ezibota: On Northern Nigeria: A Brief History On Religion and Culture | Asma’u ShaheedahWithou
ezibota: On Northern Nigeria: A Brief History On Religion and Culture | Asma’u ShaheedahWithout bias, it is safe to say that Northern Nigeria is significantly behind (socio-economically and educationally) in comparison to Southern Nigeria. To analyze how this difference in development between the two regions came about, one must start at the beginning, before British colonial imperialism. Northern Nigeria, due to it’s proximity with North Africa where Islam had spread from the middle east, first encountered Islam in the early 11th century. By the 16th century, Islam had spread from the north, into the middle belt. Prior to this, the predominant culture in northern Nigeria was the Nok culture. According to Wikipedia,“The Nok culture appeared in Northern Nigeria around 1000 BC and vanished under unknown circumstances around 300 AD in the region of West Africa. Nok’s social system is thought to have been highly advanced. The Nok culture is considered to be the earliest sub-Saharan producer of life-sized Terracotta.The refinement of this culture is attested to by the image of a Nok dignitary at the Minneapolis Institute of Arts. The dignitary is portrayed wearing a “crooked baton”. The dignitary is also portrayed sitting with flared nostrils, and an open mouth suggesting performance.”This goes to show that religion has always been a dominant factor within African cultures. Earlier cultures had also been shaped based on the faiths they held on to at the time. According to O.U Kalu, on the question of the core aspect of culture,“Religion dominates the roots of the culture areas of Nigeria… Little or no distinction existed between the profane and the sacred dimensions of life. Thus, all activities and instruments of governance and survival were clothed in religious ritual, language, and symbolism.”North Nigerians are guided principally by religion. Marriage, sickness, morality, and social responsibilities are all enforced by religion. A person’s physical existence is strongly interwoven with religious doctrines, be it Islam, Christianity, or Traditional African religions.Read more on Ezibota.comConnect with us: Facebook | Instagram | Twitter | Google + | Youtube -- source link