can thwart their criminal activity successfully. This itself can be a formidable deterrence against the current high incidence of armed robbery or rampant terrorism or even kidnapping. In the Woolwich terror killing in the UK, a lady reportedly boldly told the terrorist who was saying that terrorists would wage war on London that they will fail and the lady even asked him to turn in the bloodied knife he was wielding after killing the British soldier. Really I think drills and mass orientation campaigns to resist armed robbers and terrorists will go a long way in reducing their menace and in making our environment safer than hitherto.

    On the gay marriage bill debate in London, my view is that the world is turning upside down in that part of the world and a culture shock is afloat. But the government seems hell bent on getting the bill through with the active support of the leadership of even the opposition labor party. Which really is to be expected as leftist parties have such inclinations towards gay rights and marriage just as the Democratic party of President Obama is trying to bulldoze its way through in Congress and the US Supreme Court. This is in spite of the fact that the public is getting annoyed at the redefinition of marriage by a go British government that got to power in a hung parliament and does not have a mandate for the policy it is rushing through in the UK. Indeed those opposed to the great gay marriage drive have complained that no party in Britain put this in its manifesto in the last elections and it is unfair to create such a cultural and religious change without the requisite democratic mandate. This is also unlike the situation in France where the socialists made it clear in their campaign manifesto and are fulfilling their promise although most French citizens have now woken up from their slumber and are now frowning at the development.

    The situation in Kenya however is a clear case of locking the stables doors after the horses have bolted. The two leaders indicted in the Truth, Justice and Reconciliation Committee Report are now the newly elected and sworn in President and Vice President of Kenya even though they were on different sides when they commited the post election violence five years ago. Now, who in Kenya will bell the cat for their prosecution? Also given their new alliance and their running successfully on the presidential ticket in Kenya, who can say that violence and thuggery do not pay, at least in the politics of Kenya? Even though the 2013 Kenyan Presidential elections were said to be free and fair there is something suspect in a legitimacy or authority gained in an atmosphere of violence as choice is a prerequisite for true democratic power and legitimacy. This surely is sorely lacking in Kenya’s two leading politicians for now given the TJRC Report just published in Kenya.

    Lastly the picture of the aged Chief Priest of the Ombatse Cult Alla Agu was on the front pages of some newspapers this week as he reportedly spoke through an interpreter when a senator from the area visited him with some pressmen in Lakyo, Nasarawa state this week. Obviously the man whose cult members reportedly killed 20 policemen had no regrets on the incident. Instead he seized the opportunity to glorify the god of his sect. Reportedly he said ‘It is the governor that asked the police officers to come here and arrest me, cut my head and take my head to him. When they came because they were themselves drunk, my god did not allow them to come to me and they died on the way.’ As reported, the Ombatse Chief Priest spoke in the presence of Senator Solomon Ewuga of the Federal Republic of Nigeria during a visit to him in his Lakyo community. Really, I wonder what the Inspector General of Police will make of this, given the high death toll of the Police in the hands of the Ombatse cult members as reported by the governor of the state. To me it is unbelievable that a man like the Ombatse chief priest is not yet in police custody at least for his own protection not to talk of the image of the police in providing security for all Nigerians including policemen. In addition, the interview has helped in marketing unwittingly the ‘protective capabilities’ of the Ombatse Cult god and this is bound to open lucrative opportunities for the cult with people looking for protection from all sorts of attacks and assaults on both sides of the law in our society. I find it thoroughly amazing that the police have not been able to find their way to Lakyo to see the Chief Priest at least to take a statement on what happened. Surely that speaks volumes on the security of all of us who greatly sympathise with the police on the loss of so many men in the incredible case involving the Ombatse Cult of Lakyo in Nasarawa state in Nigeria.

  • Alaafin launches Culture Foundation

    Alaafin launches Culture Foundation

    The Alaafin of Oyo, Oba Lamidi Olayiwola Adeyemi III in partnership with a Portuguese, Dr. Paula Gomes, has launched a foundation, the Paula Gomes Cultural Foundation, for the preservation of Yoruba culture.

    The launch of the foundation at the Alaafin’s palace was attended by dignitaries, such as the Ambassador and High Commissioners from Cuba, Trinidad and Tobago and Australia.

