The National Institute for Cultural Orientation (NICO) has charged parents and guardians on inculcating culture, value and indigenous languages on their children as a way of curbing the influx of foreign culture.
Executive Secretary/CEO of NICO, Ado Yuhuza, gave the charge in Benin during a sensitization programme for junior and secondary schools in Oredo federal constituency.
The event with the theme “Culture Consciousness and the Nigeria child” was organised in collaboration with Hon. Esosa Iyawe, member House of representative, Oredo Federal constituency.
Yuhuza said culture consciousness is crucial to disabuse and dissuade the youths from imbibing foreign culture which he said is negatively impacting on the youths.
“My message to the parents is to teach their children their culture and values. They need to make them imbibe their culture and values and also dissuade them from imbibing foreign cultures, these are drawing the nation backward”.
“Now we have the invasion of social media and our children are always hooked to social media learning garbage from outside Nigeria. We need to give them the orientation so that they can grow with our culture, values and indigenous languages so that they would be better leader tomorrow.”
He explained that imbibing our culture and value would make the youths become good citizens and better leaders.
“The programme is to inculcate cultural consciousness in our children so as to raise leaders of tomorrow that are grounded in their culture and understand the value of culture and norms so that they can contribute their quota to the nation’s development”.
He said activities lined up to stimulate creativity, national consciousness and healthy competition among the students include recitation of national anthem in indigenous languages, traditional hair making, traditional music and dance, fashion parade, cultural quiz, cultural cuisine, poetic rendition, debate.
On his part, the lawmaker said culture is key to national development and that the event was designed to sensitize the students on the need to imbibe values rather than focusing on foreign culture.
He said he would work with the state government so as to infuse cultural heritage in the school curriculum.
Governor Godwin Obaseki said the state primary objective is to ensure that Edo rediscovers its Cultural
identity and heritage.
Represented by the commissioner for Art, Culture and Tourism, Dr. Uyi Oduwa-Malaka, he said Edo is one of the few states in the country that has a comprehensive Heritage Policy in place, which is still being reviewed.
He said his administration would partner with NICO with a view to nurturing and cultivating early interest and awareness in its cultural heritage and values.
