A Professor of Sociology, Demography, Population Studies and Social Research at the University of Lagos, Prof. John Oyefara, has stressed the need to reclaim and preserve positive African family culture and values, which are fast-eroding.

Speaking at the African Family Culture and Values Conference organised by The Initiative for Equal Rights (TIERs) in Abuja, Oyefara expressed concern that most of the highly cherished African values and culture, including communal living and care for the elderly were being eroded due to globalisation.

Oyefara lamented that in the past, it was not ideal to see elderly persons begging on the streets, as it was culturally believed that it is the responsibility of members of their families to take care of them.

He said: “It’s a thing of worry but don’t forget that we are not living in isolation. It’s a global world; what we need to do really is to see how we can do more studies to be able to understand these cultural issues that are good and see how we can sustain them. How can we sustain them because we need to hand over these cultural values to our children?

“In the family structure of Africa, we have what we call a highly supportive system in such a way that even the training of children will be done jointly.”

You see communal people coming together, supportive, to take care of the children and to raise them, including care of the elderly. It’s our heritage. Culture can change. There might be some things that we have imbibed that are western culture that might have affected us today. But we shouldn’t lose sight of the positive side of our culture.”

Also speaking, the Executive Director of TIERs, Afolabi Aiyela, observed that colonialism and foreign ideologies have had profound impact on African cultures and values, often severing people from their indigenous understandings of kinship and belonging.

He noted that some ultra-conservative transnational organisations were attempting to recolonise African minds, policies, and social institutions through moral imperatives that are not rooted in African culture.

Aiyela stressed the need for critical reflection and cultural truth-telling, advocating for an Africa where families are affirmed in their diversity and where gender and sexual minorities are not erased but embraced.

In her welcome remarks, the Director of Programmes, The Initiative for Equal Rights (TIERs), Chimdimma Ike, stated that in a time when, “what and who is African?” has become so politicised and weaponised to oppress Africans and a time where foreign entities, anti-right and anti-African actors who know little to nothing of African realities seem to be leading the discourse on what African culture is, it is of utmost importance that Africans wake up and take up ownership of discourse that affects their lives, families, cultures and values.