CULTURE
Nigerian culture reflects
African, Islamic, and European influences. In northern Nigeria,
Islam has shaped architecture and calligraphy. As Islam traditionally
forbids the representation of people and animals, art forms such
as ceremonial carvings are virtually absent in the north. In the
south, indigenous peoples produced their own art long before Europeans
arrived. Portuguese figures first appeared in Benin bronzes dating
to the 16th century. Since the dawn of the colonial era, Western
influences have challenged, threatened, and in certain ways enriched
Nigerian culture. Nigeria’s rich and diverse artistic heritage
goes back more than 2,000 years. The earliest noteworthy pieces
are finely produced terra-cotta sculptures produced by the Nok
culture in the vicinity of the Jos Plateau between 500 bc and
ad 200. These, together with bronze heads from Ife dating from
the 13th century and bronze plaques, bronze statues, and ivory
carvings from Benin from the 11th century and later, are generally
considered Nigeria’s most important artistic legacy. Many
such pieces, however, reside in Western museums, where they were
taken during the time of colonial conquest. The Nigerian government
has demanded the return of looted art, particularly from Benin,
with little success.
Nigeria's rich and varied
cultural heritage derives from the mixture of its different ethnic
groups with Arabic and western European cultural influences. Secret
societies, such as Ekpo and Ekpe among the peoples of the southeast,
were formerly used as instruments of government, while other institutions
were associated with matrimony. According to the Fulani custom
of sharo (test of young manhood), rival suitors underwent the
ordeal of caning as a means of eliminating those who were less
persistent, while in Ibibio territory girls approaching marriageable
age were confined for several years in bride-fattening rooms before
they were given to their husbands. These and other customs were
discouraged by colonial administrators and missionaries. Some
of the more adaptable cultural institutions have been revived
since independence; these include Ekpo and Ekong societies for
young boys in parts of the southeast and the Ogboni society found
in the Yoruba and Edo areas of southern Nigeria.
Music
and dance are integral to Nigerian culture, and each ethnic group
has its own specialties. Traditional instruments include various
types of flutes, trumpets, musical bows, xylophones, and wooden
clappers, as well as many varieties of drums. Music is used to
celebrate rulers and to accompany public assemblies, weddings
and funerals, festivals, and storytelling. At one time the Edo
of the Kingdom of Benin distinguished between urban music that
was performed at the palace and less complex music that was played
in rural areas. Dance also has many varieties: Ishan stilt dancers
in colourful costumes twist themselves in the air; while one Tiv
dance, called ajo, features male dancers who work in pairs, and
another involves teams of women who perform a dance called icough
by composing songs about current events. Dance for the Ubakala
shows their value system, helps resolve conflicts, and also institutes
changes. Ekiti Yoruba dancers wear head masks so heavy that they
can only do processional dances. The Hausa, who do not consider
dancing to be a craft, divide their dances into the categories
of social dancing and ceremonial bòorii dances.
