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Nigeria's Core Values and the Use of Social Media to Promote Cultural Values

Article  in  International journal of information and communication technology education: an official publication of the Information Resources Management Association · October 2013
DOI: 10.4018/ijicte.2013100104

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 IJICTE Editorial Board
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 International Journal of
Information and Communication
Technology Education
October-December 2013, Vol. 9, No. 4

Table of Contents
Research Articles
1 Successful Implementation of a Computer-Supported Collaborative Learning System in Teaching E-Commerce
E. W. T. Ngai, Department of Management & Marketing, The Hong Kong Polytechnic University, Hung Hom, Kowloon, Hong Kong
S. S. Lam, Lee Shau Kee School of Business & Administration, The Open University of Hong Kong, Homantin, Hong Kong
J. K. L. Poon, Hong Kong Community College, The Hong Kong Polytechnic University, Hung Hom, Kowloon, Hong Kong

21 A Model for an Adaptive e-Learning Hypermedia System

Lamia Mahnane, University of Badji Moktar, Annaba, Algeria
Laskri Mohamed Tayeb, University of Badji Moktar, Annaba, Algeria
Philippe Trigano, University of Technologie of Compiegne, Compiegne, France

40 Users’ Acceptance and Use of Moodle: The Community Influence

Hoda Baytiyeh, American University of Beirut, Beirut, Lebanon

58 Nigeria’s Core Values and the Use of Social Media to Promote Cultural Values
Ezekiel S. Asemah, Kogi State University, Anyigba, Nigeria
Daniel O. Ekhareafo, University of Benin, Benin City, Nigeria
Samuel Olaniran, Plateau State University, Bokkos, Nigeria

70 Uses and Gratification of the Internet among Mass Communication Students in Delta State University, Abraka, Nigeria
Festus Olise, Delta State University, Abraka, Delta, Nigeria
Emotongha Job Makka, Delta State University, Abraka, Delta, Nigeria

81 Business and Technology Educators: Practices for Inclusion

Vicki Donne, Robert Morris University, Pittsburgh, PA, USA
Mary Hansen, Robert Morris University, Pittsburgh, PA, USA

94 A Procedure to Create a Pedagogic Conversational Agent in Secondary Physics and Chemistry Education
Diana Pérez-Marín, Universidad Rey Juan Carlos, Móstoles, Madrid, Spain
Antonio Boza, Universidad Rey Juan Carlos, Móstoles, Madrid, Spain

113 Storytelling: An Ancient Human Technology and Critical-Creative Pedagogy for Transformative Learning
Stavroula Kalogeras, The Business College of Athens, Athens, Greece

Copyright
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58 International Journal of Information and Communication Technology Education, 9(4), 58-69, October-December 2013

Nigeria’s Core Values and

the Use of Social Media to
Promote Cultural Values
Ezekiel S. Asemah, Kogi State University, Anyigba, Nigeria
Daniel O. Ekhareafo, University of Benin, Benin City, Nigeria
Samuel Olaniran, Plateau State University, Bokkos, Nigeria

ABSTRACT
This article examines how Nigeria’s core values are being redefined in the face of the new media and cul-
tural globalisation era; it identifies Nigeria’s core values to include age, greeting, dressing, among others.
The questionnaire was used as an instrument to elicit data from the sampled population (Jos South Local
Government Area of Plateau State). Findings show that the Internet, especially, is changing Nigeria’s core
values. Based on the findings, the paper concludes that Nigerians, especially the youths no longer have
regards for their culture; rather, they value foreign culture. Also, the paper concludes that globalisation and
global culture is gradually eroding Nigeria’s core values as people no longer have regards for their local
culture; rather they value the foreign culture. The paper, among others, recommends that the media in Nigeria
should adequately transmit local programmes in order to genuinely reflect indigenous culture. The media
no doubt, plays a significant role in projecting and reflecting culture. In doing so, indigenous culture should
be adequately reflected through sufficient airing of programmes with local content to prevent dominance of
Western values over indigenous values and the local languages be instituted in Nigerian school system and
monitored to ensure local dialects are learnt and spoken. In this way, the youths will learn to attach value to
their culture right from their formative years.

