The Culture Of The Nigerian Culture In Nigeria

African history is extremely important because it contributes to the overall understanding of world history. The historical interaction between Africa and America created a platform for national capitalization. Nigeria is one of the most populated countries in Africa and more specifically it consists of one of the highest amounts of ethnics groups. Nigeria consists of over three hundred different ethnic groups. Language, culture, and values are what differentiate ethnic groups from each other.

When one country takes over and colonizes another, it is inevitable for cultural exchanges to occur. A lot of African people, including the Nigerians, had picked up quite a few British customs. The influence of Great

Culture is one of the most relevant elements that can define not only a society but also a country’s cumulative beliefs and system. Often noted as the origins of a country, culture is definitive in the sense that it harbors all the elements that can provide justification on the traditions and norms set by the society for its members. More often than not, the society members follow norms in order to create a harmonious community, and the beliefs and the traditions serve as the poles or grounding rules for each member to follow. Culture is very dynamic in the way that it can change over a variety of foreign influences but what is permanent about it is that original elements about it often lingers with the influences, therefore making it multi-faceted and broad. More importantly, culture serves as an individual and unique trait each society has, and therefore sets it apart from other countries and other societies.

Nigeria is one of the most densely populated countries in all of Africa. However, according to Freedom House, Nigeria is only partly free. This is for several reasons. Firstly, from a historical point of view, colonialism had a very bad effect on Africa. Many will argue that colonialism left Africa with only one practical skill and that is education. Other than education, colonialism left Africa with no other practical skills because it left them independent on others for survival. They had no opportunity to advance because they never had the tools. According to Walter Rodney, the author of How Europe Underdeveloped Africa, European capitalists failed to create a working class and to spread industrial skills throughout Africa (Rodney, 1997). European colonists failed to teach practical skills to Africans to keep them subservient. This is evident when Walter Rodney states, “the vast majority of Africans went into colonialism with a hoe and came out with a hoe” (Rodney, 1997, p. 591). Nigeria also has a few social factors that are an impediment to their political progress. In the recent decades, the rise of terrorism has been threatening their way of life. The dominant terrorist group in Nigeria is Boko Haram. Boko Haram has been an ongoing threat to the government and people they believe should be persecuted. According to Freedom House, they are trying to implement Sharia law and an anti-western ideology throughout the country (Freedom House, 2015). This law restricts women’s

Culture is the characteristics of a group of people defined by language, cuisine, religion social habits music and art. There are many different types of culture including western culture, eastern culture, African culture and many more. Culture is influenced by the groups of people that make up the country (Zimmermann, 2012). The term culture was first used by an English Anthropologist named Edward B. Tyler. It was first mentioned in 1871 in his book named ‘Primitive Culture’. He stated that culture is "that complex whole which includes knowledge, belief, art, law, morals, custom, and any other capabilities and habits acquired by man as a member of society”. Since then culture is the main focus of anthropology.

Nigeria contains more historic cultures and empires than any other nation in Africa. They date as far back as the 5th Century BC when communities lived around the southern slopes of the Jos plateau, which are now called the Nok people. The first important centralized state to influence Nigeria was Kanem-Bornu, which was founded in the 8th century AD. By the 11th century Kanem-Bornu expanded into present-day Nigeria, and in the 15th century, its capital was moved there. In the late 15th century the Portuguese became the first Europeans to visit Nigeria. They began to purchase slaves and agricultural produce. After the Portuguese came to the British, French, and Dutch traders.

“Another area of Nigerian life that is practically unequalled by any other country’s is in the way festivals are celebrated” (Obi 136). Festivals and holidays have made a perpetual impact on Pre-colonial and Post-colonial Igbo culture. As time has passed over the years, additional holidays of the Igbo culture are celebrated and traditional aspects of festival celebration have been modernized. Furthermore, some holiday and festival celebrations have altered based on its secular and religious aspects.

In this articled will attempt to explain the historical oppression of the Nigerian woman in her home country and how each little Nigerian girl is brought up to submit to the men in her life for her entire life span ,living in the background without a voice but many duties. It will explain how this woman moves to America and finds new freedoms and is presented with the option of assimilating into the new culture or maintain her country’s ways. The identity formation, issues and challenges are subjected to the theories of personality and social change. As the Nigerian woman finds herself in America and trying to understand her new surrounding and to adjust to the new freedoms that she encounters, she must also make the

Destruction of one’s culture does not disappear overnight, if ever. Through battle and hardship Nigerians have worked to keep their culture, but one shall not forget the monstrosities that the Europeans committed. This is best explained by Benjamin Akande. Akande is the president of Westminster College in Fulton, Missouri. He is a Harvard graduate who was born in Nigeria and first hand knows that effects of imperialism, “[...] western adventures made efforts to undermine the cultural heritage of various peoples around the world through colonization, imperialism and now globalization.

Simplicity can be observed throughout daily life. While easier to see in some cultures, daily life in Igbo culture is more simple than other cultures. The Igbo culture shows simplicity through the many traditions and customs in their culture. In the novel Things Fall Apart and research on the modern-day Igbo people reveals similarities between how simple the culture was originally, and how the culture continues to show that today. First off, like other cultures, the culture is full of ideas and beliefs.

From the day I was born, Nigerian culture – Yoruba to be exact – has been ingrained in my everyday life. From aso ebi, agbada, and gele piled high in my house’s closets to serving jollof and egusi at every major gathering and bringing dodo (fried plantain) to my school’s culture’s day, a piece of my culture is always with me.

Yoruba’s ethnic group makes up approximately 21% with a population with in Nigeria. The 10 million group members makes them the second biggest ethnic group in the country. Even though many people identify as Christian or Muslim, many Yoruba people still uphold traditional customs of their ancestors. Their ancestor’s religious practices and beliefs, cultural traditions, music, and art forms are all alive and well within the region. “The arts of the Yoruba are as numerous as their deities, and many objects are placed on shrines to honor the gods and the ancestors”.

In order to get to know my interviewee, E. E., it is important to learn about her distinct heritage. She has such an interesting story that even prior to this interview, I found myself eager to learn more about her and her life in Nigeria. While researching about the Nigerian culture, I gathered information related to traditional language, religion, diet, values, gender roles, and health practices. In doing so, I was able to get a glimpse of what it might be like to live in Nigeria and ultimately, I gained insight to the culture that made E. E. the inspiring person she is today.

One of the best ways to succeed in life is to work together. Unfortunetly for Nigeria, the lack of this characteristic has been endlessly causing it problems for years. The quarrel between the Muslims in the north and the Christians in the south has been constantly growing. This has recently led to very violent acts of protest and the taking of thousands of innocent lives. These acts of terrorism by northern Nigerian Islam extremists are becoming much more frequent because of a rather newly created terrorist group, Boko Haram. The group is growing in power and most likely is not being shut down any time soon. There are many reasons for this, including many Nigerian citizens being in poverty, Nigeria’s corrupt government, and most crucial,

Nigeria is a transit country for illegal wildlife trade both at domestic and international market levels of the threatened African Giant Pangolin, Elephant Ivory, the Nigerian Cameroon Chimpanzee, and Vultures. Despite being a signatory to the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES), the level of compliance in upholding the objectives of this Convention at the Federal Government level is very poor and ineffective.