    The event featured a lecture entitled Yoruba Culture In Diaspora-Brazil which was delivered by Prof Fabio Batista Lima, an expert in Yoruba culture and tradition in the Diaspora.

    He said Yoruba in Brazil is primarily talking about a philosophy of everyday life which is taught to observe, understand and interpret.

    “The Yoruba philosophy remains alive in the New World, in Brazil, Cuba and in other parts of the world within the Candombl» (institutions of Yoruba tradition), which becomes a new lifestyle in everyday’s individuals. I speak of the lifestyle as a unitary set of distinctive preferences as expressed in the specific logic of each subspace symbolic (verbal language, body language, decorations, food and ideology). In sum, the Yoruba portrayal through Candombl»s is through the joy of the collective memory of the ancestors. This immense wisdom has been passed through generations orally,” he said.

    Lima noted that the teachings of the enslaved ancestors, including the touches of drums, the various rhythms (Alujo beat, Ilu Agere) have great impact not only in the communities of ‘yards’, but more especially in the biggest party on the planet, carnival in Salvador.

    He said: “When you are in Salvador you will think that you are here in Africa. You will see the body movements, the gestural respect for older persons in black communities because they are holders of an ancestral knowledge. Everything is familiar. The philosophy of Yoruba traditions is about building a life with a set of guidelines that enhance the day-to-day lives of the people, which is incorporated into their ways of living in the new world.

    “The lifestyles generated in the Yoruba tradition function as a strategic plan in the lives of individuals and not that such plans are mechanically intellectualised. Events of individuals’ lives are in the newspapers and magazines are reconstructed according to the circumstances presented in an individual’s everyday life.”

    He observed that in Brazil, the full essence of Yoruba philosophy is within the Candombl», which focuses on the Orisas, through the myths, by engaging in the project of solving the problems of their faith on issues of work, money, health and sex.

    According to him, the Yoruba philosophy lacks an ethical improvement of the world or individuals in the sense employed by Christian religion or Islam. What matters, he said, is that people may enjoy lives in this world, dialoguing with their relationship with nature and cosmos.

    “It is noteworthy that Yoruba is not just words spoken in the ‘yards’ it is also present in the songs of Brazilian popular music. These reconstructions are tied to a web of meanings re-developed in Brazil, giving rise to new symbolic forms ‘yards’, quilombos and blocks-afros. This encourages African descendants to distance themselves from cultural oppressions caused by colonialist’s action.”

    Lima asserted that Brazilians respect and love deep knowledge of the Yoruba tradition, which thus ‘promote interdisciplinary teaching on the question of the historicity of various race relations in Brazil, the importantance of the study on Africa’s need to recognise black culture and its various manifestation as historical, environmental, economic, political and cultural causing black youths to perceive themselves as citizens and assets.”

     

  • Foreign cultures, problems for young Nigerians

    Foreign cultures, problems for young Nigerians

    The Dean, Faculty of Education, University of Lagos (UNILAG), Prof Mopelola Omoegun has attributed problems facing the younger generations of Nigerians to the adoption of foreign language and culture, noting that this has had negative impact on our cultural values.

    She made this declaration while addressing parents, guardians, and guests at the 2013 Cultural Day celebration of AOS Montessori Nursery and Primary School, Agege, Lagos, at the AbanikandaMulti-Purpose Hall.

    Urging parents to endeavour at all times to communicate in their mother tongues with their wards at home, she lamented that a mixture and outright abandon of the rich Nigerian cultural heritage in favour of foreign culture had done unimaginable damage to the moral upbringing and respect for elders.

    She appealed to parents whose wards respond to conversation in native dialects in English language to effect corrections now, noting that a child that is well grounded in mother tongue is more intelligent than their counterparts that are westernised.

    Administrator of the school, Mrs Omolola Osuolale-Olaiya said the annual celebration assumed a new dimension this year to call the attention of government, parents and guardians to the threatening extinction of the local languages among the younger generations of Nigerians.

    She added that Nigeria as a country is blessed with good cultural values and traditions that could be of benefit to the younger generation if only parents would heed to the calls and avoid a looming loss of identity of young citizens because of the influx of foreign cultures.