Keywords: Global Culture, Globalisation, New Media, Nigeria’s Core Values, Western Values

INTRODUCTION Baran (2002), culture is socially constructed

Communication channels have different in-
fluence on culture. McLuhan (1964), cited
in Giddens (2010, p.724) corroborates this
when he argued that different types of media
have different effects on society. According to
and maintained through communication. The
media of communication generally define our
realities and in the process, they shape the way
we think, behave, feel and act. Since culture is
manufactured and sustained through commu-
nication, one can therefore confidently say that

DOI: 10.4018/ijicte.2013100104

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International Journal of Information and Communication Technology Education, 9(4), 58-69, October-December 2013 59
cultural power resides in communication, which
is reflected through the media of broadcasting.
There is a persistent underplay of the new
media, especially the Internet, in moulding
social behaviour globally. Commenting on the
use of modern technologies, Hirsch (1992,p.6)
observes that a never-ending drive for improve-
ment of our lives seems to be an intrinsic part
of human nature, especially as it affects the
use of the media components. However, the
quest for improvement presents a double edged
implication for users for two obvious reasons
new media technology remains a facilitator of
human progress on the one hand and a harbinger
of global socio-economic risk on the other hand.
Carey, cited in Jegede (2010) argues that
all social change is purchased at a price and
there are no free lunches. Securing what one
wants always entails giving up something one
also wants. Every gain is simultaneously a loss.
Nothing is lineal or cumulative. The new media
(Internet) has brought significant advancement
into the realm of human interactions and one
thing that appears certain is that its uses are not
without a cost. Fair and Shah (1997, p.25) opine
that the existence of the new media not only
serves as a purveyor of socio-economic progress
and a means of overcoming underdevelopment,
but also tends to introduce some elements of
underdevelopment. It has proven to be a potent
tool for imposing and conferring superiority on
one economic system or culture over another.
Culture is an elusive term to define, perhaps
because of its wider scope and broad nature.
However, what readily comes to mind when
culture is mentioned is the values and norms
that people have, which make them live in a
particular way. It is a way of living that defines
a particular community. Rao (2006,p. 190)
opines that culture is the complex whole that
consists of all the ways we think and do and
everything we have as members of society. He
expounded it to be that complex whole, which
includes knowledge, belief, art, morals, law,
custom, and any other capabilities and habits
acquired by man as a member of society. It is,
therefore, the sum total of all things that refer
to religion, roots of people, symbols, languages,
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songs, stories, celebrations, clothing and dress-
ing and all expressions of a way of life. Culture
encompasses food productions, technology,
architecture, kinship, the interpersonal relation-
ships, political and economic systems and all
the social relationships these entail.
The Nigerian society is one where fam-
ily relationships are guided by hierarchy and
seniority; a non-individualistic family system
with older people respected and revered and a
very decent dress pattern with no exposure of
body parts. It is observed that only a fraction
of this defining value system is left.
Today, the rapid and aggressive spread
of market economies and communication
technologies under the influence of Western
multinationals has brought new impediments
to Nigerian cultures and values. Nigerians now
cultivate the materialistic and individualistic
habits and values previously associated with
Western culture. The culture of individualism is
fast eroding the values and ideals of the extended
family system, which Nigerians are known for
(Obioha, 2008). Excessive materialism, for
instance, has changed the religious character
of the traditional Igbos (Obiora, 1996) and
kneeling down to greet an elder has become
alien to the young Yoruba girl.
Culture is learned, acquired, transmitted
or diffused through contact or other means of
communication flow from one generation to
another, but as noted by Tardif (2002), it is not
genetically transmitted; rather it takes place by
process of absorption. No culture thrives by
absorption. Global culture has seen Nigerians
abandon the principle of cultural adaptation and
alignment to strengthen their culture. Instead,
they engage in total copying of foreign cultures
with no modifications and innovations (Obioha,
2008). Fridah (1998) agrees that culture is a
continuous process of change, but in spite of
the change, it continues to give a community
a sense of identity, dignity, continuity, security
and binds society together.
The dynamism of culture casts doubt on
the possibility of a global culture. This is partly
because each culture has its own personality.
Central to globalisation is the idea of a global
60 International Journal of Information and Communication Technology Education, 9(4), 58-69, October-December 2013
culture (Guillen, 2001). According to Orun-
moluyi (2000), globalisation is a process of
creating a global market in which increasingly,
all nations are forced to participate. Globaliza-
tion is also argued to be the process of harmo-
nizing different cultures and beliefs. Similarly,
Castells (1997) posited that globalization is the
process of eroding differences in culture and
producing a seamless global system of culture
and economic values.
Global culture is a cultural ideology of
consumerism, driven by symbols, images and
anaesthetic of lifestyles and self-image and it
has spread throughout the world, having some
momentous effects, including standardisation of
tastes and desires as evident in Nigeria (Guillen,
2001; Leslie, 1991). If culture means a collective
mode of life, or a repertoire of beliefs, styles,
values and symbols, then it can only be possible
to speak of cultures not just one culture, for a
collective mode of life presupposes different
modes and repertoires.
To this end, Smith (1990) argues that the
idea of a global culture is practical impossibility,
except in interplanetary terms. New media radi-
cally breaks the connection between physical
place and social place, making physical location
much less significant for social relationships
(Hasan, 2010). With globalisation, collapsing
the distance between people all over the world
by electronic communication, global culture
becomes a virtual reality.
The mass media, whether local or global,
