Introduction When most people think of Nigeria, they think of the country's large city of Lagos and its strong soccer team. What most people do not know, however, is that Nigeria is quickly becoming the giant of Africa because of its natural resources. The new African titans are able to use the vast amount of natural gasses and oil available to them in order to create jobs and boosts the country's status among the powerful countries of the world. But the use of these natural resources and the economic strength of the country would not be possible without the work of two Nigerian leaders; Austine Okocha and Wole Soyinka, who is Nigeria's most widely read author. Wole Soyinka chronicles Nigerians' lives and captures the true essence of the people with his patriotic words. Austine Okocha, better known as Jay Jay, is celebrated as Nigeria's greatest footballer. These two men have helped Nigeria to find and celebrate its national identity among the emerging nation states of Africa. They share similar traits, but come from different backgrounds and reach out to the people through different means. Nigeria is what it is today thanks to Wole Soyinka, and Austine Okocha.
a.Thesis: Nigeria has become the emerging power of Africa today, not just because of its natural resources, but also because of the efforts Wole Soyinka, and Austine Okocha as well as politicians and sportsmen that has helped to solidify the country's national identity. These cultural heroes have given Nigerians something to believe in and something to hope for. Now they can see where there future is headed.
II. Wole Soyinka
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...out resorting to war. Okacha helped his people by being a motivating figure on the field and a benevolent philanthropist off the field. Both developed a strong interest in the importance and effects of education at the primary level for children. They sought to improve the standard of living in Nigeria and beyond by working to enrich the academic opportunities of their countrymen.
b. Re-statement of thesis:
While many believe Nigeria's reputation as a growing nation is based on its plentiful n
Wole Soyinka is a Nigerian writer born in Nigeria. He was the first African to win an award for a Noble Prize in literature in 1986. He is a person that wanted good for his country. He wrote a lot of books that was known all over the world. atural gas and oil reserves, the steadfast efforts of leaders such as Wole Soyinka have helped stabilize the small nation.
Mazrui, Ali A. "The Re-Invention of Africa: Edward Said, V. Y. Mudimbe, and Beyond." Research in African Literatures 36, no. 3 (Autumn 2005): 68-82.
As wise John Berger once said,“Never again shall a single story be told as though it were the only one”. A “single story” is the story of a culture that we learn from stereotypes and conspiracies developed throughout time in our society. In “Things Fall Apart”, Chinua Achebe defies the single story of African culture while still tying their native language in to show the importance between a physical differentiation of culture, and the similarities with morals and values they have in common. Through gender roles and proverbs used in the language of this book, we have a cultural insight of Nigeria through a new set of eyes given to us by Achebe that detures us from the single stories that we were taught to by our society.
Niger, home of the free flowing Niger River, is a Sub-Saharan, western African nation. Sadly, it is an extremely poor country because part of the country is desert and less than 3% open for crop use. The present economic situation is bleak at best. Yet, the vibrant tradition and history of this country lives today in its tribes and its people even through all of its adversities. From severe droughts to military coups to a dysfunctional government to the culture has stayed strong.
Like most eastern countries that rely on one source of income Nigeria has had major
Hidoo, Rose. Culture in Chains: Abandonment in the Work of Selected West African Writers. Owerri, Nigeria: Black Academy, 1994.
middle of paper ... ... The "An African Voice. " Interview with Chinua Achebe. N.p., 2 Aug. 2000.
... Mr. Cary, whom wrote offensive novels about Nigeria and other parts of Africa. As previously explained, the extent to which stories can fight colonialism is based on humanity, whether the people support the story or downright despise of it, they draw attention to it by expressing their feelings and opinions.
Nigeria contains more historic cultures and empires than any other country in Africa. People were first known to inhabit Nigeria as early as 5 B.C. They first constructed a kingdom in the center of Nigeria, which is named Jos Plateau. This was the first of many widespread kingdoms of that region, but two centuries later it would extend to Bornu, which is located on the western region of Nigeria (Gascoigne 1). Nigeria was made up of mostly kingdoms until British colonized in the 1800’s. The Soko Jotojhad and Yotruba wars encouraged slave trade at the time the British were trying to abolish the slave trade. Slaves were normally traded for European goods such as guns and gun powder. At this time, the British encouraged trading palm oil over trading slaves. Many of the slaves that were exported to Britain were intercepted by naval ships and shipped to Sierra Leone to collect palm oil. Some Nigerians began to migrate back from Sierra Leone in search of their homes and trade. British missionaries were invited to follow the slaves back, and in the 1840’s they wer...
