DOCSLIB.ORG

Money, Credit, and Banking in Colonial and Postcolonial West Africa Akanmu G

Total Page：16

File Type：pdf, Size：1020Kb

Download full-text PDF Read full-text
Money, Credit, and Banking in Colonial and Postcolonial West Africa Akanmu G Kennesaw State University DigitalCommons@Kennesaw State University Faculty Publications 2002 Money, Credit, and Banking in Colonial and Postcolonial West Africa Akanmu G. Adebayo Kennesaw State University, [email protected] Follow this and additional works at: https://digitalcommons.kennesaw.edu/facpubs Part of the Economic History Commons, and the Finance Commons Recommended Citation Adebayo, A. G. (1994). Money, credit, and banking in precolonial Africa. The orY uba experience. Anthropos, 89(4/6), pp. 379-400. This Article is brought to you for free and open access by DigitalCommons@Kennesaw State University. It has been accepted for inclusion in Faculty Publications by an authorized administrator of DigitalCommons@Kennesaw State University. For more information, please contact [email protected]. Anthropos 89.1994: 379-400 Money, Credit, and Banking in Precolonial Africa The Yoruba Experience A. G. Adebayo Abstract. - Scholarship in African economic history has been Nigeria, are the effects the introduction of a widely dominated by a wave of revisionism lately. The degree of circulating currency had on the preexisting credit African indebtedness, the imperatives of loan repayment, and the long-term implications of ongoing political and economic market; the impact of the monetization of economy changes, all make such a revision exigent indeed. Focusing on on the society, particularly on the development of the Yoruba of southwestern Nigeria, this paper produces new social classes; and the process of capital formation evidence to reinterpret and redefine African precolonial finan- and accumulation through indigenous banking and cial institutions. The paper has two main parts. Part 1 focuses credit institutions. on the introduction of cowrie currency into Yorubaland and its impact on social stratification. Part 2 examines ajo, the savings For the records, the Yoruba people, on whom institution, esusu, the rotating savings and credit associations this study focuses, have been the subject of interest (roscas), and the process of capital formation and accumula- for many Africanists partly because of the level of tion among the Yoruba. [Nigeria, Yoruba, rotating savings and their civilization which they had produced outside credit associations (roscas), capital formation, accumulation, cowries; social stratification] Hamito-Semitic and Arab-Islamic influence. They inhabit southwestern Nigeria, in present-day La- A. G. Adebayo, Ph.D., Associate Prof, of History at Kennesaw gos, Ogun, Oyo, Osun, Ondo, and Kwara states; State College, Marietta, Georgia. He was formerly Visiting and, as a result of European partition, they could Prof, at the York University, Toronto, Canada, and Senior also be found in the neighbouring Republics of Lecturer at the Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile-Ife, Nige- ria. - Publicatons include: Embattled Federalism: A History Benin and Togo in West Africa. According to of Revenue Allocation in Nigeria (1993); he has contributed Samuel Johnson (1921: xix), this area lies, roughly several chapters to books and has published numerous articles speaking, between lat. 6° and 9° North, and long. in learned journals; cf. also References Cited. 2° 30' and 6° 30' East. Neither ethnically nor po- litically homogeneous, the people had been, from time immemorial, organized into many states or kingdoms. The total number of these kingdoms is Introduction unknown, but the major states include the Yagba, Ekiti, Igbomina, Ijesa,- Ife, and Ondo in the east; After the pioneering works of the late Marion the Oyo, Egba, Owu, Egbado, and Ijebu in the Johnson (1968, 1970) and of other economic histo- center; and the Sabe, Ketu, Anago, Idaisa, Manigri, rians of Africa,1 there seems at first sight to be very Isa, and Ana in the west. The ruling elites in most little to add to the existing knowledge of the im- of the states claim descent from the Oduduwa portation, distribution, and use of cowrie currency house and/or Ile-Ife. Each state was independent in West Africa. It has been demonstrated beyond and autonomous and had a monarchical system all doubts that, to use Johnson's very apt words, of government. They, however, shared common "West African cowrie currencies . [were] in no bonds of artistic and material culture, political sense a 'primitive' money, but a sophisticated form and commercial ethics, and mutually intelligible of currency capable of adaptation to the particular language. needs of West African trade" (1970: 17). In addi- Several features of Yoruba social and political tion, other scholars have shown the east-west and systems supported the financial institutions. In an north-south spread of the currency, and have spec- earlier publication, I have itemized these features ulated on its diffusion from one part of the region to another. Nevertheless, there are certain issues that have not yet been adequately covered. Three 1 Among