THE SIGNIFICANCE OF FRANCOPHONE ORATURE TO THE EDUCATIONAL DEVELOPMENT OF NIGERIAN YOUTHS

Abstract

It has been revealed that the bulk of overall challenges confronting human race today vary between worsening human rights violations, socio-cultural environmental problems, child abuse, terrorism, mental disorders, drug addiction, juvenile delinquency, youth disorientation and crisis of cultural identity. These challenges are direct repercussions of the insufficient acknowledgement of culture in national policies. It is remarkable to observe that oral tradition remains an authentic origin of African history and it is dependable evidence and societal guidance of African norms and values. It is the single approach of giving important and dependable records for a genuine understanding of ancient population and with the current status of oral tradition in stocking historical sources, we are now preoccupied with how to make it acceptable to the Nigerian youths both at home and in the diaspora. The main focus now is to get involved in the types of arts and politics that can liberate Nigerian youths to be able to create its own roles. The paper is based on cultural criticism. A theory that emphasizes the principle that individual human subjectivity develops in a reciprocal relationship with its traditional environment while we are compelled within the boundaries designed for us by our culture, thus we may strive within the limits set for us or change them. We employed interpretive design method of literary analysis. A library based method coupled with the use of communication and information technology. This interpretive design method studies social life which takes into cognizance human action. The study examines the idea of oral literature, analyses the social importance to Nigerian students, it brings to the fore another cultural emergence and cultural consciousness. The paper concludes that francophone oral literature should not be relegated to the background because of its relevance to world thought.

Keywords: Francophone orature, Nigerian youths, literature, cultural criticism.