Enlist traditional religious knowledge in schools curriculum, Nigerian govt urged

The Nigerian government has been called upon to consider the establishment of schools where traditional religious knowledge will be taught as a subject to impart the younger generation with Yoruba culture and tradition.

The call was made by the Secretary, Traditional Religion Worshippers’ Association (TRWA), Oyo State branch and Founder, Olodumare’s Temple of Light International, at Alade Town, Ibadan, Dr. Fayemi Fatunde Fakayode, during the installation of two Brazilians, Awoyomi Fakayode and Iyanifa Ifatayo Obemo as the Mayegun and Yeye Mayegun of Ìjọ Ìmọ́lẹ̀ Olódùmarè Àgbáyé.

Fakayode stressed the need for proper education to disabuse the minds of young children about Yoruba history and antecedent, saying the miseducation of Africans about their origin and culture led to many wrong perceptions about their traditional religion.

He added that the time has come for the state and Federal Government to include traditional religious knowledge as a subject in the primary and secondary schools curriculum, like they have the Islamic Religious Knowledge and Christian Religious Knowledge.

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“There is the need for proper education to impart in the younger generations the needed knowledge of our tradition and religion.

“Also, there is a need to equip the younger generations with cultural based knowledge which will make them useful for themselves and their land as well as implanting ìn them the spirit of patriotism that will make them unyielding to the spirit of betraying their ancestors.

“We call on the traditionalists to start making efforts to establish this subject in our primary and secondary schools, while the Federal and State governments will give it the needed support by approving its inclusion in the schools’ syllabus and curriculum.

“With this in place, our children and grandchildren will not be taught about their own religion, culture, tradition and history by foreigners and those from other religions, who have painted our own religion in bad light, so as to lure our children away,” he maintained.