Nri People and the Challenges of Preserving the Igbo Custom and Tradition: the case of Establishing an Igbo Traditional Centre

Abstract

The lifestyle in Nigeria is shaped by distinctive ethnic groups and their culture. Most times, people come together in centres, public spaces to experience their culture, lifestyles and exhibitions. These centres are in most cases, called cultural centres. Over the years, they have played tremendous role in societies by promoting the arts, history, religion, and heritage of different cultures and the way of life of a particular group of people or community. At Nri, a town in Anocha local government area in Anambra State, the people still maintains the culture and tradition of the Igbo people yet, with no physical structure that supports such. Nri is widely asserted to be the motherland and cradle of the Igbo ethnicity. The leader of Nri, is the priest-king in its truest definition, more of a ritualistic father figure with mystic powers, but no military authority. With the disappearing tradition of the Igbos’ culture, and Nri particularly, the history of the people have been given very little attention as a result, a variable and sustainable eco-cultural tourism, through the use of museums, historical sites and cultural festivals, is needed for a logical prosecution of the war against the eradication of Igbo custom and Tradition.