Traditional Value System and Contemporary Significance in Nigeria: Building a Cohesive Ethno-Plural Nation with the Moral Resource of Communal Trust

Abstract

The following is an attempt to argue for the contemporary significance of some of the ideas and ideals embedded in the traditional value systems of African communities; the focus is on communal trust. I argue that ethnicity is one of the fundamental factors that pull Nigerians far apart rather than together, resulting in a less than cohesive national life. To address the problematic, I draw on the moral resource of trust that is basic to the cohesion of communal life of traditional African communities. The argument is that if this could be abstracted and conscientiously reproduced in our contemporary national life, there would be greater cohesion, leading ultimately to a more vibrant nation. The study adopts the methodologies of conceptual clarification, critical analysis, and reflective argumentation to achieve its goals.