    “At AOS, every Friday of the week is dedicated as cultural day. In addition to learning, every child is dressed in native attire in order to get familiar with the traditions of other tribes in the country..

    “Also, part of our modest contributions to inculcate cultural values in the children is to encourage parents to open up discussions with their wards at home in the mother tongue and take them on visits during holidays to their ancestral homes as against taking children on expensive trips to America. We should not over Westernise these children,” she said.

    Apparently disturbed that some parents find it difficult to instil communication in local dialects in their children at home and among their peer groups, the Administrator said the school at a time wrote official letters to parents in the local languages depending on their states of origin.

    Highlight of the celebration was the serving of local delicacies like roasted yam, plantain, garden eggs, groundnut and bean cakes, and zobo drinks in gourds and calabashes while local food condiments and delicacies were also on display to the admiration of guests.

    The excited pupils who were dressed in colouful local attires representing the Hausa, Igbo, Yoruba, the Niger Delta and other ethnic tribes, entertained guests with different dance steps and news casting in their local languages of various states.

     

  • Nigeria’s Culture House opens in South Africa

    Nigeria’s Culture House opens in South Africa

    Buoyed by the success of Nigerian cultural centres in Brazil and China, the Federal Government will open a similar Culture and Information Centre in Johannesburg, South Africa, this year, Tourism, Culture and National Orientation Minister Edem Duke has said.

    Duke spoke after an inspection of the former Nigerian Chancery in Johannesburgwhich will be used for that purpose.

    Accompanied by the Ministry’s Director of Culture, Goerge Uffot, Deputy Director (Bilateral) Mrs. Dayo Keshi and officials of the Nigerian High Commission in South Africa led by Head of Chancery, Mr. Jonathan Eze, the Minister took a thorough look at the property and the environs and concluded that the premises would serve the purpose of promoting Nigerian culture while also providing general information about the country.

    The Minister pointed out that the centre, which is the first to be opened by Nigeria in Africa, would be used to strengthen cultural relations not only with the government and people of South Africa but also with other countries in the southern part of the continent.

    Explaining why Nigeria has decided to site her first Culture House in Africa in Johannesburg, the Minister said: ” We recall the very elaborate and robust relations between Nigeria and South Africa, especially in the years of struggle against apartheid as well as the leadership role the two countries are playing in the advancement of the cause of Africa globally. This choice is also in recognition of the role Nigeria played and continues to play in the history of Southern African countries”.

    The decision was also influenced by the fact that there are many Nigerians living legitimately in South Africa and contributing to its socio-economic development as well as the maintenance of bilateral relations. Having a Nigerian Culture and Information Centre around them will enhance their activities and also complement the operations of the Nigerian High Commission. The Minister disclosed that Nigeria was working with South Africa to facilitate the opening of a South African Tourism Outpost in Nigeria stressing that the Culture House will partly serve a similar purpose.

    On the specific functions of the centre, Duke said ”As with similar centres operating in Brazil and China, this centre will be a mini melting-pot of some of the elements of our history and heritage as well as a platform for socio-cultural engagements not only for Nigerians but also for nationals of other countries who, through the centre, will have a deeper insight into what makes the biggest and most populous nation in Africa what it is. There will be a regular showcasing of Nigerian artifacts by our various parastatals and agencies and other interest groups from home. We intend to have a permanent photo exhibition that will speak to and reflect the various aspects of Nigerian culture”‘.

    The centre will also have a store where arts and craft from Nigeria will be available for purchase. These will include fashion accessories in realisation of the fact that Nigeria is a leading light in music and fashion. Also envisaged within the operations are specialised exhibitions and a function area where government officials, especially governors, can interface with their citizens.

    Duke also believes that the centre in will be a major stride in the advancement and definition of cultural diplomacy, African brotherhood, greater bilateral understanding, economic growth and winning the hearts of South Africans and nationals of other countries in the region in the interest o Nigeria. According to the Minister, ”Nigria is playing a frontline role in the maintenance of peace and stability in Afica and other parts of the world as Nigerians also continue to make significant contributions to knowledge wherever they are found. In order to sustain all of these, the establishmen of Nigerian cultural centres as a major platform of diplomacy in strategic parts of the world is expedient.”or some South Africa based Nigerians among whom are journalists, businessmen and students who engaged the Minister on various issues during the brief visit, a Nigerian Culture and Information Centre in Johannesburg will be a rallying -point that is long awaited and will make them have a constant feel of their culture and the governance process.

