Abuja: The enduring presence of colonial influence in Nigeria is deeply personal for many, as illustrated by one individual’s story of cultural disconnection and the struggle to reclaim heritage. Despite being aware of his roots in a Nigerian village, this individual feels estranged from his ancestral home due to a lack of familiarity with local language and traditions. Living just three hours away in the capital city, he rarely visits and actively avoids the village, highlighting a personal disconnect from his cultural origins.
According to Global Voices, this disconnection is rooted in the colonial experiences of his father, who was born in 1960, the year Nigeria gained independence from Britain. Influenced by colonial religious and cultural values, the father changed his Nigerian name to a Hebrew one and was educated in colonial institutions. This exposure led to a belief in the superiority of Western knowledge systems, which he passed on to his children by prioritizing international education.
This focus on foreign education has raised concerns among Nigerian scholars. Benneth Uzoechi, a professor of education, warns that adopting foreign curricula does not nurture cultural identity among Nigerian students. Despite this, foreign education remains highly sought after, with many affluent families enrolling their children in international schools. The demand has even prompted elite British boarding schools to establish campuses in Nigeria. The number of Nigerian students obtaining study visas to the UK increased dramatically by 769 percent between 2019 and 2022.
Research indicates a growing trend of young Nigerians losing fluency in their Indigenous languages, particularly among urban and educated groups. Surveys reveal that only about 27-30 percent of youth aged 5-18 can speak their mother tongue well, compared to nearly 90 percent of older generations.
An epiphany struck the individual during the Global Voices Summit in Nepal, where he struggled to translate a poem into his mother tongue, realizing his proficiency in English surpassed that of any other language. This moment of reckoning highlighted how deeply colonized his mindset had become, a sentiment shared by others who experience a similar disconnect from their heritage.
The colonial influence in Nigeria was more complex than the popular narrative of indirect rule suggests. While indirect rule was prominent in some regions, many areas experienced direct colonial administration, leading to cultural disruptions. Today, European languages continue to dominate government, education, and business across Africa, often marginalizing Indigenous languages.
In response, the individual is actively working to dismantle the residual effects of colonial ideologies and systems that have shaped his identity. Through conscious efforts to embrace cultural pride and continuity, he seeks to unlearn the internalized belief that foreign equals superior. While the journey to reclaim his heritage is ongoing, he is becoming more aware and engaged in the process of decolonization.