others, see Lovejoy 1974; Latham 1971; Hopkins such issues, which the present study seeks to ex- 1966; Hiskett 1966; Jones 1958; Baier 1980: 25-35, 105- amine by focusing on the Yoruba of southwestern 115; Herbert 1973. This content downloaded from 130.218.12.44 on Mon, 11 Feb 2019 17:37:10 UTC All use subject to https://about.jstor.org/terms 380 A. G. Adebayo as follows: further "a supported centralised by the similarity in the cowrie political and administra- tive system numismatics in of the Edo eachand Yoruba (M. Johnson kingdom, where major policy decisions were 1970: 41; Zaslavsky 1983:taken 125f.). According to by the oba (king) in coun- cil, and which, S. A. Akintoye: "The earliest with contacts of the Ekiti, a few exceptions, positively affected the Ijesa and Akoko conductwith Benin were commercial. It of economic programmes; a stratified is generallysociety believed that these earliest which, contacts nevertheless, celebrated and rewarded dated back to the fifteenthsuccess century. Benin traders and hard work, particularly success in broughtfarming, corals, European cloth, cowrie shells andtrade and industry; an urban- ized social European life iron implements which and, at a later date, encouraged industrial pro- duction and guns and powder,promoted and took away home-spun cloth division of labour; a deep religious life, and camwood as wellcharacterised as beads and potash. by the worshipping of the Supreme Akure was the Godentrepôt of this Benin (Olodumare) trade and a through a pantheon of highly feared considerable number of Edo peopleand soon settled respected gods and goddesses; and, closely permanently associatedat Akure" (1971: 25f.). with this, a well ordered society with The above clearlylaws indicates that thebelieved eastern to be binding on every member irrespective routes for the spread of cowries to Yorubaland of his/her position, and with punishment were as important believed as the southern route through to be handed down directly by the gods Ijebu country. Onfor the other hand, cowriesevery were misdemeanor" (Adebayo 1992: 164). known Before to have been imported to the Westerntheir Su- collapse and restructuring in the 19th dan centuriescentury, before the Portuguese set out on theirthese features of the social and political systems voyages, and before European traders worked began im- effectively to promote and protect porting theminvestments (cowries) to the Atlantic west coast. and played a crucial role in the development They were known to be the currency in theof Niger financial institutions. Bend countries and to have come there through the North African caravan trade of which the Oyo 1. Money Empireand was a part. Thus, Social a northern route is al- Stratification in Yorubaland so suggested. Indeed, earlier concerns to date the beginning of cowrie shells as a currency among a) Yoruba Cowrie Currency the Yoruba have led to the suggestion that they were probably introduced about (but not later than) Unlike many West African peoples, the Yoruba did the fifteenth century (Oroge 1985: 75). Yorubaland not use metallic currency such as gold and silver combined the practices of stringing cowries (as coins before colonial rule.2 The main trade curren- was done in the Bights of Benin and Biafra) and cy was cowrie shells, cypraea moneta, imported of counting them individually (more prevalent in from the Indian Ocean. The available evidence the western Sudan), which shows the diversity of indicates that cowries came through two major monetary policies as well as sources of the cowrie routes: the northern route connecting Yorubaland shells. with the caravan trade, and the southern route by The participation of Yoruba traders in the At- way of the Atlantic coast. It is not clear from which lantic trade probably reduced the volume of cowrie of these routes cowries first came to the Yoruba importation by way of the northern (i.e., trans-Sa- country. The Portuguese were said to have found haran) route from the 17th century onwards. It has cowries in extensive use in Benin at the begin- been demonstrated how the slave trade increased ning of the 16th century (M. Johnson 1970: 18). the size of cowrie importation to West Africa; it Given the close historical and trade relationship has also been shown that several Yoruba states, in- between Benin on the one hand, and Ile-Ife and cluding Ijebu, Egba, Egbado, and Old Oyo empire, other parts of eastern Yorubaland on the other took part in the slave trade (although there is still hand, the diffusion of cowries from the former to some controversy over the level of dependence of the latter can be reasonably assumed, a speculation the political economy on this trade) (Law 1977). Trade relations between the Ijebu and the Portu- guese had been established as soon as the latter 2 In the case of southwestern Nigeria, colonial rule came reached the Bight of Benin (Law 1973: 9-11). early with the conquest of Lagos in 1851, and British Although this trade was initially in other com- coins were in use along the coastal cities particularly by the returnees, traders, and missionaries. Despite this, coins modities, slaves subsequently predominated.