    The Minister assured them that the Jonathan administration is committed to the cause of Nigerians wherever they are based across the world and will protect their interests at all times.

  • LBHF: Redeeming African culture

    African culture can be preserved by regularly hosting events, such as the Lagos Black Heritage Festival, a culture activist, Erelu Abiola Dosumu, has said.

    She said the time had come for Nigerians to show their pride and beauty and also to attract people from other parts of the world more than ever before. Since Nigerians travel to other countries and create more income for those countries’ tourism, “we should also encourage tourism in our country”, she said.

    Erelu Dosumu, who praised Governor Babatunde Fashola’s administration for beautifying Lagos State, urged other state to emulate him to develop a Nigeria that will attract tourists.

    She spoke at the Lagos Black Heritage Festival at Freedom Park, Broad Street, Lagos.

    Dosumu said: “Freedom Park, Lagos was a prison during the colonial period, but it is now a place of attraction to people. It means an unimaginable piece of land can be turned into an event park, not even bothered by what has beendone on the land before”.

    The Special Adviser to Governor Rauf Aregbesola on Culture & Tourism, State of Osun, Hon. Oladipo Soyode stressed the need for the preservation of the nation’s cultural heritage, saying, the Black heritage is an event necessary because we have gone through different slavery, colonialism, neocolonialism and all that make a black man lose confidence in his tradition.

    According to Soyode, cultural imperialism has actually eaten deep into African society. “For example, a child can’t speak his/her local dialect. Our culture is what makes us human beings. So, anyone that abandons his race cannot prosper,” he said, noting that Africa has a very rich culture, especially Nigeria. He said Yoruba culture exists in some South American countries such as Brazil, Cuba and parts of Argentina.

    The festival which opened last Monday has The Black In The Mediterranean Blue: The African Colours Of Brazil as theme. Among the states that featured at the festival were Oyo, Ondo, Ekiti and Ogun. The annual festival places emphasis on showcasing and preserving African culture.

     

  • Youths tackle vice culture

    In order to create an environment fit for free, fair and credible election, youths in Anambra State gathered in Awka, the state capital, to deliberate on ways to consolidate on the existing peace and political stability in the state.

    During their deliberations, they realised that money politics and political thuggish behaviour have been the bane of the state since its creation.

    The youths, therefore, expressed their willingness to work towards a violence-free state during the forthcoming governorship election slated for the later part of the year.

    The gathering, the second in a week, brought together youths from the 21 local government areas.

    The event took place at King David’s Hotel in Awka. The state Commissioner for Youth and Sports, Dr Edozie Aroh represented Governor Peter Obi at the event which was organised by Golden Morning International (GMI). Its theme was “Youth against Thuggery and Money Politics in Anambra 2013.”

    Speaking at the event, the Director of GMI, Anthony Aniegbue regretted that those whose dead bodies floated on Ezu River were the youth and not the aged, adding that if what happened in Anambra State had happened in a civilised world, security agents would have resigned en masse.

    He added that the governorship election which will take place later in the year would be violence-free as the youth would be seriously involved.

    Prof. Mercy Anagbogu, in her speech, said it was a pity that in the past 21 years, youths of the state had not been given opportunity to participate actively in governance.

    “2013 is the year the youth in Anambra State will rise up against all evils; and if this opportunity slips from them, then, there will be problem. We pray that such a thing will never happen,” she said.

    Governor Peter Obi, represented by the Commissioner for Youth and Sports Dr Edozie Aroh, stated that it was not the youth who had been in thuggery and money politics, rather the adults who pay them to perpetrate such acts.

    He opined that stopping such act would be through legislation, adding that the youth should be mindful of the politicians who use and dump them after elections.

    A governorship hopeful, Dr Chike Obidigbo said that 80 per cent of this group lives in communities where economic, civic and social opportunities are insufficient to address their diverse needs.

