#4 Traditional Music in the Stream of Nigerian Economy
UDC:
Received: Nov 25, 2025
Reviewed: Dec 28, 2025
Accepted: Jan 10, 2026
#4 Traditional Music in the Stream of Nigerian Economy
Citation: Abe, Adeolu and Ebenezer Oluwatoyin Ayeyemi. 2026. "Traditional Music in the Stream of Nigerian Economy." Accelerando: Belgrade Journal of Music and Dance 11:4
Abstract
This paper looks at Nigerian traditional music as a way of boosting individual and corporate economy if adequately developed and deployed. Nigerian music just as music of other cultures all over the world affects daily living with abundant economic potential. Through a general survey method, this paper looks into the economic opportunities embedded in Nigeria's numerous traditional music as a great potential for profitable economic ventures. Four ways identified through which economic development can be achieved in traditional music include modernised public performances, album and social media, foreign exchange opportunities and music tourism opportunities. The paper concludes by encouraging public and private investors to capitalize on the wealth within Nigeria’s traditional music which has the potential of high economic value.
music, traditional music, performing arts, african culture, national identity, economic development, music preservation
Introduction
The internationalization of industrial development has shifted the focus from the competition for material resources to the competition for cultural resources Xie, M. and Wang, S. (2024). Groups of people are identified by their cultures. Among striking differences between the Igbo man and the Hausa man or the Tiv and the Idoma, the Fulani and the Yoruba for instance are their languages, the dresses, their food, their marks, their artifacts and the various art forms as constituted in their culture. The Nigeria cultural policy (1988) puts culture as the totality of the way of life evolved by people, while Sir Edward Taylor, explicates culture to be
that complex whole which includes the knowledge, belief, art, law, morals, customs and any other capabilities acquired by man as a member of a society. Oni (2001)
Nigeria is blessed with numerous cultures as much as the number of the ethics groups existing within the geo-political space called Nigeria. The Encyclopedia of Nations (Africa) estimates the number of ethnic groups in Nigeria to be over 250, these people have their various cultures in their various spheres of life that thrive within the traditions of the people. Together with the foreign cultural influences on various cultural practices in Nigeria, Nigeria can be described in the term of Gans (1975) to be a culturally pluralist country (having a number of sub-culture which coexist).
Music as part of the culture, thrives in the Nigerian numerous cultures. Vidal (2012) captures Nigerian music as pluralistic, multilingual, multicultural and multifaceted. It is interesting to note that musical traditions that exist in a single modern state within Nigeria can be estimated to be more than twenty, whereas Vidal estimates the music and dance tradition in Lagos state to more than sixty-six.
These multiple traditional musical expressions which are of diverse forms, ranging from chants to songs, from vocal to instrumental music, royal to popular are rapidly going out of practice because of the influence of external culture over many decades. Conversely, the height of technological advancement in the 21st century has provided opportunities for resuscitation of these musical expressions and can become useful products that can contribute to the economic boost of the nation if well harnessed. Just as some music, dances and movies of the Western culture have made significant presence in the Nigerian society, influencing teeming Nigerians especially the youths and is contributing greatly to the economy of the nations, producing them, so can Nigeria derive good economic growth through her numerous traditional music if developed.
Nigerian Traditional Music
Many Nigerian youths in the 21st century are ignorant of the rich traditional music within the traditional cultures they emanate from. These youths constitute the vast number of those born in the urban centres from around the 1970s, unfortunately, their ignorance came as a result of intensified modern culture in the urban centres which had great influence on them. A good number among them do not experience first contact with traditional culture as their forebears did. Unfortunately, hustle and bustle of the cities as well as technological influence on them got many of them carried away imbibing the new cultures that gradually crept into the Nigerian communities and established itself guiding and shaping the lives toward modern and which reflect more of foreign culture and more importantly diluted musical tradition.
Traditional music of a society comprises the music used in various sectors of the society that grew from the origin and practices of the people, most often with historic accounts which could be from myths, legends or other narrative of the traditional society. Commonly, when music is discussed, little do people think of music outside entertainment. This is one of the reasons it has not taken a thoughtful place as a great potential for economic, educational, psychological, (mental) as well as physical development other than the social functions. The functions of music will be better understood when one understands the categories of music that exist within the traditional society. Vidal identifies the categories of traditional musical genres in Nigeria, using the sociological approach – the categories based on functions and context of performance – these categories include Ritual music, Court music, Ceremonial music, Occupational music, Recreational music, Panegyric music and Theatrical music (Ibid.).