Load more

Recommended publications
  • In the Nineteenth Century Yorubaland Was Characterized by Revolutionary Political and Economic Changes
    Ethnic Identity and Nineteenth-Century Yoruba Warfare Olatunji Ojo (York University, Toronto) In the nineteenth century Yorubaland was characterized by revolutionary political and economic changes. These changes stemmed from a series of constitutional and other socio-economic disruptions, initially in Oyo and later in other districts. The weakening of Oyo’s central administration after 1800, exacerbated by the spread of Islam and the expansion of legitimate trade generated rapid political changes, the most important of which was the century-long Yoruba wars.1 Yoruba warfare has attracted substantial scholarship. Some writers attribute the wars to attempts by various states to fill the vacuum created by the fall of Oyo. To this group, the wars were fallouts of state formation processes in Africa.2 The other school or the Anthony Hopkins/Economic school links the wars to global economic movements, especially those associated with falling revenue from trade in slaves, and later palm oil.3 This paper, while bridging the two schools identifies a third issue: identity crisis. Peoples and communities occupied different strata within the social system. People were also classified based on ethnicity, class, age and even gender. Each of these identities or a combination of two or more dominated the course of the nineteenth century Yoruba history. Therefore, whether with warfare, slavery, religious observations, and property ownership, there were issues over who were the combatants? Who could be enslaved or not and who could be killed at religious functions? The ways in which people identified themselves, and how others identified them were at stake in discussions about political control, religious rituals, property relation and how people fought against the status quo.
    [Show full text]
  • Working Papers in African Studies No. 269
    Working Papers in African Studies No. 269 A History of Christianity in Nigeria: A Bibliography of Secondary Literature D. Dmitri Hurlbut Working Papers in African Studies African Studies Center Pardee School of Global Studies Boston University 2017 The opinions expressed in this publication are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of Boston University or the African Studies Center. Series Editor: Michael DiBlasi Production Manager: Sandra McCann African Studies Center Frederick S. Pardee School of Global Studies Boston University 232 Bay State Road Boston, MA 02215 Tel: 617-353-7306 Fax: 617-353-4975 E-mail: [email protected] Web: www.bu.edu/africa/publications © 2017, by the author ii Working Papers in African Studies No. 269 (2017) The History of Christianity in Nigeria: A Bibliography of Secondary Literature* By D. Dmitri Hurlbut Introduction As long as scholars have been writing about the history of Nigeria, they have been writing about Christianity. After more than sixty years, however, it is time to take stock of this vast body of literature, and get a sense of where we have been and where we are going. It is my hope that the compilation of this relatively comprehensive bibliography, and a brief discussion of some of the gaps that need to be filled in the literature, will inspire scholars to take their historical research in exciting and novel directions. Based on a reading of this bibliography, I would like to suggest that future research into the history of Christianity in Nigeria should be directed in three broad directions. First, historians need to focus more research on the development of mainline mission churches following independence, because the historiography remains skewed in favor of independent churches.