    He said: “What makes the youth prone to thuggery and money politics can easily be changed through genuine initiative like what we are having today. Such initiative, I believe stems from that love and faith for sustainable good governance which brings us to the theory of change.

    “The youth, who are hungry, unemployed, and have no skills for self-sufficiency are likely to be engaged as political thugs, in kidnapping, shooting and snatching of ballot boxes during elections as these have become their sources of livelihood,” Obidigbo said.

  • Olumo: Keeping history, culture alive

    Olumo: Keeping history, culture alive

    Olumo Rock is a kind of metaphor for the Egba. It encapsulates the history, strength and resilence of the Egba as a people. With the advent of modernity and western culture, the importance of the Olumo might not be as pervasive as it used to be in the past, but even with the development of ancient Abeokuta town into a modern town, the rock still encapsulates the soul of the of town.

    The last couple of years saw to its development into a modern tourist complex with all facilities needed for relaxation in a modern tourist complex .

    Of course, the clincher, many believe, is the lift added to the complex that has helped in making trips to the top of the rock and down.

    The Olumo Rock tourism complex has also attracted many top tourism events. The latest is the Olumo Festival by the O’odua People’s Congress (OPC) led by Otunba Gani Adams. It has become an annual event that has continued to grow.

    If the happenings at the last Olumo Festival held at the ancient town of Abeokuta were used to measure the success of the efforts of lovers of Yoruba culture, it can then be said that the efforts of groups like the Olokun Festival Foundation headed by the National Coordinator of the OPC is gradually yielding positive results.

    Over the years, many groups and individuals have continued to stress the need to sustain the rich cultural heritage and history of the different ethnic groups that make up Nigeria.

    The foundation, in collaboration with the Gateway Tourism and Development Corporation celebrated the Olumo Festival 2013 at the Olumo Grove with funfare.

    The week-long event, named after the famous Olumo Rock, located in the heart of Abeokuta, was part of the Lisabi Week celebrated by the Egba of Ogun State. The event was attended by thousands of culture afficionados from different walks of life, and it featured cultural dances, traditional displays, games, symposium and visits to traditional heads, among others.

    Speaking at the festival, Otunba Adams noted that it was not a sin to honours one’s deity, promote the heritage or speak one’s language.

    He lamented that these are part of the national treasures that have been taken from us and that they must be got back.

    “Suppose Olumo is movable, it would have been taken away by the white people who now possess some of our artifacts. But not our Olumo”, Adams said.

    Otunba Adams, the chief promoter of the foundation called on Yoruba in particular and Nigerians in general to stand up and protect their heritage, even as he stated that political differences should not be allowed to prevent them from elevating the festival.

    He said: “Olumo is a symbol of protection. In fact, it is the eponym from which Abeokuta derived its name. We should not see Olumo as ritually irrelevant, as derogatorily mentioned and as scornfully treated. In contrast, we must resound that it is our heritage.

    “We must be proud of our relationship with Olumo. All Yoruba towns and cities were not brought from heaven. Some people founded them, and there are historical facts about them.”

    The OPC leader also lamented the challenges facing the present-day youths who are gradually drifting away from their culture.

    “Sometimes, I do not blame the youths for emulating foreign ideas. They are facing a lot of pressure from the world around them. You can see how the Internet broke down the walls, demarcating cultural boundaries of the world”.

    Speaking with The Nation, the General Manager of the Olumo Rock Tourist Complex, Mr. Kola Anidugbe, explained that the Olumo Rock is the ancestral home of the Egba and where their story started from.

    “Olumo Rock provided shelter for the forebears of the Egba people. It was under the rock that they sought refuge, hence the town is known as Abeokuta,”Anidugbe said.

    Anidugbe regretted that the traffic of tourists at the Olumo Rock grove was very low and not encouraging because there were not many attractions, adding that many complained that all they had to do while there was to climb the rock and descend.

    The Olokun Festival Foundation currently has interest in and indeed supports more than ten traditional festivals Yoruba land. They include the Osun Oshogbo Festival, Oodua Festival in Ile-Ife, Olokun Festival in Badagry, Lagos State, Okota Festival in Arigidi Akoko, Ondo State and Okebadan Festival in Ibadan, Oyo State, among others.