are perceived as having powerful effects on the
receivers. Today, the world is said to be a global
village and this has brought globalisation. Thus,
some scholars have argued that globalization
is more beneficial to developed countries, be-
cause of the collapse of territorial restrictions
to trade, politics and economy. One aspect that
has remained contentious, particularly among
African experts, is the danger globalization
poses to African culture. The Nigerian cultural
system faces extinction, unless something is
done to nip it in the bud. Therefore, the problem
this study seeks to investigate is whether or not
Nigerians still value their core values in the
face of the current global culture.
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OBJECTIVES OF THE STUDY
The broad objective of the study is to find out
the impact of globalization and global culture
on Nigeria’s core values. Specifically, however,
the paper is aimed at:
1. Ascertaining the Nigerian core value;
2. Finding out whether Nigerians still have
regards for their core values;
3. Ascertaining whether the new media is
responsible for the new trend of fashion
in Nigeria;
4. Determining whether social media can be
used to promote Nigerian cultural values.
RESEARCH QUESTIONS
The following research questions have been
drawn to guide the study:
1. What are Nigeria’s core values?
2. Do Nigerians, especially the youths, still
have regards for their core values?
3. Is the new media responsible for the new
trend of fashion in Nigeria?
4. Can social media be used to promote Ni-
geria’s cultural values?
THEORETICAL FRAMEWORK
The paper is anchored on two theories: the
cultural study theory and semiotics theory.
Cultural Study Theory
The theory was propounded by Stuart Hall. The
major postulate of the theory is that the media
are ideological. Going by the cultural study
theory, the media exist to serve the powerful
ones. That is, the media in every society are
normally established to function in a way and
manner that will favour the powerful ones in
the society (Griffin, 2000). This shows that in
the society, there is the upper class, middle class
and the lower class. The media in the society
International Journal of Information and Communication Technology Education, 9(4), 58-69, October-December 2013 61
only function to serve the upper class. The
theory is relevant to the paper because it talks
about the objective of the cultural study theory
being that of unmasking the role of the media
in the society. Thus, the media are established
to maintain the dominance of those already in
position of power. The media exploit the poor
and powerless and even the developing nations.
Semiotics Theory
Semiotics is the science of communication
and sign systems. Semiotics looks at the ways
people understand phenomena and organise
them mentally and the subsequent ways in
which they create means of transmitting that
understanding with others. Semiotics theory
was propounded by Roland Barthes. Barthes
insists that the content of the media makes a
profound difference on the message. Accord-
ing to Barthes (year), semiotics is the study of
media images and the way they can be co-opted
to serve alternative ends. Although McLuhan
and Barthes rejected the simplistic hypodermic
needle model of mass communication media
influence, their theories do represent a return to
the concept of powerful media effect. Despite
their differences on a number of crucial issues,
each theorist believes that the media have pow-
erful effects, because they articulate, interpret
and help to create a society’s culture (Griffin,
2000). The theory is important because it lays
emphasis on the content of the media being the
most important, rather than the medium. Thus,
the media can be used to communicate our core
values so that the members of the society will
get to know about them.
REVIEW OF RELATED
LITERATURE
It is germane to make it clear that globalisation
is generic and does not make a single image.
Globalisation is viewed as connoting a process
of making global, being present worldwide,
at the world stage or global arena. It implies
visibility, immediacy or availability. Hence,
Abubakar (2001,p.16) asserts that globalisation
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entails universalisation, whereby the objects,
practices or even values transcend geo-political
boundaries, penetrating the hitherto sovereign
nation-state and impacting the orientation and
value system of a people. Globalisation is
examined in dimensions of human rights, sus-
tainable development, issues of environment,
rule of law, democracy and good governance.
Roseau (1996,p.360) defines globalisation as
a label that is presently in vogue to account for
people, activities, norms, ideas, services and
currencies that are decreasingly confined to a
particular geographic space and its local and
established practices.
Globalisation is more than the flow of
money and commodities. It is the growing of
interdependence of the world’s people through
shrinking space, shrinking time and disap-
pearing borders (UNDP, cited in Komolafe,
1999,p.14).
The political idea of globalisation is the ag-
gregation of compliant nations of the world into
a community wherein their territorial boundaries
dissolve into ideological insignificance while
retaining their political sovereignty as indepen-
dent nations. In principle, the countries remain
sovereign and autonomous, but in practice the
restrictions, the obstacles, cross border prob-
lems, etc, that tend to hinder easy integration
and cooperation amongst nations that are cleared
and other social activities that encourage full
integration and cooperation are encouraged
(Ogoko, 2007). Ascribing superiority to Western
culture through media formats under the guise
of globalisation is typical of this.
Analysing the concept, Nsibami (2001)
incorporates five concepts definitive of glo-
balisation. He sees globalisation as a process
of advancement and increase in interaction
among the world’s countries and people, fa-
cilitated by progressive technological changes
in locomotion, communication, political and
military power, knowledge and skills, as well
as, interfacing of cultural values, systems and
practices. He maintains that globalisation is
not a value free, innocent, self-determining
process. It is an international, socio-politico-
economic and cultural permeation process,
62 International Journal of Information and Communication Technology Education, 9(4), 58-69, October-December 2013
facilitated by policies of government, private
corporations, international agencies and civil
society organisations.
The experiences in Africa, particularly
Nigeria, have shown its severe negative conse-
quences in such an intense manner that hardly
anyone remembers its advantages. This perhaps,
accounts for the reason why many have defined
it from a negative perspective. Aborishade