    [Show full text]
  • DOCTOR of PHILOSOPHY of the UNIVERSITY of IBADAN
    WOMEN EDUCATION AND SOCIAL CHANGE IN ONDO, SOUTHWESTERN NIGERIA, 1875-2008. BY TITILAYO TILEWOLA NWAOKORO B.A (HONS), M.A (HISTORY), P.G.D.E MATRIC NO: 129473 A THESIS IN THE DEPARTMENT OF HISTORY, SUBMITTED TO THE FACULTY OF ARTS IN PARTIAL FULFILLMENT OF THE REQUIREMENTS FOR THE DEGREE OF DOCTOR OF PHILOSOPHY Of the UNIVERSITY OF IBADAN APRIL, 2013 i CERTIFICATION I certify that this work was carried out by Mrs. Titilayo Tilewola Nwaokoro in the Department of History, University of Ibadan. ………………………………………………………… Supervisor: S. Ademola Ajayi. B.A (Hons), M.A, P.G.D.E, Ph. D (History) Department of History, University of Ibadan, Nigeria. ii DEDICATION To God Almighty To My darling husband Ikechukwu Nwaokoro who is the hub of my pursuit of post-graduate studies To My dear children iii ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS First and foremost, my eternal gratitude goes to God Almighty, the maker of Heaven and Earth, the giver and preserver of life, for the enablement to embark on this study. I am very grateful to my Supervisor, Dr. S. Ademola Ajayi, for seeing me through every stage of the study, with prompt attention, guidance and encouragement. My deep appreciation also goes to Dr. Victor Osaro Edo, for the keen interest he has in the progress of my work, from start to finish. I also appreciate all the encouragement from Dr. Rasheed Olaniyi, Prof. Bayo Lawal, Prof. Yinka Otuyemi, Dr. Paul Ugboajah, Dr. Biola Salami, Dr. Ebika Ovia, Mrs. Grace Ngubo, Mrs. Olabisi Igi-Ododo, Mr. W.F. Griffin, Mr Sola Adesote, Mrs. R.O. Onayinka, Mrs.
    [Show full text]
  • Local Government and the Challenges of Community Development in Lagos State, Nigeria (1999 – 2012)
    LOCAL GOVERNMENT AND THE CHALLENGES OF COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT IN LAGOS STATE, NIGERIA (1999 – 2012) BY AWOSIKA, FELIX OLANREWAJU MATRIC NO: 989008284 B.Sc. (Hons); M.Sc. OAU Ile-Ife BEING A THESIS SUBMITTED TO THE SCHOOL OF POST GRADUATE STUDIES, UNIVERSITY OF LAGOS IN FULFILLMENT OF THE REQUIREMENTS FOR THE AWARD OF DOCTOR OF PHILOSOPHY (Ph.D) IN POLITICAL SCIENCE. APRIL, 2014 CERTIFICATION We certify that this research was carried out by Awosika, Felix Olanrewaju under our supervision. DR. DERIN OLOGBENLA PROF. CHUKS MADUABUM Associate Professor Adjunct Professor Department of Political Science Department of Political Science University of Lagos University of Lagos ii DEDICATION I dedicate this work to the Glory of God, The Father, God The Son, and God The Holy Spirit. Also with tears rolling down my cheeks, to the memory of the one who valued education so much that he toiled and died in the process of bequeathing this invaluable legacy to his children, I mean my irreplaceable, unforgettable, highly treasured, ever loved and, loving father, Pa Zacchaeus Babalola Awosika. I know some day; we shall meet again at the feet of Jesus to part no more. iii ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS I appreciate my parents late Pa Zacchaeus Babalola Awosika and my aged mother mama Deborah Oluwafunbi Awosika for their sacrifices to give me the foundation of a good education. I would like to gratefully and sincerely thank my supervisor, Dr.Derin Kofoworola Ologbenla for his guidance, understanding, patience, and most importantly, his friendship since my doctoral studentship. His mentorship was paramount in providing a well rounded experience consistent with my long-term career goals.
    [Show full text]
  • Divine Illumination: the Unity Of
    Ilorin Journal of Religious Studies (IJOURELS) Vol. 2, No. 2 (2012) pp.61-72 THE RELIGIOUS DIVIDE IN THE YORUBA TERMINOLOGY FOR GOD: A LINGUISTIC PERSPECTIVE Michael A.O. Oyebola Department of Linguistics and Nigerian Languages, University of Ilorin, Ilorin. [email protected] [email protected] Abstract This paper has addressed the issue of the reflection of religious affiliation in the use of language. It specifically set out to ascertain whether the use any of the Ọlọ́ run/ Ọlọ́ hun variant, in reference to ‘God’ has any religious connotation. In addition it sought to find out which of the variants correctly serves as the underlying form of the reduced form ‘Ọlọ́ un’. The paper adopted a two-pronged methodological approach, first, through a phonological analysis of consonant deletion in Yoruba, and secondly, through a questionnaire based data collection. The phonological analysis focused specifically on the possibility of the deletion of [r] and [h] in Yoruba. The linguistic analysis showed that the reduced form could not have been derived from the variant with [r] but from that with [h]. The analysis from the results from the questionnaire showed that though the Ọlọ́ run variant is predominant in the language community, the Muslim origin of the Ọlọ́ hun variant is not in doubt. The study found that Christians and Muslims use the reduced variant without regard to its decidedly Muslim origin. The paper concluded by observing that linguistics and language use are veritable instruments of breaking down the barriers of religious divide. Introduction The Yoruba language community is, within the larger Nigerian context, remarkable for peaceful coexistence in religious pluralism.
