GST 112: course summary Notes - Culture and National Development
culture and national development. This is actually pretty heavy stuff when you think about it. Like, we're talking about how the way people live—their entire worldview really—shapes whether a country moves forward or gets stuck.
Check out the course outline for Nigerian people and culture
The Culture-Development Thing (Why This Matters)
So here's what I'm figuring out: no country just develops randomly, right? There's always this cultural foundation underneath everything. The way people think about work, about community, about what success even means—all of that comes from culture.
And Nigeria? Man, we're complex. 250+ ethnic groups, different languages, different ways of doing things. But somehow we're supposed to be one country moving in the same direction. That's... that's actually kind of wild when you think about it.
Cultural Promotion and National Identity
What Are We Even Promoting?
Culture is basically everything—how we talk, what we believe, how we celebrate, how we solve problems. The whole package of being Nigerian (or Igbo, or Yoruba, or whatever).
But here's where it gets tricky: when we say "promote culture," whose culture? I mean, there's Nigerian culture (whatever that is), then there's all these ethnic cultures, then there's this new urban culture that's emerging...
Why Bother With All This?
Honestly, at first I was like "why can't we just focus on economics and infrastructure?" But then you realize:
Identity crisis is real: If people don't know who they are, why would they work hard for the country? Like, if I don't feel Nigerian, why should I care about Nigeria's GDP?
Unity through diversity: This sounds like a politician's slogan, but... actually it makes sense. We celebrate our differences while finding common ground. Easier said than done though.
Economic benefits: Our festivals, movies, music—they're bringing in serious money. Nollywood alone... I mean, that's cultural promotion that actually pays bills.
But wait—there's also this pressure to preserve everything. Like, should we keep traditions just because they're traditional? Some of these things might actually be holding us back. I'm conflicted about this.
Examples (The Good Stuff)
NAFEST is pretty cool when you think about it. All these different cultures coming together, competing but also learning from each other.
And Nollywood—okay, the production quality used to be questionable, but the stories? They're ours. They're telling Nigerian stories to the world. That's powerful.
Cultural Imperialism vs. Modernization (This Is Where It Gets Messy)
The Invasion of Foreign Culture
Let's be real: Western culture is everywhere. Hollywood movies, American music, British accents being seen as "proper English," even the way we dress for "professional" settings. It's like... we're losing ourselves without even realizing it.
My generation especially—we know more about American celebrities than our own traditional rulers. We can sing foreign songs word for word but can't speak our parents' languages fluently. That's... that's actually kind of sad.
But Wait, Is All Foreign Influence Bad?
Here's where I get confused. Because modernization brought us technology, democracy (sort of), better healthcare, education systems. Are we supposed to reject all that to stay "authentic"?
The problem is: modernization often comes packaged with westernization. So we get the technology but also the individualism, the materialism, the breaking down of extended family structures.
Finding Balance (Easier Said Than Done)
I think the key is being intentional. Like, we can use modern technology to preserve our languages. We can build modern cities that reflect our architectural heritage. We can have democratic governance that respects our traditional conflict resolution methods.
But that requires actually thinking about what we're adopting and why. Most times we just copy-paste.
Nigerian Cultural Policies (Government Trying to Fix Things)
The Policies on Paper
The 1988 National Cultural Policy looked good on paper—integrate culture into national planning, teach local languages, support cultural industries. The 2005 revision talked about creative economy and cultural diplomacy.
But here's the thing: policies are just paper until someone implements them properly.
What's Actually Happening
- Museums are underfunded and falling apart
- Local languages are barely taught in schools
- Foreign content dominates our media
- Cultural sites are not properly maintained
The National Orientation Agency tries with campaigns like "Change Begins with Me," but honestly? It feels like they're fighting a losing battle against globalization.
The Real Challenges
Money: Culture doesn't seem to generate immediate profit, so it's always last on the budget list.
Division: Instead of uniting us, culture sometimes becomes a tool for ethnic politics. That's... that's actually dangerous.
Competing priorities: When you're dealing with poverty, insecurity, corruption—cultural preservation feels like a luxury.
What Actually Needs to Happen (My Take)
Education Reform (This is Crucial)
We need to teach Nigerian history properly. Not just dates and names, but stories that make us proud to be Nigerian. Languages too—it's embarrassing that university graduates can't communicate with their grandparents.
Support the Creative Economy
Nollywood proved that Nigerian stories can sell globally. Same with Afrobeats. We need to back these industries with proper funding, training, infrastructure.
Smart Regulation
Maybe we don't need to ban foreign content, but we can require a certain percentage of local content on TV and radio. Give Nigerian artists and filmmakers a fighting chance.
Cultural Tourism
We have amazing heritage sites but they're not developed properly. Imagine if the Benin artifacts were displayed in world-class museums in Nigeria instead of being scattered in foreign museums. That's lost revenue right there.
My Conclusion (Still Figuring This Out)
Look, I used to think culture was just about traditional dances and festivals. But it's actually about survival—survival of our identity, our values, our way of seeing the world.
The challenge is: we live in a global world. We can't isolate ourselves. But we also can't let ourselves be swallowed up by foreign cultures.
Maybe the solution is confidence. Being confident enough in our own culture to engage with others without losing ourselves. Taking what serves us, leaving what doesn't.
But that requires knowing who we are first. And honestly? I'm not sure we've figured that out yet.
References / Suggested Reading
Otite, O. & Ogionwo, W. (2006). An Introduction to Sociological Studies. Ibadan: Heinemann.
Irele, F. (2001). "African Cultural Identity." Journal of African Studies, 10(3).
Federal Republic of Nigeria (2005). Revised National Cultural Policy. Abuja: Federal Ministry of Culture & Tourism.
UNESCO Reports on Intangible Cultural Heritage.
Falola, T. (2003). The Power of African Cultures. Rochester: University of Rochester Press.
Assignment Question
Write a short essay (2 pages max) on: "The Impact of Cultural Imperialism on Nigerian Youth: Challenges and Solutions."