Cultural identity of minority ethnic groups in Nigeria in the face of globalization

Type Journal Article - Globalization and African Identity
Title Cultural identity of minority ethnic groups in Nigeria in the face of globalization
Author(s)
Volume 5
Publication (Day/Month/Year) 2008
Page numbers 59-75
Abstract
Globalization under its title as "globalization" unlike in its implied forms such as conquest,
annexation, colonialism and imperialism is portrayed as being invaluable to the existence of
people globally. One of its primitive motives is to create an interrelated world in which
irrespective of the several miles separating the continents of the world, the whole wide world
will be reduced to one compact whole of a 'global village' or what others still refer to as a 'global
parlour'. By this, the world is expected to share a harmonized economic structure, culture,
political and social virtues. They are several other lofty ideals of the phenomenon called
globalization. However, globalization in praxis in Africa is like a two sided coin. It elicits two
identified positions by scholars. On one hand, globalization is seen as a magic wand to pull
Africa out of the doldrums of underdevelopment and other related problems. On the other, it is
criticized for being neo-imperialist or neo-colonialist. The paper aligns itself with the latter
position as it highlights the cultural implications and threats of globalization to especially the
minority ethnic groups in Nigeria. It scrutinizes globalization pointing out that in a situation of
one spatio temporal reality having economic, political, social and cultural domination over
another, globalization can only favourably serve and protect only the interest of such a
domineering society. African countries with their sub-cultures cannot competitively challenge or
influence the culture(s) of the initiators of globalization. The work maintains that the idea of
globalization in practice completely annihilates the cultural identity of minority ethnic groups in
Nigeria. It therefore articulates ways for the minority ethnic groups to retain their cultural
identity in a globalized world.

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