    [Show full text]
  • Topics on Yoruba Nominal Expressions
    TOPICS ON YORUBA NOMINAL EXPRESSIONS by OLADIIPO JACOB AJIBOYE B.A (1983), P.G.D.E (1988), MA (1992), University of florin A THESIS SUBMITTED IN PARTIAL FULFILMENT OF THE REQUIREMENTS FOR THE DEGREE OF DOCTOR OF PHILOSOPHY in THE FACULTY OF GRADUATE STUDIES (Linguistics) THE UNIVERISTY OF BRITISH COLUMBIA November 2005 © Oladiipo Jacob Ajiboye, 2005 ABSTRACT This thesis discusses four selected topics on Yoruba nominal expressions: the syntax of possessives, the construal of bare nouns, the marking of specificity and salience, and plural marking strategies. Regarding possessives, it is proposed that they have one base structure (a vP shell). The difference in surface linear order between verbal and nominal genitives is determined by which of the two arguments move. In nominal genitives, the possessum moves. In verbal genitives, it is the possessor that moves. Regarding the interpretation of Yoruba bare nouns, it is shown that they can be construed in one of three ways: as generics, as indefinites, or as definites. First, generics may be lexically conditioned (with permanent state predicates) or grammatically conditioned (with transitory predicates through the use of imperfective maa-n). Second, wherever a generic construal is illicit, an indefinite construal is licit. Third, definite construals are discourse-linked. Regarding specificity, it is shown that Yoruba overtly marks specificity on NPs with the element kan. Regarding salience, it is shown that definite DPs are morphologically marked as salient (by virtue of being unique, in an identity relation or additive) through the use of nda. Finally, regarding plural marking, it is shown that Yoruba uses three different strategies: contextually, semantically, or morphologically determined plurality.
    [Show full text]
  • Effect of Oral Traditions, Folklores and History on the Development of Education in Nigeria, 1977 Till Date
    History Research, Mar.-Apr., 2017, Vol. 7, No. 2, 59-72 doi 10.17265/2159-550X/2017.02.001 D DAVID PUBLISHING Effect of Oral Traditions, Folklores and History on the Development of Education in Nigeria, 1977 Till Date Okediji, Hannah Adebola Aderonke Ministry of Education, Ibadan, Oyo State, Nigeria Nigerian literatures contain history in the oral tradition and folklore like satire, proverbs, chants, symbolism etc. in the pre-literate period, Nigeria enjoyed high level of verbal art civilization which traditional rulers and the generality of the populace patronized. The oral tradition served as medium of preservation of culture and history of the ancient past and experiences. Though, most Nigerians can still remember their family history, folklore, tradition and genealogy, only few oral artists and youths of nowadays possess the skill and ability needed to chant the lengthy oral literature. It is in the light of the above that this study examined the effect of oral tradition, folklore, and history on the development of education in Nigeria, 1977 till date. The study adopted historical research method using primary and secondary sources of information to analyze data. Primary sources include, like archive materials, oral interviews and secondary sources include, like textbooks, speeches, journals, and internet materials and images. The outlines of the paper are: the definition of concepts, historical background of Nigerian oral tradition, and folklore in the educational system, the place of oral tradition, folklore and history in the education policy in Nigeria since 1977, the effect of oral tradition, folklore and history on the development of education in Nigeria since 1977, the prospects of oral traditions, folklore and history on the development of education in Nigeria, conclusion and a few recommendations for future improvement.
