The Threatening Annihilation of Core Igbo Culture: Predominant Causes and Suggestive Remedies

Abstract

There is almost no more culture in Igboland. The Igbo as an ethnic group, had very strong and enviable peculiarity of culture, but now, have adulteration, as matter of fact, confusion of culture. The unique culture that informed and reflected in all they did, is currently calling for a yet-to-be-manufactured magnifying lens, to ascertain the existence of what could be called, the pure Igbo culture or none. This study which is a probe into the reasons for the quagmire, made use of published books, materials available online and personal observation, to approach the inquiry. It was vividly discovered during the research that Christianity which was the religion the western colonial masters came in with, went a long way to condemn the prevailing culture of the ethnic homogeneity, distract the people from originality, divert them to imbibe the culture of the visitors, thereby mutilating the once cohesive acceptance given to Igbo culture by her indigenes; some are disregarding the culture completely, another group is caught in the mixed grill of Igbo/European cultures and the rest, holding tenaciously to the core values of the threatened culture, especially the elderly. This situation cuts across all spheres of living among the Igbo extraction as an entity, in southeastern Nigeria. The westerners made use of religion and education on the hearts and minds of the Igbos. The effect of western teachings against Igbo culture is strong, but not conclusive. If steps toward recovery are taken, Igbo culture will bounce back, unshakably.