(2002) maintains that globalisation is Western
imperialism, particularly American imperialism
that seeks to impose its hegemony on other
subjugated and exploited nations’ threat of
economic, political or military coercion. To him,
globalisation does not only deepen inequality
between the core and the periphery nations, it
also seeks to wage unprecedented attacks on the
right and welfare of the poor nations.
Because of instantaneous global com-
munications, especially television, a global
culture is developing. Just as French was
once the language of trade, English is now
becoming the language of the information
age. Western customs are spreading to other
cultures around the world. This can easily be
seen in the Western style clothes that are worn
almost universally. What is less well known
and more subtle is the fact that the women are
now dieting (in traditional Nigerian culture, it
was considered fashionable for women to be
weighty and endowed). However, since contact
with Western media, the Nigerian woman now
sees that the rest of the world equates slimness
with attractiveness, and has joined the “dieting
craze”. Same thing applies to dressing where
wearing clothing that does not expose sensitive
body parts is widely regarded unfashionable.
The males equally dress after what they see on
Western celebrities, regardless of its compliance
with Nigerian culture. Some of the Nigerian
cultural values as highlighted by Ekhayeme
(2011) are:
1. Age: Age is greatly respected in Nigeria.
In an area where the average expectancy
is not very high, those who live into their
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senior years are seen as having earned
special rights for respect and admiration.
This is true of both men and women;
2. Social Greetings: Socially, greetings are
of utmost importance. A handshake and a
long list of well wishes for a counterpart’s
family and good health are expected when
meeting someone. Shaking hands, eating or
passing things with left hand are unaccept-
able. The left hand is reserved for personal
toiletries and is considered dirty;
3. Language: Language plays an important
role in communication. In the Nigerian
context, how you look at a person and your
choice of words are very vital. It would be
offensive if you pass a compliment and look
away or you greet an elder like you do to
your peers. The society does not joke with
these values, whether at home or abroad;
4. Dressing: Pattern of dressing in Nigeria is
taken from a different angle. Here, people
regard people from what they wear. A young
lady who wears ‘spaghetti strap’ would be
seen as a woman who has no regard for
anybody, but in the real sense, it does not
tell the mind construction of the dresses.
There are also other things that are not
acceptable; a human who drinks and smokes
is considered an outlaw, but in the real sense,
it does not tell everything.
METHODOLOGY
The study combined descriptive and analytical
survey. According to Wimmer and Dominick
(2006, p.179), descriptive survey attempts to
describe or document current conditions or
attitudes; that is, to explain what exists at the
moment while the later attempts to describe and
explain why situations exist. The results allow
researchers to examine the interrelationships
among variables and to develop explanatory
inferences. Survey research enables realistic
enquiries into media-audience relationships in
International Journal of Information and Communication Technology Education, 9(4), 58-69, October-December 2013 63
terms of their disposition or attitude to issues.
Questionnaire was used as the instrument of
data collection. Purposively, 100 respondents
were drawn from the population (residents of
Rayfield in Jos South LGA, Plateau State). The
simple random sampling was used to administer
one hundred (100) copies of questionnaire in
the area of study. Only eighty eight (88) cop-
ies of questionnaires were retrieved, thus, the
analysis of the questionnaire was based on the
eighty eight (88) respondents who returned
their questionnaires.
Validation of Instrument
The validity of research instrument in any
research work can simply be described as its
success in probing or assessing what it sets out
to measure. It is simply the degree of its accu-
racy. This explains why Asika (2002, p.69) says
that validity is the degree to which a measuring
instrument measures what it is designed to mea-
sure. Every measuring instrument, according to
Asika, is designed for a specific measurement.
If it is correctly designed, it measures what it
is supposed to measure. If it is faulty, then it
measures something which may not be what it is
supposed to measure. In an attempt to ensure the
validity of the instruments, the researcher took
various steps. First and foremost, the items of
the instruments were drawn after the researcher
had gone through the various existing and re-
lated literature. This was done so as to be sure
that the items were from the variables of study.
The items were discussed with communication
scholars who helped to vet them and the vetted
items were used for pilot testing.
Table 1. Educational qualification
Response
PhD 5 5.7%
M.Sc/MA 33
B.Sc/BA 29
Undergraduate 21
Total 88
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In the pilot test, a total of 15 questionnaires
were distributed to respondents in the sampled
area. Out of the 15 questionnaire distributed, 13
were returned upon completion. This however
represented 80% of the return rate and responses
to the items in the questionnaire. This, therefore,
indicates that it measured what the researcher
had set to measure through the instruments.
The responses indicated that the contents of
the instrument were valid enough to be used
for the study.
Method of Data Analysis
The demographic data of the respondents was
analysed with the simple percentage method
while Likert’s scale was used in the question-
naire to collect data. This technique is a psy-
chometric scale commonly used in information
and mostly in the distribution of questionnaires.
It has to do with the sum of responses, rang-
ing from: SA (Strongly Agree) A (Agree), U
(Undecided), D (Disagree), SD (strongly Dis-
agreed) found in the five point scale, whereby
the respondent of the questionnaire may not be
certain about a statement and thus is un-decisive
and may tick the space undecided. A Likert scale
has two extremes that could either be positive or
negative based on an item or a statement made.
Data from Likert scales from the five options
given are mostly combined into two responses
or categories of “acceptance” or “rejection”.
Data Presentation and Analysis
Table 1 shows the percentage distribution of
respondents according to their level of educa-
Frequency Percentage
37.5%
32.9%
23.8%
100%
64 International Journal of Information and Communication Technology Education, 9(4), 58-69, October-December 2013

