Theorizing Traditional Values in Igala Culture for Character Education

Theorizing traditional values in Igala culture for character education builds on the foundation that every genuine culture which has attained an enviable height in its civilization promotes human life and supports wellbeing. This is achieved by the creation and recreation of cultural/traditional values that resonate with the people, enhance their self- determination and wellbeing. The Igala culture prioritizes udama to other values. This finds expression in the postulation that udama ch ’ukpahiu - translated as “unity is power”. Udama is a sufficient representation or an epithet of communalism; a basic factor of African self-identity, self-determination and well-being. The objective of this research is to analyze the pristine traditional values of Igala culture, with a view to integrating them into the national educational curriculum for character education of pupils in primary and secondary schools for the moral regeneration and rearmament of Nigerian youths. It explores the subject matter from the framework of phenomenology, using critical analysis of the qualitative research approach.