Since
the dawn of the twenty first century, Westernization has been a
phenomenon that has been spreading across the globe at a tremendous
rate. The spread of Westernization can be attributed to many factors of
which Globalization can be said to have played a very crucial role in
its spread.
Nigeria like many country in the world has always
been at the receiving end of these western norms and value system where
the negative aspects of these western norms and value system is now
something that is witness in the lives of many Nigerians, and of course
the positive impact are things nobody wants to emulate or make part of
their everyday lives. The negative impact of westernization has since
spread its tentacles to every nook and cranny of the Nigerian state thus
influencing and changing the culture of many tribes and ethnic group in
the country.
A renowned scholar once defined Culture as the "way
of life of a particular people living in a particular place". From this
definition given, one can readily say that the ways of westernization
was never part of Nigerians as a people living in a particular place.
A growing trend now in Nigeria that is almost becoming a norm is the
way many Nigerians dress, while many will say "to dress decent is a
choice" they tend to forget that from the pre colonial era, Nigerians
have always have different dress attire that has always been the
embodiment of Nigerian traditional value and culture system, dress
attire that are very beautiful and more often than not provoke the envy
of many westerners. The way many Nigerians dress nowadays often make one
to wonder about the moral scruple of that individual, this is most
common with some Nigerian women, you take a good look at the way some
women dress in the society and you cannot help but marvel at the level
of indecency being display, they reveal almost all the things that
shouldn't even be revealed, things that should only be seen by their
husband alone, should you even ask why they display such things in
public, they tell you it’s their body and they can decide to do whatever
they what to do with it. More often than not these women who often
flaunt their intimate parts are often at the receiving end of many men
who most times mistake them for commercial sex workers, the women in
turn tend to pour their anger at these men forgetting that in Nigeria
today most people react to what they see and hear in the society.
Let us shift our attention now to another trend that is by far worse
than that of indecent dressing, "Infidelity", you take a very good look
at Nigeria today and you just can't help but marvel at the way some
married men cheat on their wives at will. Before the spread of
westernization, infidelity was something that was severely treated and
spoken against in Nigeria, should a man or woman cheat on his or her
spouse, that person will be brought to the village square and flogged,
but now all you see are married men engaging in the act and still say
that there is absolutely nothing wrong for a man to cheat on his wife.
The Women now have also joined the men in this abysmal act, some women
now adays tend to copy what their male counterparts are doing, that is
cheating on their husband, when asked why they engage in such act, they
tell you "what a man can do a woman can do better" that is cheating is
not only good for a man but good for a woman.
Among all these
things, the issue that really calls for concern is the issue of
"homosexuality". To the Nigerian traditional man, homosexuality is a
foreign word and should one try to explain it to him, he will rebuke you
with all the might he can muster. Be that as it may, homosexuality is
now almost becoming as morally right as infidelity and indecent
dressing, although the National Assembly have banned the act, this does
not however stop many from engaging in it. The pressure from many
foreign countries on Nigeria's stand on homosexuality goes a long way to
say that many Nigerian homosexuals both home and abroad are lobbying
for the National Assembly to legalize the act. Although the Nigerian
Minister of Foreign Affairs have reiterated Nigeria's stand on
homosexuality, many foreign organizations seem not agree with it saying
that it is an individual’s fundamental human right. What they seem to
forget is that such a thing was and still is a taboo in our many
traditional norms and value system in the country today.
I
believe these mentioned above are just about the most worrisome trend
westernization having brought to the Nigerian polity. We must all look
at these things critically and speak out against it for with the aid of
globalization they seem to be spreading tremendously. When growing up as
a child, homosexuality, indecent dressing and infidelity were things
that I never even knew about, but now even a thirteen year old will tell
you that such things are almost normal and right. While westernization
have brought about many positive changes in Nigeria, it has also brought
about many negative changes and the negative is what many Nigerians are
focusing on thus relegating the positive, a very close look at internet
scam popularly called ‘yahoo yahoo’ will buttress this point. We should
all shun these negative trends of westernization and uphold the
positive, for if we do not, our traditional norms and value will be
wiped off the face of the Nigerian state to be replaced with western
norms and value system.
HAPPY NEW NIGERIA...