tion. Out of the 88 respondents, 5.7% were
PhD holders; MSC/MA holders were 37.5%;
32.9% were Bachelors degree holders while the
remaining 23.8% were undergraduates.
Table 2 shows the respondents’ age dis-
tribution. 20.5% of the respondents were aged
between 18 and 24; 46.6% fell between 25
and 34; 22.7% others aged between 35 and 44
while the remaining 10.2% of the respondents
were aged 45 and above. The data showed that
respondents who fell between 25 and 34 years
were more hence, 46.6%. This age bracket is
more likely to expose respondents to emotional
stability and fairer responses in making judge-
ments on issues of seemingly eroding African
culture in the face of globalisation.
Out of eighty-eight respondents, Table 3
shows that 64.8% were males while 35.2% were
females. This shows that the male respondents
were more than the female respondents.
The data in Table 4 shows that out of eighty-
eight respondents, 7.9% of the respondents were
civil servants; 45.5% were workers in the pri-
vate sector, which included NGOs, Journalists,
Entertainers and Internet operators and users;
12.5% of the respondents, were self-employed
and the remaining 34.1% were students. The
percentages in the table indicate that students
(Undergraduate and Master’s) and private sec-
tor workers were in the majority of those who
completed the questionnaire. The answers can
therefore be considered accurate given the fact

