Culture is the total way of people’s life while education according to the dictionary is the “process of learning and training, instructions as imparted in school; the theory and practice of teaching.
Therefore, cultural education, according to A. E. Afigbo, is “the induction of young people into the culture of their young fathers.
Today, negative impact of colonisation is still being felt in our daily lives. Colonisation brought a serious cultural disorientation to our people.
Our religions are regarded as fetish and while the cultural and artistic achievements of our people are destroyed. There is cultural erosion of our tradition. Youths of today prefer the foreign culture to ours and this is seriously affecting our traditional ways of life which are very distinct.
The National Commission for Museum and Monuments (NCMM) is a federal parastatal saddled with the responsibility of preservation and promotion of our culture; it is a research-based institution with a vision of having a stable and promotion of our culture.
Social vices have retarded the growth of this country and it is the responsibility of the NCMM to point out these challenges and how to overcome them.
Now, the potent ways to curb these social vices such as corruption, kidnapping e.t.c is for all Nigerians to return to the basis and embrace our culture; this will help re-awaken our consciousness in our culture.
The museum is a repository of the collection which is used by the education officers to illustrate the dangers of indulging in social vices which are inimical to the development of this country.
Cultural education is very imperative to promote our societal ideals. The museum education officers are specialised people and they teach the public with the aid of objects in the custody of the museum through the series of museum teaching mechanisms
Cultural education of Nigerian youths is very imperative now as the country is facing social-cultural and socio-political challenges.
Efforts must therefore be made to ensure that all Nigerians, particularly the youth, embrace the African way of life which shuns social vices.
We must inculcate the spirit of oneness among them. Through, Nigeria is a multi-ethnic or plural society but not without cultural similarities. Being a plural society, it is engulfed with mutual suspicion and agitations. The minorities are afraid of the dominance of the majorities; this is a very strong pathology affecting the nation today.
Nigeria being a multi-ethnic society has made people, especially youth feel that Nigeria has no cultural similarity. This statement is very erroneous, divisive and sentimental. This attitude breeds ethnocentrism. This has led some people to be clamoring for the division of the country. The major problem of this country is caused by ethnicity. Some people are not nationalistic in what they do. National Commission for Museum and Monuments when well-equipped can bring understanding and consciousness of our culture.
Museum professionals can use museum collections to preach unity among Nigerians. Some Europeans, notably Bernard Fagg, regarded our art as “Tribal Arts.” This statement was aimed at creating disunity among Nigerians. What a great erroneous statement. With the functions and roles of museum over the years, this statement has been discarded by Nigerians.
National Commission for Museum and Monuments has National Unity Galleries that exhibit objects that cut across the country and through these, youths can be sensitised on the need to value their culture.
- Omoruyi is of the National Museum, Benin, Edo State.
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