Ritual music
The ritual music is secluded for the use within the religious sector in the societies and it is limited to very few numbers of worshipers of the deity the music is meant to serve – Ikorodo and Omabe Traditional Music of Nsukka people in the south eastern part of the country are examples of these categories of music. Music of the ritual category is used in the worship of the gods, deities or heroic figures. Such music is secluded to the use in shrines and for worship of these divine beings, and they are not open to wide generality of the people in the society but restricted to be performed by the devotees or in some cases the priest/s alone and, or by few executive members of the cult. The ‘igbin’ music is strictly performed by the worshipers of the god (Obatala) and the ‘igbin’ drums are the instruments played during the celebration of the ‘Obatala’ festival among the Yoruba people. Similar are the myriads of deities whose numerous music are limited to the religious confines across Nigeria.
Court music
The second category of music in the traditional society is the court music. Palaces of various monarchs exist from the northern to the southern part of the country, from the eastern to the western region have special music which can only be found within the royal courts. The ‘Ughoron’ in Benin, the ‘Akigbe’ in Oyo, the ‘Maroka’ in Bomo, the ‘Amachodochi Atta’ and ‘Amafokachi Atta’ in ‘Igala Gbedu’ are all examples of courts of Musicians who perform the music within the various royal courts in Nigeria as captured by Jegede (2009). In addition, some musical instruments are restricted to these courts - among the Yoruba courts is the set of musical instruments known as ‘Gbedu’ drums used within the confines of Oba's palaces. The ‘Kakaki’ is a musical instrument used in connection with the Emirs (the kings within the Islamic states of the Hausa people in Nigeria). Echezona (1991) explicates its uses which include performing special court music of the Emir and nobility. Music in the court performs the functions of praise, communication as well as entertain or send signals to the king of a visitor or signal the presence of the king affirming his sovereignty.
Ceremonial music
The third classification of music in traditional society is ceremonial music. Within the society are various stages of life that are marked with music, the rites of passage of different groups of people cut across various age groups, and employ music at the different stages. The ceremonial music is sometimes used as an educational tool; entertainment also serves as a symbolic representation. The ‘Ekombi’ music-dance of the Efik is a performance of the maidens who have passed through the preparatory stage to becoming women ready for marriage, so is obitun music.
Occupational music
Occupational music is the fourth category, this music is practiced by various professionals within the traditional society. Among the Yoruba people are the hunters whose music is known as ‘iremoje’ where ‘ijala’ is performed. Some professions have peculiar music known to them and are performed by members of the profession,’ Iyere ifa’ is performed by the practitioners in the ‘Ifa’ religion among the Yoruba people.
Recreational music
Recreational music is commonly used by children and youths in games and contests, also used by adults during pastime or during relaxation. This category includes music at palm wine drinking joints, different songs at games like wrestling, challenge context, social gathering and so on. ‘Atilogwu’ music and dance from the south-eastern part of Nigeria is an example of music in this category.
Panegyric music
Panegyric music is a music category which consists of various praise music within the traditional society. Within the courts and outside the royal confine, various praise chants as performed by various groups of people across Nigeria include ‘oriki’ by the Yoruba people, ‘kiraki’ and ‘rook’ among the Hausa people and the ‘igodo’ songs among the Igbo people. All families and clans have their praise chants mostly characterised by the poetic, descriptive eulogy and historic narration about people, places, events and things (Vidal op. cit.).
Theatrical music
Theatrical music showcases music of various performers where dancing, acting and similar arts are combined. This type of performance makes use of costumes to represent and differentiate characters. Puppet performance music of the Tiv people known as ‘Kwagh-hir’ as well as the masked performance among various ethnic groups across Nigeria are examples of this category. Multiple musical expressions across Nigeria are far beyond what can be documented within these few lines. However, the fact remains that they all represent the various cultural identities of the Nigerian nation. Unfortunately, many of these musical expressions are disappearing because of the influence of foreign cultures that have eroded them over years. This is therefore calling for the need to take the step of capturing these cultural products, preserve and redirect them for the purpose of economic growth of the nation. Sun (2005) and Xiong (2012) stresses the importance of cultural and heritage products in the development of a country.
