NIGERIA IN QUEST FOR CHANGE
By: Adebayo Faysol Adedeji
The history has it that Nigeria became a British protectorate in the year 1901. However, the Nigeria colonisation lasted until 1960 when an independent movement succeeded in gaining Nigeria her independent. Indeed Nigeria has gained this independent but in reality we have forgotten we had a means of communication before their advent and we did have a unique style of livelihood as well.
Despite the relatively constant growth in the then Nigeria, the absence and negligence of our own means today has been a great hindrance to the change Nigerians quest for today. Right from childhood, we've been taking through the agents of socialisation which are mainly said to be: family, school, religion, peer group and mass media. These things have been used otherwise in Nigeria like we didn't understand the concept of it.
In this contemporary time Nigeria has encountered lots of changes in the social life and those changes can be attributed to some factors as expressed in the foregoing. Hence, these factors have influenced our ways of life, languages, traditions and customs. They (the factors) also changed us from appreciating and speaking our indigenous languages, dressing and to the sort of food we eat.
Today, we were taught in British language and their style and yet we are expected to act in accordance with our local way. Common knowledge kids hardly speak their mother tongue languages. We adopted impacting knowledge in colonialist way, it's nice speaking it thou but not over our own language, perhaps people can learn more than one language. If anyone couldn't communicate effectively with English, he or she is termed as uncivilised or uneducated.
If people from other nation couldn't adopt our language and style then why should we. If people from other nation speak their languages while ours should be exception. Our customs and traditions are what distinctly define us as a people and indeed independent one too.
Nevertheless, it might sound somehow if I say the cause of insecurity, corruption and so many other bad ranting things amidst us today have their source in the negligence of our indigenous value which ranges from our schools to home.
Back in the olden days when values and attention were given to our own things, life was so enjoyable as we were told. Most of our fathers who passed through learning with our indigenous languages cannot be put aback today even most of them have just primary education.
In this contemporary time, we were taught A for Apple in schools instead of A for Agbalumo (Agbalumo something we understand better than Apple). We were taught "education carry me away away away, carry me to London, carry me to America, education carry me away", our indigenous poem however taught us :
"ise agbe nise Ile wa, eni kosise yoma jale, iwe kiko laisi oko, koipe o koipe o"
It can be likened in this contemporary occurrence to
"eni kosise yoo ma she Yahoo Yahoo"
More so we have:
"Kini nfole se laye timowa kini nfole se laye timowa, laye timowa kaka kin jale , kaka kin jale ma kuku deru, kin nfole se laye ti mowa"
However, if we had appreciated all these and paid much attention to them as our indigenous values, probably the spirit of moral would linger amidst us and most corruption acts shall die down.
Nigeria should not be likend to a toddler who imitates things either good or bad until it becomes his/her habit.
Hence, in a nutshell, we should be acquainted with the fact that our indigenous things which we have neglected did not only educate but teach moral as well.
The change we do quest for has to start from the cradle it emanated from not at the peak it has reached.
Please drop your comments about this.
By: Adebayo Faysol Adedeji
The history has it that Nigeria became a British protectorate in the year 1901. However, the Nigeria colonisation lasted until 1960 when an independent movement succeeded in gaining Nigeria her independent. Indeed Nigeria has gained this independent but in reality we have forgotten we had a means of communication before their advent and we did have a unique style of livelihood as well.
In this contemporary time Nigeria has encountered lots of changes in the social life and those changes can be attributed to some factors as expressed in the foregoing. Hence, these factors have influenced our ways of life, languages, traditions and customs. They (the factors) also changed us from appreciating and speaking our indigenous languages, dressing and to the sort of food we eat.
Today, we were taught in British language and their style and yet we are expected to act in accordance with our local way. Common knowledge kids hardly speak their mother tongue languages. We adopted impacting knowledge in colonialist way, it's nice speaking it thou but not over our own language, perhaps people can learn more than one language. If anyone couldn't communicate effectively with English, he or she is termed as uncivilised or uneducated.
If people from other nation couldn't adopt our language and style then why should we. If people from other nation speak their languages while ours should be exception. Our customs and traditions are what distinctly define us as a people and indeed independent one too.
Nevertheless, it might sound somehow if I say the cause of insecurity, corruption and so many other bad ranting things amidst us today have their source in the negligence of our indigenous value which ranges from our schools to home.
Back in the olden days when values and attention were given to our own things, life was so enjoyable as we were told. Most of our fathers who passed through learning with our indigenous languages cannot be put aback today even most of them have just primary education.
In this contemporary time, we were taught A for Apple in schools instead of A for Agbalumo (Agbalumo something we understand better than Apple). We were taught "education carry me away away away, carry me to London, carry me to America, education carry me away", our indigenous poem however taught us :
"ise agbe nise Ile wa, eni kosise yoma jale, iwe kiko laisi oko, koipe o koipe o"
"eni kosise yoo ma she Yahoo Yahoo"
More so we have:
"Kini nfole se laye timowa kini nfole se laye timowa, laye timowa kaka kin jale , kaka kin jale ma kuku deru, kin nfole se laye ti mowa"
However, if we had appreciated all these and paid much attention to them as our indigenous values, probably the spirit of moral would linger amidst us and most corruption acts shall die down.
Nigeria should not be likend to a toddler who imitates things either good or bad until it becomes his/her habit.
Hence, in a nutshell, we should be acquainted with the fact that our indigenous things which we have neglected did not only educate but teach moral as well.
The change we do quest for has to start from the cradle it emanated from not at the peak it has reached.
Please drop your comments about this.
NIGERIA IN QUEST FOR CHANGE
Reviewed by Profay
on
May 01, 2018
Rating:
Reviewed by Profay
on
May 01, 2018
Rating:
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