Culture has not remained the same since it origin. It evolves as human beings begin to gain knowledge of their immediate environment. Exigencies of time and space affects culture. Revolution, diffusion and a deliberate incorporation of one culture into another has been the cause of this changes. The western countries strongly belief in scientific solution to societal challenges , while in Nigeria, they put much relevance to spirituality.
Nigerian people have had rich and diverse artistic heritage that has been traced to 500BC. They have produced objects, rituals that extend communication and meet spiritual and physical needs. Works and art before now was highly esteem among Nigeria cultures, apart from the beauty they add, arts had spiritual and cultural relevance. They made sculpture, like that of ile Ife of the Yoruba culture that represent the figure of a god,and the benin bronze plaques, all these dated to the 11th-13th century.
The hausa as at old had a unique building pattern, the houses with their bas-relief geometric designs, so also are the Yoruba with a magnificent carved doors in the obas palaces. Weaving and embroidery was both a profession for some and a pass time for others. There are a lot to mention of the Nigeria culture as of old which range from their calabash making, raffia craft, leather work, wood masks, bead craft, etc. But that is gradually fading away with the incorporation of civilization.
We could argue that modernization has affected culture to it disadvantage, changing the narrative and setting a new order. Though Africans still practice their cultural activities, it has affected the level to which it was honoured; people see cultural practice as an old-fashioned and people who still practice them as being uncivilized. No doubt some ancient cultural practice were diabolic and more like witchcraft, sometimes I believe people must have embraced civilization to help erase this practice that involved fetish act.
The Hausa no longer make much of their traditional architecture or their Terra Cotta sculpture, as they welcome the western pattern; can we debate that the changes over time is positive? Everyone has a perspective about this, but one thing is constant: 'change' . People have learned to embrace this change. Though culture varies across time and space, certain cultural elements has remained the same such as the language, norms, values and certain belief. As much as I am enjoying modernization and the infrastructure, I hope these elements remain strong in the mind of African countries.