Importance of Music in the Society
Let us imagine a world where no sound exists, where absolute silence prevails from dusk till dawn all year round. Music is organized sounds situated within the culture of the people, it is a way of life of a particular set of people, it reveals the thought pattern of a society, it educates, informs and guides the norm within a particular society. It is one of the ways through which the value system of a society is passed-on to subsequent generations. An example is a Yoruba folk song ‘ise agbe’ which teaches the value of agriculture, farming in particular, it stresses that education without tilling the ground in farming makes an incomplete individual.
Ayeyemi and Omodele (2024) identify music as a phenomenon that wraps up the daily life of an African man, and it is multifunctional in all activities in the society. Faseun (2005) also sees music as one of the oldest courses of instructing in both traditional and Western European educational systems while Vidal (op. cit.) emphasizes on the importance of music in the Yoruba society when he reveals that
Yoruba children folk song repertories are part of the modes of cultural transmission’.
In many traditional societies worldwide, music revolves around the society. Interestingly, even in the modern world, music is an integral part of the activities within the society. For example, the English alphabet and elongated word spellings like hippopotamus are learnt through melodic and rhythmic mediums. Also rhymes and some poetic lines are passed to young learners through the medium of music. The presence and use of music in all modern nations are numerous: these include national anthems, music for military parades, for religious activities, in broadcasting, and even in technological activities such as phone ringing tones and signals. Music transcends physical boundaries having far reaching influence beyond the effectiveness of speech, it penetrates the soul and spirit.
The effectiveness of music in the cognitive domain extends to an attempt to recall an important personality’s speech on an important occasion. As such, if tied to a melodic line will become an easy task, else it will become a herculean task. That is why the message of a favorite musician becomes a snap to recall than the last speech of the President of one’s nation. While recalling the text through music, emotional and physical circumstances surrounding the event come alive. This therefore points to the fact that music has great cognitive, affective, as well as psychomotor, potentials that help the development of an individual and bring about the corporate advancement within a group of people as well as giving identity to a society of people with common interest.
Music is a potent tool that dictates trends in society in most cultures. Active age groups that drive the society are the youths and the young adults ranging between 20 and 45 years old. These sets of people are influenced to a large extent by the trend in the society which is often dictated by the performing artists (actors, actresses, dancers, models as well as musicians). Ways of influences include through their clothing, dressing, language, haircut or hair style, body accessories, technology which include electronic gadgets. Artistes, especially musicians, influence society through their songs and the styles displayed in mannerism as well as appearances. The artistes’ show styles are transmitted into the society and habits are often imitated by the youths.
While artistes are connoisseurs of culture in the traditional society, their arts are cultural items and mediums of passing cultural values to the society. Cultural songs as well as traditional musical instruments are essential cultural items which are important for the growth of the value of a community. To this fact Ayeyemi and Omodele (op. cit.) stress that
[...] Traditional songs often contain historical accounts, moral lessons, and socio-political commentary, serving as a means of oral tradition and storytelling. Education and moral instruction is a tool that deals with impacting knowledge, wisdom, and moral values to the younger generation.
Bamidele (2000) explicates on the role of an artiste in the society:
the societal function of the artist is to awaken man to the ethical and religious (humanistic) value of life.
The variety of artists include the writer, the dramatist, the poet, the painter and the sculptor. In addition, the composer, the singer and the musician play vital and various roles in society. These roles include a teacher who enlightens the world, a prophet or seer who foresees danger and warns the society, the sustainer of the community and its institutions, a leader of opinion, a priest, a mediator, a redeemer or a messiah, a herald of society’s betterment, a legislator of the world, a philosopher and many others are described by Bamidele. (Ibid.).
Need for musical development
The influence of music is as important as food. What sustains the body are the edibles consumed by man, so is music that sustains the soul. The food for the soul is music (anonymous). Music feeds the soul for development, soothing emotion, building and sustaining the mind. Musical development gives the opportunity to the development of the total man: the body, soul and spirit. While it is a physical activity that engages the body, it is a thought-filled exercise which activates the soul and a divine engagement that propels the spirit.
