Culture is used to express all aspect of man’s life. It could be defined as all the activities of man on earth which he employs in his struggle to better his standard of living.
The term culture include the language of the people, their mode of dressing and dancing, marriage pattern, music, festivals, carvings, religion, tradition, trading, and farming.
Nigeria has over 250 ethnic groups and 359 languages with diverse culture. Culture is a strung instrument for national integrations; it acts as a bond in national undertakings. The role of culture in national integration cannot be over emphasized. Hausa, Igbo, Yoruba languages should be made national languages in Nigeria.
Once everybody speaks and understand the same language, the greater part of the issue of national integration will be solved. It is perhaps the culture similarities of most Nigerian ethnic groups that binds the people together into one Nigeria.
Dynastic ties are one of the integrating cultural forces that bound ethnic groups together. Oral tradition is replete with dynastic ties that existed between Ife and Benin and Ijaw, Urhobo and Benin, Igala and the Igbo etc.” the Igbo began to diverged from other related languages such as Edo and Yoruba perhaps four thousand years ago.
“We are all descended from Eri, but Igala went one way and Aguku another”. It is clear that the founder of Onitsha and that of Igala may have come from Benin”. There are also dynastic ties between some has a states and Borno.
The understanding of the unity which culture promotes, calls for its emphasis in the history of most communities in Nigeria. Apart from dynastic ties, art works by the various ethnic groups tend to promote unity among people. It has been pointed out that the technique of making Benin art work was introduced from Ife. There are also similarities between Ife art works and those of Nok in Northern Nigeria. The Igbo art works are similar to those of Benin. Some of the material used in making the Igbo Ukwu art work may have filtrated in through Igala.
The art works of these ethnic groups help to promote Nigerian unity. Festivals organized by ethnic groups could be a good integrating factor in Nigeria. The “Mmawu” festival organized annually in Enugu state helps to promote Unity among the groups of people that were formerly in East Central State. Such festival brings people together and gives room for interaction and understanding. Nigeria now has an annual cultural festival in Abuja.
Religion, both traditional, Christianity or Islam acts as binding force among the believers. Those who see themselves either as Christians or as Muslims interact as brothers as sisters. The traditional practitioners observe similar rituals and code of conduct in their religion where- ever there are marriage and traditional activities across borders of ethnic groups help to promote national integration. Marriage barriers existed between Muslims and Christians. Encouraging the marriage of Christians and Muslims would help promote national integrations as marriage between people from difference Nigerian tribe’s world.
The trading of locally made goods across ethnic groups is a way of promoting national integration because the indigenous goods of one ethnic group cold be introduced to another. The culture of Nigeria ethic groups should be respected and those who claim to have married western culture should allow or indigenous culture to survive so that or identity could be preserved.