Table 2. Age of respondents

Response Frequency Percentage

18 – 24 18 20.5%
25 – 34 41 46.6%
35 – 44 20 22.7%
45 and above 9 10.2%
Total 88 100%

Table 3. Sex of respondents

Response Frequency Percentage

Male 57 64.8%
Female 31 35.2%
Total 88 100%

Table 4. Occupation of respondents

Response Frequency Percentage

Civil Servant 7 7.9%
Private Sector 40 45.5%
Self Employed 11 12.5%
Student 30 34.1%
Total 88 100%

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International Journal of Information and Communication Technology Education, 9(4), 58-69, October-December 2013 65

that they are people who are conversant with the
social media and the changing cultural landscape
of Africa and are capable of critically analysing
the subject of discourse.
Table 5 shows the mean score on the in-
formation gathered on Nigeria’s core values.
Responses show that Nigeria as a nation has
several core values. The core values as identi-
fied in the table are respect for age, language,
pattern of dressing and many others. Four items
sought the responses of the respondents on the
question in Table 5. Item 5, which translated
into 3.8 shows that age is part of Nigeria’s core
values, item 6 translated into 4.4, showing that
language is part of Nigeria’s core value, item
7 translated into 4.3, showing that dressing
pattern is part of Nigeria’s core values while
item 8, which translated into 4.4 shows that
all the factors motioned in the table are part of
Nigeria’s core values.
Table 6 shows the mean score on the infor-
mation gathered on whether Nigerians still have
respect for their culture. Four items sought the
respondents’ view with two variables accepted
and two rejected. Items 9 and 10 translated into
4.6 and 4.4 table mean, each indicating that
Nigerians now have more regards for foreign
culture than their own core values and that the
Nigerian youths have more regards for foreign
culture than the adults. Item 11, which translated
into 2.4 table mean was rejected implying that
Nigeria’s core value is more superior than the
foreign culture. Items 12 was also rejected,
implying that those in the rural areas have more
regards for Nigeria’s core values than those in
the urban areas.
Table 7 shows the mean score on the in-
formation gathered on whether the new media
was responsible for the new fashion trend in
Nigeria. Four items sought the respondents’
views with three variables “accepted” and one
“rejected”. Items 13, 14 and 15 translated into
3.8, 3.5 and 4.2 table mean, each indicating that
fashion in today’s Nigeria is a product of the
new media as portrayed in the variables. Item
16, which translated into 2.6 table mean was
rejected, implying that the new media has an
influence on the psychology of Nigerians as

Table 5. Research question 1: What are the Nigerian core values?

S/N Item SA A UD D SD X Decision

5. Respect for old age is one of Nigeria’s cultural values 30 39 2 7 10 3.8 Accepted
6. Language is part of Nigeria’s core value 44 40 1 2 1 4.4 Accepted
7. Pattern of dressing is one of the Nigeria’s core values 42 39 2 5 0 4.3 Accepted
All the factors mentioned above are part of Nigeria’s
8. 78 5 0 5 0 4.4 Accepted
core values

Table 6. Research question 2: Do Nigerians still have respect for their cultural values?

