IBADAN – Curator of the National Museum of Unity, Ibadan, Mr Amos Olorunnipa, has urged the Federal Government to incorporate subjects relating to traditional culture in the school curricular at all levels.
Olorunnipa told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Ibadan on Monday that traditional culture, heritage and folklore would go a long way in inculcating Nigerian cultural values in youths.
He also said government, curriculum designers and educationists must implement a comprehensive moral education curriculum at the primary, secondary and tertiary institutions.
“ This will go a long way in discouraging western cultural values that are not in consonance with the Nigerian way of life,” Olorunnipa said.
The curator noted that Nigerian culture had been negatively affected by the influence of western civilisation and culture.
“Western civilisation has exerted a lot of influence on the Nigerian society.
“The cultural heritage of Nigeria had been severely dealt with that it became doubtful whether much of the good values in Nigerian cultural heritage could be resuscitated.
“The reasons for this cultural decay include slavery, colonialism, imperialism, illiteracy and inferiority complex,” he said.
The curator further stressed that cultural revival was necessary to ensure social transformation designed to produce the new society desired by Nigerians.
Olorunnipa added that revival would not be possible without addressing underdevelopment, economic exploitation and political domination.
“Cultural rejuvenation must come along with a fundamental improvement in the people’s material and social conditions,” he said. (NAN)