I recently had reason to read about the becoming of the federal capital Abuja. I was amazed at how many tribes were occupying the region before the actual takeover. Nigeria has got a lot of tribes and the native tongues are so impressive. Intimidating, the array of diverse traditions. I look to my own tribe and wonder how it is we speak different dialects when we are found in the same geo-political zone. It is simply a thought that burgles, really, but we are here and have succeeded somehow to export as much of us as we can.
The power of exchange via technology is absolutely guilty of this. The dexterity of our very nature is another. The fact that we want to go to other climes and excel is a necessity brought on by different circumstances in life and in doing so, we take with us all of our teachings, all of our culture and we unknowingly impact on outsiders what we do believe in; what we were taught as children.
Very many in the 70s and 80s grew up with folklore and storytelling. They grew to learn of the proverbs of the land and the way to live life, deciphering good from bad. One wouldn’t leave home to boarding school or go on holiday to a relative’s house without phrases like “remember whose child you are”. The mantra was to live in such a way that your family would be proud of. Family life was crucial. Communal living was the order of the day.
Today, we have started to condone a lot of befouling in the culture of our great country. It may now seem more desirable to eat a lot of junk food and pile up harmful calories than to have a proper home-cooked meal with our local herbs and vegetables. The traditional wear of Ankara made its glorious emergence again, during the administration of our former president Olusegun Obasanjo, yet there’s a lot of ground left to cover in the complete appreciation of our textile industry.
At the National Troupe of Nigeria (NTN), we do what we do to remind Nigerians and the world that we have a thriving arts and culture background.
We do this to bring back the attitude of pride associated with our country. To uphold the vibrancy of the African continent by showing the world that though influences abound, positive and negative, we intend to preserve and not lose what we have in order to achieve high artistic productions specifically designed for national and international tours.
We recognize the dearth in the circle of our very robust arts and culture, so we seek to demystify the notion that speaks backwardness being Nigerian and African.
The notion that is fast becoming the norm among our citizens is that we are better off speaking the English language like English or American; the perception that we cannot fit in if we speak our own languages; the notion of denying the who that we are, all come from a place of lack of understanding or from a colonial, deliberate heterodoxy of the African culture.
“Westernization” will teach that if you must “belong”, get the skin bleached, wear Westernized clothing, take on appearances and attitudes that depict we have imitated excellently, resonate a mantra of “black is bad”. This way, we would be deemed in line and compliant with the perceived norms of today.
Yet, we know of climes that communicate in their language and make it a criterion to learn their ways, if one must live among them either for education, commercial activities, and others. Unfortunately, these gnaw at the very fabric of our arts and culture. It is difficult now, it seems since the family unit has lost the focus on it all. The onus falls on us, therefore, not only to preserve, promote, and export our rich culture but to also understand that we save the country itself. The essence of the continuance of this great country Nigeria lies in how we present the reasons for unity, harmony, peace, and security. We, therefore, turn our focus to the young Nigerian by engaging them in children’s theatre.
When we showcase our products to the world, it is to save families, by promoting inclusiveness, to retain and teach our various languages, hairstyles, fashion, food, idioms, proverbs, and stories, and to build again, a conscience.
The National Troupe of Nigeria seeks to encourage the discovery and development of talents in the performing arts while churning out productions that are geared towards national aspirations.
These are the reasons we do what we do, the way we do, at the National Troupe of Nigeria. We are proud of this.
This piece was first published in the newsletter of NTN on May 9, 2023
