Cultural and Religious Values in Nigeria and Challenges Inherent Before and After Independence

Abstract

Nigeria as a nation had lived as an integrating entity before and after the independence in 1st October 1960 with sound religious and cultural values, despite its diversity in ethnic, religious, occupational and geographical domain. As  heterogeneous as the Nigeria society, it has avalanche of sound religious and cultural values in the pre independence era which includes; respect for constituted authority, integrity, discipline, accountability, while some of these religious and cultural values have been sub changed with wrong values as; ethno- religious violence, kidnapping, banditry, fraudulent act gambling, armed robbery killings etc. this paper adopt the analytical and review method, it also tend to explore religious and cultural values, the paper also discuss the reasons for the change  in sound religious and cultural values in post-independence Nigeria . The paper examine the challenges inherent at the decade of independence with the view of discussing the comprehensive  and dynamic theory of religion based on the fact that religion provide  value laden belief  system to supply standard and criteria of behaviour base on that belief system . The paper recommends that religion and cultural values must be maintained for a better society.