S/N Item SA A UD D SD X Decision

Nigerians now have more regards for foreign culture
9. 66 16 0 2 4 4.6 Accepted
than our own core values
The youths in Nigeria have more regards for foreign
10. 62 19 1 4 2 4.4 Accepted
culture than the adults
Nigeria’s core values cannot be compared to that of
11. 11 10 2 52 11 2.4 Rejected
the developed countries
Nigerians in the urban areas have more regard for
12. 10 9 0 44 25 2.2 Rejected
Nigeria’s core values than those in the rural areas

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66 International Journal of Information and Communication Technology Education, 9(4), 58-69, October-December 2013

Table 7. Research question 3: Is the new media responsible for the new trend of fashion in Nigeria?

S/N Item SA A UD D SD X Decision

Nigerians dress from what they see on the Internet
13. 37 23 10 8 10 3.8 Accepted
and Western TV
The traditional African dress pattern is considered
14. 19 40 5 10 14 3.5 Accepted
archaic due to exposure to new media
15. Decency is as defined by Western culture 48 26 2 7 5 4.2 Accepted
The fashion psyche of Nigerians has not been
16. 13 12 10 33 20 2.6 Rejected
affected by the new media

regards determining what is fashionable. Items
5, 6 and 7 were accepted implying that decency
and fashion choice in Nigeria is a product of
the new media.
Table 8 shows the mean score on the infor-
mation gathered on the possibility of promoting
Nigeria’s core values through social media. Four
items sought the respondents’ views. Three
variables were accepted with one rejected. Items
17, 18 and 19 translated into 3.6, 4.0 and 3.16
table mean, each indicating the power of social
media to put Nigerian cultures and values on the
minds of Nigerians locally and internationally.
Item 20 which translated into 2.5 table mean was
rejected, implying that the social media serve
as a threat to Nigeria’s core values.
DISCUSSION OF FINDINGS
Globalisation is more or less a tractor waving
through the forest and cutting down every tree
that is not in the interest of the ‘‘West’’. Findings
show that there are several Nigerian core values.
The responses from the respondents show that
respect for age, dressing pattern and language
are part of Nigeria’s core values. Respect for
old age is very important. This shows that there
is the need for the youths to have respect for
old age. The elderly ones need to be respected;
they have to be treated with respect and this is
a vital aspect of Nigeria’s core values. More
so, Nigerians have their traditional attire. This
implies that different ethnic groups in Nigeria
have their traditional attires and this is part of
Nigeria’s core values. Language is very im-
portant in every society; in fact, it is through
language that people are known. Thus, language
is one of the core values of Nigeria.
Findings reveal that Nigerians, especially
the youths, no longer have regards for Nigeria’s
core values, as the youths now pattern their
lives after the foreign culture. Many people in
Nigeria have come to accept the Western culture
as their own. This is made manifest in the way

Table 8. Research question 4: Can social media be used to promote Nigerian cultural values?

S/N Item SA A UD D SD X Decision

Local languages can be promoted via Facebook,
17. 25 34 10 8 11 3.6 Accepted
Twitter, 2go, BBM, etc.
Social media can be used to save the dying culture of
18. 41 27 5 6 9 4.0 Accepted
respect among Nigerians
Local language extinction is preventable with social
19. 20 26 10 12 20 3.16 Accepted
media platforms
Nigerian culture is not threatened by social media
20. 14 10 8 30 26 2.5 Rejected
activities