    [Show full text]
  • Survey of Child Trafficking in Asewele, Ondo State in Nigeria
    SURVEY OF CHILD TRAFFICKING IN ASEWELE, ONDO STATE NIGERIA SURVEY OF CHILD TRAFFICKING IN ASEWELE, ONDO STATE NIGERIA Research Report International Labour Office (ILO) International Programme on the Elimination of Child Labour (IPEC) Combating the trafficking of children for labour exploitation in West and Central Africa Project (LUTRENA) Copyright © International Labour Organization 2005 Publications of the International Labour Office enjoy copyright under Protocol 2 of the Universal Copyright Convention. Nevertheless, short excerpts from them may be reproduced without authorization, on condition that the source is indicated. For rights of reproduction or translation, application should be made to the ILO Publications Bureau (Rights and Permissions), International Labour Office, CH-1211 Geneva 22, Switzerland. The International Labour Office welcomes such applications. Libraries, institutions and other users registered in the United Kingdom with the Copyright Licensing Agency, 90 Tottenham Court Road, London WIT 4LP (Fax: (+44) (0) 07631 5500; e-mail: clala.co.uk), in the United States with the Copyright Clearing Centre, 222 Rosewood Drive, Danvers, MA 01923 (Fax: (+001) (978) 7504470; e-mal: infoopyright.com) or in other countries with associated Reproduction Rights Organizations, may make photocopies in accordance with the licenses issued to them for this purpose. ILO SURVEY OF CHILD TRAFFICKING IN ASEWELE, ONDO STATE NIGERIA Research Report NIGERIA ISBN 92-2-118581-8 978-92-2-118581-9 (print) First published 2005 Cover photographs : ILO Principal author : Funmi Togonu-Bickersteth This publication received valuable inputs from Mac John Nwaobiala, José Maria Ramirez and the field staff in IPEC Nigeria under the direction of Michel Grégoire, Chief Technical Advisor of the ILO - IPEC LUTRENA Project.
    [Show full text]
  • Physicians' Perceptions of Self and Patients in a Traditional Culture
    Loyola University Chicago Loyola eCommons Dissertations Theses and Dissertations 1979 Physicians' Perceptions of Self and Patients in a Traditional Culture Adegbola Adejunmobi Loyola University Chicago Follow this and additional works at: https://ecommons.luc.edu/luc_diss Part of the Sociology Commons Recommended Citation Adejunmobi, Adegbola, "Physicians' Perceptions of Self and Patients in a Traditional Culture" (1979). Dissertations. 1784. https://ecommons.luc.edu/luc_diss/1784 This Dissertation is brought to you for free and open access by the Theses and Dissertations at Loyola eCommons. It has been accepted for inclusion in Dissertations by an authorized administrator of Loyola eCommons. For more information, please contact [email protected]. This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 3.0 License. Copyright © 1979 Adegbola Adejunmobi I ·L PHYSICIANS' PERCEPTIONS OF SELF AND PATIENTS IN A TRADITIONAL CULTURE by Adegbola Adejunrnobi A Dissertation Submitted to the Faculty of the Graduate School of Loyola University of Chicago in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree of Doctor of Philosophy January 1979 ACKNOWLEDGMENTS I wish to express my gratitude to my dissertation director, Dr. Ross P. Scherer, and my readers, Drs. Paul Mundy and Kirsten A. Gr6nbjerg; their critical comments and many suggestions have proven invaluable to me from the inception of the study to its completion. My sincere thanks go to all my teachers in the sociology department, in particular to Fr. Thomas M. Gannon, S.J., chairman of the department, for his help to me during my crucial first semester at Loyola, and Dr. Marcel A. Fredericks, for the exposure afforded me to substantive and methodological aspects of medical sociology during my assistantships.
