ADVOCATING FOR IMPROVED INCORPORATION OF INDIGENOUS INSTRUMENTS IN NIGERIAN CULTURAL AND CREATIVE ARTS PROGRAMME

Abstract

In the predominantly Western-oriented academic circles, the Nigerian indigenous musical instruments are often ignored or suppressed as teaching tools. Cultural and creative arts (CCA) education has been a source of grave concern since its inception. Though the aim was to cater for varying talents of the children thereby boosting creativity, this has been a herculean task because the quality of the CCA curriculum in Nigeria has not derived from the theoretical content and performance principles of traditional arts education. Every culture in the traditional African community possesses its own indigenous musical instruments which are derived from their environment depending on their vegetation zone. In virtually every home, school and church, indigenous instruments abound. These instruments are fully utilised in the traditional African society since they serve various purposes other than music making for the community. In recent times, the modern society does not utilise these instruments to the fullest especially in Nigeria’s basic schools. African indigenous instruments are often neglected or not fully harnessed in most formal schools in Nigeria. This paper is an attempt to establish that Nigerian musical instruments can serve as the major instructional material that can be used in the basic classes until the pupils get to a certain maturational level before Western musical instruments can be introduced to them.