Musical development is a way to develop and pass important values from one generation to another. It is a way to arrest the restlessness of children, youths and adults. This development helps the youths in their age to explore physically and helps their minds in proactive ventures. Hyper activeness of man especially the children and the youths when exposed to music, positively occupies and builds sound minds through creative invention. Music with its intricacies arrests the totality of its learner, its numerous activities which dwell so much in creativity have a way of capturing the mind and reforming the inner man when positively deplored.
Furthermore, from traditional society to the modern world, music has been a profession through which the music artist makes a living. Music is a very important career which throws tremendous challenges to the undertaker (Olaniyan 2002). Developing music is developing and expanding career opportunities in Nigeria. As erroneously conceived by some people that music is all about singing and playing musical instruments, a music career is beyond performance. Specialisations obtained in music career include but not limited to the following; performance, composition, music technology, studio recording artistry, studio management, music event management, music journalism, music broadcasting, music analysis and criticism, music marketing, artiste management, music publishing, music teaching, music production, disc jogging, music tour management and guidance, music training, music theory, song writing, music researching, music therapy, music curating, sound engineering and many others. All these are career opportunities obtainable in music development.
The need for music development therefore entails the development of a value system, human and material resources within the society – these in turn will advance the economic sector within the society and of course the nation at large.
Economic Development through Music
In terms of developing cultural heritage resources into cultural products, there are four core elements that influence the process according to Xiong (2012) as cited by Xie, M. and Wang, S. (2024), these include; content, technology, capital and services. Nations and communities whose cultures and ideas are better packaged have better chances of getting attention and market for their cultural product (Ogundiran 2012). The Nigerian cultural environment is highly potent to enhance musical development. Currently, the drive towards science and technology is taking over in almost every sector that has made nations run after the development of other cultures with intent of being at par with the global move at the detriment of our own natural culture.
Potential cultural practices that are being lost keep limiting the essence of our being and the originality of our existence. In asserting the need for cultural reawakening, Ogundiran further states that ‘culture is not merely a return to the customs of the past’ but an embodiment of “the attitude of a people to the future of their traditional value” in the face of modernisation’. It must be made clear that the focus in this paper is not a return to cultural practices, but enhancing economic growth through cultural products (music). The following therefore are some ways to improve national economic growth through traditional music.
Modernised Public Performance
Music performance within a concert hall is a trait of modernism. This is a variance to the locale of performance of traditional music. For Nigerian traditional music to be of good economic product, performances of traditional music should be fostered beyond the traditional locality, it should be taken out and presented to audiences outside the traditional environment. Modern societies and traditions have disoriented many within the Nigerian society that the average Nigerian is alien to his or her original traditional music especially when he or she was born in a modern locality with no contact with his or her traditional culture. This is the dilemma of many Nigerian youths. While traditional music is rarely performed in Nigerian modern settlement, modern music floods the modern society and also spreads through the multi-media. Foreign and modern music has taken over the modern streets where many youths live.
Public performances in concert halls with gate fee will give opportunities to showing traditional music while economic development is achieved. Music such as obitun of Ondo community, ijala of the hunters guide, atilogwu, bori can be staged at concert halls for a paying audience constantly. These can be done from time to time during specific periods of the year in order to attract an audience who will be willing to pay for the cultural product as well give younger generations the opportunity to identify and appreciate their cultural music.
To ensure preservation, traditional musical forms need continuous practice, and since the traditional cultures are giving way to modernity in many ramifications with new culture taking over, it is of importance to continuously bring the traditional music into the modern locale and culture of public performance (concert). It is paramount that performance context should borrow the leaf for the sake of the culture and economy. If some Nigerian music are products desired outside the country, as in the case of juju music, fuji music, Afro-beat and Afro-pop and others and these music have placed the artistes on global platter with economic improvement to them, it is necessary to give the numerous Nigerian traditional music a boost through public performances and develop national economy through them.
Traditional music production in albums and social media
One of the advancements in the 20th century is the invention of electromagnetic technology and that brought the development in sound preservation. Music recording has grown tremendously in Nigeria and through this, many musical experiences have been captured and preserved for today and the ages to come. It has brought sonic experiential knowledge from distant and unimaginable sound experience possible.
Many popular Nigerian artistes have employed this opportunity and a good number have made fortune for themselves through this development having captured and transported their music across the world. Musicians like King Sunny Ade, Ebenezer Obey, Wasiu Ayinde, Fela Anikulapo-Kuti, Lagbaja, Asa, Tuface Idibia, P. Squre and a host of others. Most of these artists, dead or alive, succeeded through self-effort and determination. While they probably set out to make a living for themselves through music, they went the extra mile to preserve their creativity turning it into products which can be purchased. Whereas much authentic traditional music which exists have been overridden by modernization and they are fading away because there is no patronage despite their potency for economic development.
