Oral literature and national development

Oja Paul Egwemi and Musa Salifu
Keywords: Oral literature, national development, Immoral behaviours
Tropical Journal of Arts and Humanities 2022 4(1), 52-56. Published: May 11, 2022


Abstract

Immoral behaviours like corruption, indiscipline among others have been identified as some of the major obstacles of Nigeria's development since the nation got her independence in 1960. However, the fact that oral literature played important roles in the pre- colonial Nigeria's society cannot be easily disputed. It has served then not only as a means of entertainment, but also as a viable tool for promoting social consciousness. It is based on this backdrop that the paper intends to evaluate the potential of oral literature in controlling the avalanches of immoral and burning social issues such as corruption, cybercrime, kidnapping and many others that have been confronting the development of the country. The paper therefore, uses descriptive research methodology to examine the aforementioned issues. The result reveals that oral literature can be used to address the contemporary Nigerian social problems. Among other recommendations, the paper recommends that oral literature should be given serious attention and should be seen as one of the feasible approaches that can be employed to enhance moral values among Nigerians for sustainable national development.