  • The neglect of Tiv culture

    The neglect of Tiv culture

    Sir: Culture generally describes the behavioural patterns of people within a certain geographical enclave. Culture therefore entails peoples’ modes of dressing, eating habits, value system, taboos and norms. Culture has direct correlation with the traditional practices of the people within a region.

    The Tiv, an ethnic group in the North-central Nigeria belong to the Bantoid group of languages. It is widely believed that the Tiv came from the East, specifically from the Congo Basin area. They` are homogeneous people. They constitute approximately 3.5% of Nigeria’s total population, numbering over six million spread through Nigeria and Cameroon.

    The Tiv are the fourth largest ethnic group in Nigeria. A greater percentage of them live in Benue State where they are the largest

    Ethnic group, some in Taraba State where they are the second largest, and others are found in Nasarawa, Plateau, Cross-River, Niger and FCT, where they are minorities. Some are in the Republic of Cameroon.

    The Tiv culture is regarded as one of the richest heritage in Nigeria, Africa and the whole world. But today, their culture has been neglected as a result of influx of Western culture and civilisation.

    The stupendous neglect of our cultural values by our educated youth knows no bound. Children born and bred by Tiv parents prefer speaking English language to the Tiv language. The once cherished dialect (Zwa) is now neglected. Most Tiv families, especially those in diaspora, have long ignored the use of the dialect (Zwa Tiv) in their homes thereby alienating their children from their heritage. This has given rise to a trend where children and adults of Tiv extraction are completely oblivious of their language.

    Educated sons and daughters of Tiv Awange now dress like Europeans. Anger, Tugudu, Chado, Ivavtyo, Gbevwa etc which are some of the beautiful dresses cherished by our forefathers are now abhorred by the educated youth. The Swange dance which futures prominently on television have now been replaced with Kukere, Makosa, Hip hop and other foreign music.

    It is high time we came to our senses by moving towards reviving our dying cultures. Our Tiv traditional cultures must survive against all the odds!

     

    • John Akevi,

    Bauchi

     

  • Reviving Yoruba culture

    The Yoruba are beginning to occupy the pride of place in the centre of Yorubaland. Determined to revive their culture and tradition, which seem to be threatened by globalisation, the Oyo State government has instituted the Samodun Festival.

    The festival debuted with fanfare in Ibadan, the Oyo State capital last Thursday. It lasted for three days.

    The Samodun festival, conceived from the popular greetings at annual festivals in Yoruba land “Aseyi samodun”, is one of the projects to resuscitate and preserve Yoruba cultural heritage in the state.

    The fiesta began with the ‘Ajumorin Walk’. The walk had a unique feature. Governor Abiola Ajimobi led members of his team, civil servants, local government chairmen, heads of boards, parastatals and extra-ministerial departments, popular actors and actresses, citizens and other stakeholders on a long walk from Agodi Government House through Oje to Mapo Hall, the historical gathering venue for significant programmes. He said that the walk would hold quarterly. The first is of its kind in recent times.

    Everyone was decked in uniform African prints, such as ankara and kampala. This added glamour to the event while reminding the audience of its rich heritage.

    The presence of notable actors and actresses in the Yoruba movie sub-sector of the entertainment industry and musicians also added spice to event, especially the walk. “It was a novel idea in the state,” many observed.

    The actors and actresses led by the former ANTP President, Prince Jide Kosoko, praised the government for organising the fiesta, saying it would further promote culture. Other actors and actresses witnessing the fiesta, which was organised by the Ministry of Culture and Tourism, included: Funke Akindele, Muyiwa Ademola, Fatiha Balogun, Bolaji Amusan (Latin), Adekola Odunlade, Dele Odule, Sanyeri and Rose Odiaka.

    Addressing the mammoth crowd at Mapo Hall, the governor said the Samodun fiesta was meant to remind the people of their rich heritage which is worthy of the emulation by all. The walk was followed by diverse cultural displays, highlighting the rich depth of the Yoruba language, folklores, traditional mode of recreation, livelihoods and the people’s sense of dressing.