As one of the ways to ensure preservation and attaining economic development, more attention needs to be given to the traditional music in the recording industry. This will enable the performers to have their traditional music products on sale at the comfort for personal gratification.
It also provides an avenue for the music to be heard and appreciated from the traditional locality where they are performed as well, which has suffered drastic extinction to a large extent. This innovation will provide the opportunity to appreciate music like ‘ijala ode’ (of the hunters among Yoruba people) in the urban centres where animal hunting is not obtainable, talk less of hunters to perform the music. Ukom music of the Igbo people could be heard outside the Igbo culture and music like Kwagh-hir songs or Swange songs of the Tiv could be appreciated beyond the locality of the culture.
Through this technological approach, numerous folk songs and categories of traditional music could spread across Nigerian traditional societies and beyond. Worthy of mention however are individual traditional artists who have shown the possibility through self-effort bringing some economic opportunities to themselves. Comfort Omoge and her ‘Asiko’ music, Durojaye Aremu and his Adamo music, Alhaja Aduke Eyinfunjowo and her Waka music, Alhaji Dauda Epo-akara and his Awurebe music, Dan Maraya and his Minstrel, Chime Akwgwu and his Ekpili music are all examples who came from both Southwest, Northern and Southeast Nigeria. While the economic advantage is the attention in this paper, the educational benefit of music preservation is equally noted. By extension, promotion of music through the exploration of social media will equally expand the awareness and benefit of these musical genres thereby widening the economic opportunity.
Foreign exchange opportunity
Coplan (1985) identifies the musical (music-theatre) of South Africa as a cultural product viable for foreign exchange. It became an economic tool for the country when performances of various productions of the musical were exported to many countries on tour.
‘Ipi tombi’ produced in 1974 by Bethna Egnos has been taken to different countries including Nigeria in 1976 and during FESTAC 1977.
‘Umoja’ is another South African cultural team produced by Todd Twala and Thembi Nyandeni in 1999 and has enjoyed a global tour with three visits to Nigeria: 2002, 2006 and 2012. The last visit performance was experienced by one of the writers of this paper.
Development of South African music has become a foreign exchange product and a significant economic opportunity for the country being carefully packaged as entertainment, education and cultural product for economic expansion. Its benefit as an export product has given the country additional source of revenue among other opportunities embedded in it.
A number of Nigerian cultural arts have enjoyed similar opportunities yet many have been confined to their local environments. The performing arts are good products that can add to the Nigerian economy when the government and private organisations rise to the aid of making these products a means of local and foreign sources of revenue.
Music Tourism
Festivals are common avenues where traditional music is mostly presented. The traditional festival is viewed by Ogunba quoted in Vidal (op. cit.) as a great artistic event. Economic opportunities in tourism are of great importance which attracts people’s attention to some locations around the world. With the declaration of some Nigerian festivals such as Osun-Osogbo festival in Osun State, Argungun fishing festival in Kebbi state among others as World heritage, it has attracted tourists around the world for visitation which in turn has given opportunity for economic boost.
Multiple musical as well as artistic expressions in festivals are potential economic prospects for the Nigerian economy if harnessed. While other opportunities such as hospitality, transportation, commerce are areas that will propel economic prospects for the local people, community and the nation at large when an enabling environment is ensured and the opportunities facilitated.
Conclusion
In order to transform cultural resources into industrial resources, the government must formulate a development plan according to Wang (2008) as cited by Xie, M. and Wang, S. (2024). In this wise, Nigeria’s economy calls for serious diversification as identified severally, with fabulous resources with which the nation is endowed, there is yet great height of neglect of many opportunities. Music being an important aspect of this neglect. With vast traditional resources, Nigeria needs to look keenly into the traditional music and performances for greater economic growth. While individual efforts are noticed so far in this economic drive, however, they have been limited, and that is why public and private investors need to make these potentials of great reality. Of all the resources within Nigeria, the cultural resources if developed will remain, reawaken, and retain the nation’s identity, and it will promote and widen the nation’s human resources and will improve her economic growth.
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