    [Show full text]
  • A Polylectal Approach to the Study of Phonological Interference in Yoruba English
    A POLYLECTAL APPROACH TO THE STUDY OF PHONOLOGICAL INTERFERENCE IN YORUBA ENGLISH Dairo Lekan Olabisi Onabanjo University, Nigeria This paper sets out to discuss the factors within the learner and the environment that contribute to faulty speech performance of Yoruba learners of English. In doing this, samples of students’ speeches from three major dialect groups within the Yoruba speech community were examined with a view to identifying the ethnic-based realizations of some English sound segments. The three dialect groups are Oyo, Onko and Ekiti. Attention is focused on the segmental aspects of the phonological problems of Yoruba learners of English looking at some of the sound segments on which earlier contrastive linguists have made several comments. With the polylectal approach used in this work, the paper has identified some errors of generalized statements such as (a) all Yoruba speakers of English, irrespective of their linguistic background, make similar substitutions for the problematic sounds in English (b) the absence of certain sounds in Yoruba always causes problems for Yoruba speakers of English. This paper has proved that even in the area of bilingual problems on which it concentrates, classical contrastive analysis, based on monolectal comparison, has not been effective enough as a guide to the interference errors because some of the problems predicted never materialize. It is also discovered that it only isolates and petrifies such potential problems without necessary integration and without practical reference to real language learning situation. ES 28 (2007-8): 107-119 108 DAIRO LEKAN 1. INTRODUCTION 1.1 BACKGROUND The expansion of the ‘Speech Community’ of the English Language from a local to an international dimension has so changed the character of the language such that it has found its way to Nigeria to assume the status of a second language.
    [Show full text]
  • Elixir Journal
    48099 Olu-Osayomi Olusegun / Elixir Social Studies 109 (2017) 48099-48103 Available online at www.elixirpublishers.com (Elixir International Journal) Social Studies Elixir Social Studies 109 (2017) 48099-48103 The Content and Form of Egungun Ado Festival Olu-Osayomi Olusegun Department of languages & literary studies, Babcock University, Ilishan-Remo, Ogun State, Nigeria. ARTICLE INFO ABSTRACT Article history: Festivals and traditional ceremonies are part of the cultural heritage of Africa. This is Received: 25 July 2017; why the traditional Egungun festival in Yorubaland, till date, still enjoys indigenous Received in revised form: monopoly. However, its resources as a unique cultural asset of Africans are presently 17 August 2017; under-utilized and therefore need to be further explored for greater relevance with the Accepted: 26 August 2017; sophistication and demands of contemporary age. This, thus, constitute the subject of this paper. The paper, therefore, focuses on the exploration of the content and form of Keywords traditional egungun Ado festival in order to define the basis for its enduring value in Ado Egungun ado deity, Ekiti. This is discussed from analytical and mythological perspectives. The paper Yoruba, establishes that for any art to thrive, it must remain dynamic. And more interesting, the Festival, paper unravels the dynamics, the beauty, the uniqueness and multiple potentials of this Content and form, Egungun Ado festival. Through interviews, personal experience and observation, the Mythological, paper posits that Egungun Ado festival plays pivotal roles in the social, religious and Cultural assets. political milieu of the Ado people and has remained a rallying point. It concludes that Egungun Ado festivals with its rich content and form are crucial to the nation building process in African societies and in fact, capable of yielding great dividends in the global economy if appropriately explored.
    [Show full text]
  • African Musician As Journalist: a Study of Ayinde Barrister's Works
    New Media and Mass Communication www.iiste.org ISSN 2224-3267 (Paper) ISSN 2224-3275 (Online) Vol.48, 2016 African Musician as Journalist: A Study of Ayinde Barrister’s Works Kola Adesina, Ph.D Adeyemi Obalanlege, Ph.D Idris Katib Department of Mass Communication, Crescent University, Abeokuta Abstract This study was conducted to test the validity of contention that Sikiru Ayinde Barrister (SAB) music is journalism, particularly when its contents are juxtaposed with different sections of a newspaper or magazine.Being a qualitative essay, copious quotations from SAB's works were done to test each unit of the analysis such as education, politics, news commentary, travel/tourism, editorial, poetry etc. A total of 13 albums representing 10% of SAB's works were selected and graded on their contents based on their suitability to each of the categories above.Findings however revealed that music of SAB is journalism. Apart from informing, educating and entertaining his audience, SAB also employed his music for agenda-setting and social responsibility purposes in media theoretical framework. The criticism aspect of his music had played the watch- dog and advocacy roles of the media on the populace and the government especially during the military juntas of Gen. Muhamadu Bihari, Ibrahim Babangida and Sani Abacha respectively.The study found that selected works of traditional musicians such as Ayinde Barrister and Ayinla Omowura qualify journalism in structure and content. Introduction Journalists are sometimes regarded as mobile encyclopaedia because they access, process and sift deluge of information at their disposal and at the same time, feed the society back.
    [Show full text]