    He noted that Africa is rich in cultural heritage, but, lamented that it is unfortunate that it has been boxed into believing that its inherited system and culture are of lesser texture to that of the Europeans. This, he said, is part of the mental slavery that our people have been subjected to for centuries, adding that his administration would continue to execute laudable projects that would have direct impact on the lives of the people of the state.

    Ajimobi said: “We will realise that even though our fathers could not read and write, they were greater doctors, physicists, paleontologists and even political scientists, far more than what obtains in our so-called modernity and civilisation. In the promotion, advancement and propagation of our culture, the world will realise that Africa did not just stumble on a heritage; we have always had a great heritage,” he said.

    He also told the crowd that the urban renewal programme of his administration which he said had been yielding results, was not aimed at unnecessarily inflicting pains on the people but to make life worth living and to improve the aesthetics of the state.

    The second day featured a comedy and beauty pageant at Cultural Centre, Mokola. The winner of the beauty competition went home with an automatic one-year employment with the governor’s wife to join her in promotion of culture and tourism, in addition to a brand new car.

    The fiesta ended with a Fuji concert at the Cultural Centre, Ibadan on Saturday. The Special Assistant to the governor on Culture and Tourism, Mr Kunmi Fakeye, said the concert as all other programmes of the fiesta, was to promote tourism and the diverse facets of the culture. “Fuji, a brand of local music believed to have originated from Ibadan. Popular Fuji musicians such as Abass Akande Obesere, Osupa Saheed and Rashidi Ayinde are special in the concert. The annual festival is meant to promote the culture and tradition of the Yoruba race,” he said.

     

  • Culture as export commodity

    The cultural and educational co-operation between the Federal Republic of Nigeria and The People’s Republic of China was signed on 28th March, 1990. In the 22 years of cooperation both countries have engaged in robust cultural activities and exchanges in the areas of arts, music, training and exhibitions and other areas of the art.

    But the month of March 2012 signaled the actual birth of the Nigeria Cultural Centre in Beijing with the official signing of the MOU on the establishment of Cultural Centre between Nigerian government and their Chinese counterparts. Without delay, the Ministry of Tourism, Culture and National Orientation immediately dispatched one of her officers to take full charge of the day-to-day running of the centre in consonance with its establishment guidelines and regulations. The Nigeria Cultural Centre is the first African Cultural Centre ever to be established by any African nation in China.

    Activities

    Nigeria undisputedly has the highest concentration of black people in the World and the largest market for goods and services in the African continent. This becomes the first reality facing the Cultural Centre – creating imageries and making the deserved impact in a vast and rich cultural-oriented nation like China, and most importantly, depicting Nigeria’s strength and status as the giant and pearl of Africa. As at now, the Centre has made major inroads in terms of familiarisations with all the various arms of the host Ministry of Culture, arts agencies, arts institutions and other interest groups as well as the Nigerian communities in Beijing and Guangzhou.

    The first assignment was with the Beijing Xiquedengzhi Art Creative Studio which approached the Centre for collaboration in June 2012. By July, the Centre started a talk show programme with the China National Arts and Crafts Corporations at the UNESCO Heritage Site of Pingyao, in Shanxi province. This programme resulted in the Cultural Centre participating in the one week Pingyao International Photo Exhibitions in September 2012. The Centre was also involved during the Celebration of Life and Works of a Late Head of State of Ghana in Beijing on 10th August 2012.

    Nigeria through the Cultural Centre, participated in the 6th exhibition of China Art Industry Exposition between September 7th – 28th alongside Egypt as the only two African countries that took part. In October 18th the Centre featured actively at the Annual Cultural Day Celebrations of Peking University where arts exhibitions and various foods from the six – geopolitical zones of Nigeria were showcased.

    A week after that too the Centre participated in costume/make-up segment of the drama series titled The Dance of Ritual from Soyinka to Osofisan which took place at the main theatre of the Peking University. On November 30th the Beijing Foreign Studies University invited the Centre for the lunching ceremony of their academic research programme for African Language and Culture.

    Over the years some of these programmes have been extended to Tanzania, Ghana, South Africa, Uganda, Libya and more to make Nigeria cultural values more acceptable in the world.