Its neighbors include Cameroon and Chad to the east, Niger to the north and Benin to the west. Nigeria is a very important country in Africa since it exports oil worldwide. Agriculture and industry constitute most of Nigeria's economic activity. Women represent an estimated 60-80 percent of the agricultural labor force, producing about two-thirds of the food crops. Currently, Nigeria's population exceeds 110 million.
...’s depictions of both traditional and modern beliefs in varying degrees illustrate the importance of both in contemporary Nigerian culture, as well as the greater Africa as a whole, and how both are intertwined and cannot exist without the other. In effect, she skillfully subverts stereotypes or single perceptions of Africa as backward and traditional, proving instead, the multifaceted culture of Africa. She further illustrates that neither traditional African nor western culture is necessarily detrimental. It is the stark contrast of the fundamental cultures that inevitably leads to clashes and disagreements. In the end, what holds African countries such as Nigeria together is their shared pride. Modern, western influences can bring positive changes to society, but new cultures cannot completely eradicate the foundational cultures to which a society is founded on.
While the outside world considered Nigeria to be a united and monolithic entity, even the British colonial administration was wary of the reality of Nigerian politics; the nation was not so much a “country” as it was more than three hundred different groups coalesced into one.4 5 These tribes were divided between three main spheres of influence: the Yoruba, the Igbo, and the Hausa. Historically, their interests were often opposed, and their cultures did not come into regular contact with one another until the British occupation. In spite of the differences British administration a...
Nigeria, with its prodigous oil and natural gas reserves, has the potential to be one of the most affluent places on the planet, were it not for the rampant corruption that defines it. Instead, it is the 20th poorest country in the world1. Much like the guanxi of China, Nigeria practices prebendalism—the use of high-level positions to gain personal wealth. In other words, people exchange money for political favors, which of course creates a greedy and corrupt society. The extent of this fraudulency is such that most of Nigeria's oil wealth is sucked up by one per cent of the population, while more than 60% falls below the poverty line. In fact, the United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) has determined that 92% of Nigeria lives on less than one dollar a day2. Meanwhile, it is estimated that in the past 50 years, three to four hundred billion dollars have been stolen by government officials.
There has been notions and perceptions of the treatment or adaptation of African literature as a perception that Africa’s is a cultural body. It is referred by Chinua Achebe as a metaphysical landscape. This term refers to a geographical entity that has surpassed historical experiences. It is also this perception that also gave rise to Organisations of National Unity and also the African Union. Conferences such as the African Writers’ Conference that happened at the Makerere University in the year 1962 discuss the nature and argue the role played by African literature in the African context.
Corruption in the Niger delta region of Nigeria has led to abject poverty in the state. State governs in the Niger delta are making living unbearable for the indigenes of state by embezzling public funds for their own purposes. For example in the New York Amsterdam News Guthrie Gray mentioned that “Despite its new wealth, however, the money allocated to Niger delta states does not appear to be getting to most of its citizens” (Guthrie Gray). The means of lively hood in the states has been destroyed by corrupt oil companies and public officers. People in the state can no more farm and fish because their land and water has been destroyed by the oil companies in the area; however, some funds are released by oil companies and the federal government but the government of the Niger delta have refused to put the funds to good use because they are corrupt. They prefer to use the funds for their own benefits, buying houses overseas and having numerous foreign accounts. For about 35 years Oil Company in the Niger delta has refused to give to the community good infra...
In Wole Soyinka’s 20th Century play The Lion and the Jewel, there is a constant battle between tradition and modernity as well as a post-colonial struggle seen both in a exhibited in the play's village of Ilujinle. Soyinka published this play at the time Nigeria was battling for independence and freedom under the British control around the 1940’s and 1950’s. Due to this, Nigeria was struggling with whether or not it was prepared for independence and able of conducting a modern western civilization. A few Nigerians perceive that it was the ideal opportunity for change while others questioned whether they should move past their present culture. I portray modernity to the domination of British culture during 1940’s and 1950’s on Nigeria’s lifestyle