CULTURAL VALUE

Nigerian traditional values system and norms have being facing some challenges accentuated by non adherence to it, thereby pushing it almost into extinction, except proactive measures and urgent steps are taken to address the situation.
 In today's news analysis correspondent write on the need to revive the cultural heritage and values system of Nigeria towards building a better society.
In time past, the Nigeria traditional value system was characterized by respect for elders, good moral values, communal life, fear of the gobs, dignity of labor,cultural sense of pride and exemplary character, to mention but a few.
Unfortunately,these traditional values and cultural norms are today deteriorating very fast, a situation which many attributed to the influence of Western Civilization.
 Scholars of African History have argued that in the olden days the people who deviated from societal norms were sanctioned to serve as a deterrent to others.
The African scholars maintained that the need to protect the image of a family and also comply with societal norms was paramount in every community in Nigeria.
Before the advent of British the Nigerian traditional system was well structured to ensure sanity, law and order, high sense of responsibility.
With the introduction of western culture, Nigerians now act, react and behave like Europeans and Americans in virtually everything, forgetting their own core traditional values.
Why it may be plausible to argue that Western Civilization has some positive effects, Nigerians needs to draw inspiration from the interface into Africa and Western cultures, towards preventing the traditional values and norms that have defined Africans as a people.
One way to effectively strike a balance between the Africa Culture and Western civilization is for Nigerians to get the good aspects of either cultures and maximize them for societal development.
Another area of note, is the inability of the Nigerian child to speak his native language fluently, cook traditional delicacies and dress in his native attires.
These diminishing traditional values have been blamed on the family front, where parents and guardians hardly have the time to teach their kids and wards native customs and traditions, how to speak their native language and prepare native delicacies as well as how to dress traditionally among others.
The way forward in getting the home front right, is for parents and guardians to adopt the old practice where traditional folk tales depicting high moral values are told to children in the evenings and also ensures that english language is not spoken at home as well as to encourage the children to always prepare native meals among others.
The school also has a role to play by ensuring that teachers who teach vernacular or native languages should compel their pupils or students to interact in the native language being taught in the class.
In that way, children who are indigenes of that locality and those who are non indigenes will learn more about that language.
The ministry of education, should make it compulsory for schools to organize cultural festivals frequently rather than just once in an academic year.
The media who are the forth estate of the realm, should also create traditional programmes on radio and television.
If Nigeria must revive the almost eroded Nigerian traditional values and norms all hands must be on deck.