Nigeria is a land inhabited by various peoples of different ethnic origin and culture. Their ancestors have now been settled in the area today known as Nigeria for many centuries. In spite of their obvious diversities the peoples of Nigeria share much in common. According to the Federal Ministry of Information (1990), they share a number o f traits arising from similar traditions, value systems, behaviour patterns and beliefs. The Oral tradition, for example is very strong in Nigeria and is not only used for passing information attitudes and beliefs from one generation to another but also forms the basis of a kind o f national identity. Great store is placed on a person's ability to speak in public and even the smallest event will be graced by long speeches from all concerned. The different ethnic groups are not confined by the arbitrary borders originally established in colonial times, but often spread over two or three modern day countries, this produces conflicting cultural identity with many examples of different linguistic and religious cultures within the same geographical area, conflicting concepts of nationalism and difficulty with tribal unity. According to Akande (1993), it is estimated that as many as 250 ethnic groups exist in Nigeria today, each with their own language. The three largest of these are Hausa, Yoruba and Ibo.
The Hausa speaking tribes occupy a broad area spread over Sokoto, Kaduna and Kano States as well as part of Niger, and Hausa is spoken in many parts of Nigeria’s other northern States, as well as in the northern parts of Ghana, Benin Republic, Togo and in most parts of the Niger Republic, which has a predominantly Hausa population. The bond of the same language, customs and traditions between people of the same tribe is a strong one, and often surmounts national loyalties, making it difficult to develop national pride and unification.
The Yoruba speaking peoples occupy a large area of south-western Nigeria and part of the neighbouring Benin Republic. The Yoruba, whose culture reflects a considerable degree of sophistication, trace their origins to the secret city of lie Ife, which has since remained the spiritual centre for Yorubaland, and which is renowned for the artistic perfection of its bronze sculptures. Yoruba culture is molded on the intricate interrelation of religious and social rites, with the activities of men being perceived as interconnected with those of the
Chapter 2. Situation Analysis of Service Provision
unseen world and visa-versa. So strong are the Yoruba cultural beliefs th a t they have survived in many other parts of the world where the Yoruba have settled.
The Ibo speaking peoples of eastern Nigeria are the nations third largest ethnic group. They do not have the same traditions of kingship or a heritage of centralized political institutions as do the Yoruba and the Hausa, but are nevertheless known for having a rich and dynamic culture of considerable complexity based on lineage, (Federal Minstry of Information 1990).
2 . 2 . 8 . TRADITIONAL RELIGIONS.
Indigenous Nigerian religious beliefs and practices offer an illustration of the underlying unity that characterizes the traditions of the country. Imasogie (1985) says th a t Nigerians share a belief in the existence of a ‘Supreme Being’, known as Olurun or Olodumare among the Yoruba, Chineka among the Ibo, Obassi among the Efik, to name but a few. Although the ‘Supreme Being’ is conceived as being omnipresent and omniscient, he is not ordinarily thought of as being involved in human affairs, but as belonging to a sphere too exalted to permit intercourse with mankind. Hence the recourse to lesser divinities having power of intervention, such as the earth divinity, Ala of the Ibo speaking people, or Shango the Yoruba deity associated with thunder and lightning. In addition to divinities, other categories of spirit beings are also believed to exist, and the Kalahari of the Niger Delta for instance make a distinction between water spirits and the spirits of the dead. According to Imasogie (1985) Traditional Nigerian religions usually coexist peacefully with other major religions of non-Nigerian origin which have developed large followings in modern times
European contact with Nigeria resulted in the introduction of various denominations of the Christian faith to the people of Nigeria as early as the 16th century, but it was not until the mid-nineteenth century that increasing European contact with Nigeria brought a new wave of Christian missionaries in the country. Many of these missionaries are remembered
for their humanitarian and medical contributions. Although there is still some controversy over the degree to which the Christian missions may have facilitated British domination in Nigeria, there is no doubt that the various churches have made considerable contributions to the development of modern Nigeria through their schools, hospitals and medical centres. In Nigeria today, the different religions coexist reasonably peacefully when they are not being used politically, and along side traditional beliefs. Revival Christian sects such as the Chérubin and Séraphin church have gained large numbers of new converts by injecting an indigenous aspect into church rituals and ceremonies.