Reviving eroding Yoruba culture requires collective effort – Prof. Faduyile.
By Steve Ovirih.
A renowned Scholar and past National President Nigeria Medical Association ( NMA), Prof. Francis Adedayo Faduyile, OON, has noted that the Yoruba Society is a very egalitarian society and Yoruba people pride themselves as well mannered, morally conscious and culturally sound people. “Yoruba culture, no doubt, is one of the richest and most vibrant in Africa,” he added, while indicating, however, that quite unfortunately , in the recent time , the cultural value and its essence are facing a crisis of erosion in Yoruba land.
Prof. Faduyile, Chairman and Pro – Chancellor, Federal University of Education, Kontagora (FUEK), gave this indication on Saturday at The Dome Event Center , Akure, the Ondo State Capital , while delivering the Guest Lecture at the 2025 Nigerian Outstanding Leadership Award (NOLA), organized by Dr. Akinbiola’s Hero Magazine International in collaboration with Nigerian Outstanding Leadership Award platform.
In the award lecture titled ‘The Role of Men and Women in The Regeneration and Promotion of our Eroded Culture : A Yoruba Perspective’ , Prof. Faduyile said globalization, urbanization and modernization have contributed to the decline of traditional values and practices that once defined the Yoruba people, adding frankly that the erosion of African values and norms are not irreversible .
“Men and women, as custodians of culture , have a crucial role to play in regenerating and promoting the Yoruba heritage. It is instructive that Yorubas say ‘ile la ti n ko eso rode’, and this is significantly drawing attention to the fact that to halt the rate at which Yoruba culture is titling towards loss of value, family which is the foundation of socialization must wake up to its responsibility of being the first informal platform through which the ebbing cultural values can be revived.
“Our elders often say a child’s head does not get bent in the market if the elders are around. Elders in the home front have their jobs well tailored for them as regards the reawakening of values we once held very dear which civilization has eroded over time,” the Guest Lecturer averred.
The Professor of Pathology and Forensic Medicine who is also Crown Prince of Abodi of Ikale land stressed that in Yoruba culture, men and women have distinct roles that complement each other. ” Traditionally, men are seen as leaders, providers and spiritual guide ,while women are seen as caregivers, nurturers and preservers of cultural traditions which they inculcate in the young ones even from the cradle. However, these roles are not mutually exclusive , and both men and women must work together to ensure the survival and sustainability of Yoruba culture,” Prof. Faduyile maintained.
Going further, Prof. Faduyile emphasized that a collective effort is required to nip in the bud the rate at which our cherished culture and tradition are being eroded by foreign influence . “We all must note that the regeneration and promotion of Yoruba culture require the active involvement of both men and women and by working together and embracing their respective roles both at home and in the larger socuety, men and women can ensure the survival and thriving of Yoruba heritage for generations to come,” Prof. Faduyile said.