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International Journal of Information and Communication Technology Education, 9(4), 58-69, October-December 2013 67
they dress, the kind of food eaten and even
mode of worship in churches. Many Africans
have abandoned their native food for foreign
food. Africans have their traditional attires, but
how many people wear traditional attire today?
A visit to banks today will give you a perfect
example. In fact, it is mandatory in the banks
that you wear a suit, except on Fridays that you
are allowed to wear native attire. Global culture
has not only affected the Nigerian value system
of eating and the kind of food eaten, it has also
affected the kind and mode of dressing. Today,
most women dress half-naked while their male
counterparts braid their hairs, sag their trousers,
put on earrings and wear torn clothes or rags, all
in the name of fashion. Generally, globalisation
has brought about the decline of the traditional
world, the undoing of the old cultural set-up
and the rapid erosion of old values.
The redefinition of Nigeria’s core values
also manifests in bearing of names. Most parents
now christen their children English names to the
neglect of local names. This perhaps explains
why Izuogu in Nwosu and Soola (2007) says
that the world is gradually reducing into one
entity in which everything “West” is held as a
model against all things from other parts. Nige-
rians, especially, the youths now imitate values
like gangsterism, pornography, drug addition,
rape, semi nudity, etc. These values have very
dangerous effects on the Third World youths,
who ignorantly mimic them as a way of life.
The Western culture imposes its values, beliefs,
assumptions, languages, etc, upon a dependent
Third World culture through the process of
global mass communication. This relationship,
according to Okunna (1999), is described as
“imperialistic” because the powerful Western
countries impose themselves on and dominate
the weaker Third World countries, the unwilling
victims of this domination, which is too weak to
resist. Owens Ibie, cited in Okunna (1999) notes
that globalisation is setting the pace in the inter-
action of cultures with the sequence that local
cultures are overwhelmed. Western media like
CNN, BBC, VOA and many others dominate
the international communication market. This
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market penetration by the few Western media
is evident in films, television programmes,
records, news, books and periodicals. Their
programmes and media are wide spread. Most
television stations in Nigeria concentrate on
foreign programmes. Findings further show
that the new media is responsible for the new
trend of dressing in Nigeria, especially among
the youths. The youths, especially learn a
lot of things from the new media. The new
media are a disparate set of communication
technologies that share certain features apart
from being new, made possible by digitisation
and being widely available for personal use as
a communication device. The new media are
not only or even mainly concerned with the
production and distribution of messages, but
at least, mainly concerned with processing,
exchange and storage. The new media include
Facebook, Twitter, 2go, etc. The exposure of
Nigerian youths to these media technology has
further helped to redefine Nigeria’s core values.
The findings also show that the new media can
be used to promote Nigeria’s core values so as
to make Nigerians better appreciate their own
culture. The culture of different ethnic groups
in Nigeria can be shown in the new media so
that people will have access to them.
SUMMARY
The current evolution and revolution of Nige-
rian culture is no doubt a product of the contact
Nigerians and their culture have had with global
culture through globalisation. It is therefore not
out of place to state that a cultural renaissance
is needed to save the precarious situation of
Nigerian culture and save it from imminent
extinction. Results from the study showed
that new media and social media platforms are
potent tools of cultural imperialism as majority
of the cultural shock experienced by Nigerians,
as well as value shift from African standards
came through these channels. As the society’s
values, norms and ways of doing things change
because of technology, it is then that the social
68 International Journal of Information and Communication Technology Education, 9(4), 58-69, October-December 2013
implications become evident as in the case of
Nigerian cultural values. Based on the findings
therefore, the paper concludes that globalisation
and global culture is gradually eroding Nigeria’s
core values as people no longer have regards
for their local culture; rather, they value the
foreign culture.
RECOMMENDATIONS
Based on the findings and the conclusion, the
paper recommends that:
1. The broadcast media in Nigeria should
adequately transmit local programmes in
order to genuinely reflect our indigenous
culture. The broadcast media no doubt,
plays a significant role in projecting and
reflecting culture. In doing so therefore,
indigenous culture should be adequately
reflected through sufficient airing of pro-
grammes with local contents to prevent
dominance of Western values over indig-
enous values;
2. Local languages should be instituted in
Nigerian school system and monitored,
to ensure local dialects are learnt and
spoken. In this way, the youths will learn
to attach value to their culture right from
their formative years;
3. In the absence of enforceable regulation for
the new media, Nigerian authorities must
equally take advantage of the freedom to
popularise Nigerian cultural artefacts;
4. Nigerians must learn to respect their own
culture, they should have regards for their
own core values, as this is the only way the
foreign culture will not have any influence
on them;
5. The government should invest in the com-
munication industry so that the necessary
equipment will be purchased and used to
disseminate information across the globe;
6. There is the need for training and retrain-
ing programmes for media practitioners
so that they will get to know much about
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production of media programmes and how
to arrest the attention of the audience so that
they will accept their own programmes;
7. The Nigerian public should change their
perception about their local culture and
embrace the Nigeria’s indigenous culture.
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