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141 

 

 
TRADITIONAL MUSICAL INSTRUMENT TECHNOLOGY 

EDUCATION FOR NATIONAL DEVELOPMENT IN NIGERIA 

 

Blessing Ebere Arih, Gloria Oluchukwu Eze  

& Tobi Ebiakpo Kemewerigha 

 

Abstract 

raditional musical instrument technology is a substantial 

factor in the reaching and sustenance of national 

development. Various Nations have at various times committed 

substantial proportion of their resources to the development 

of effective musical instrument technology programme for the 

passion of necessary skills and knowledge which has led to their 

aforementioned technology and economic advancement. In Nigeria the 

commitment to traditional musical instrument technology and the rate 

of technological advancement clearly leave much to request. The 

focus of this paper is on the role traditional musical instrument 

technology education plays in the realization and sustenance of 

national development. It is an assessment of the present State of 

traditional musical instrument technology education in Nigeria and its 

relevance to the realization and sustenance of national development in 

the country. 

 

Keywords: traditional, music, technology, development, instrument, 

Nigeria  

  

Introduction 

The importance of musical instrument technology education in the 

realization and substance of national development cannot be over-

emphasized. As reported by Osuala (1987) and Aboyi (1997) it is an 

T 

Awka Journal of Research in Music and the Arts (AJRMA) Vol. 14 2020 



 
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instrument par-excellence for effecting national development and the 

improvement of the life of the people. Conceptually musical 

instrument technology education as used here refers to well critical 

knowledge. Osuala (1987) puts it as all the systematic learning 

experiences which are designed to prepare individuals for gainful 

employment in recognized occupations as semi-skilled workers or 

music technologies or sub-professionals. The focus emphasize here is 

the preparation of individuals at the primary prevocational and post 

primary vocational levels to value the relevance of indigenous or 

traditional music technology in the realization of peace and unity in 

Nigeria. The aims and objectives of musical instrument technology 

education are well elaborated in the National policy on Education 

(National Policy on Education, 1981). Importantly, these aims and 

objectives have to do with the provision of man-power in applied 

technology at sub-professional level and the preparation of our young 

men and women for the understanding of the increasing complexity of 

technology. These aims and objectives are very much laudable as they 

are capable of moving the nation into a formidable state. 

 

The present state of musical instrument technology education in 

Nigeria has not facilitated the realization of these aims and 

objectives but however the achievement of any reasonable level of 

real national development. In addition to other numerous constraints, 

the Nigerian government appears not to have placed much serious 

emphasis on the effective implementation of musical instrument 

technology education programme. Kum (2001) has observed that 

Nigeria can only break even with a renewed emphasis on musical 

instrument technology education. This is quite true on the ground 

that our instrument technology will become efficient under the 

consideration of our traditional ways of doing things. He further 

pointed out that if more attention is paid to musical instrument 

technology education, it will go a long way to solve issue of 

unemployment with attendant national‟s ills. All over the nation, the 



 
143 

prominence of musical instrument technology education as a factor in 

the realization and sustenance of national development is appreciated. 

But this realization will be to the maximum if these technologies are 

indigenous or traditional. 

 

It is also not out of place to state that our inability to make any 

appreciable impact in terms of real development is largely the 

product of the low level of our commitment to the development of 

viable musical instrument technology education programs. This 

statement totally agrees with the observation by (Osuala, 1997) that 

Nigeria is abundantly rich in natural resources most of which cannot 

be utilized for the nations development because of lack of technology 

man power. 

 

Todaro (1997) as reported by Aboyi (1997) is of the opinion that “it is 

the human resources of a nation and not its capital or its material 

resources that importantly determines the character and peace of its 

development put easily, human resources that constitute the ultimate 

basis for the wealth of nations. Any country that is unable to develop 

the skills and knowledge of its individuals and effectively put it to use 

will be unable to develop anything else. 

 

Most advanced countries of the world have at various times 

committed huge (heavy) resources to the provision of effective 

musical instrument technology education programme which has 

facilitated the diffusion of technology knowledge that is responsible 

for their industrial and military advancement today. All the advances 

countries of the world today are not as naturally endowed as Nigeria. 

Okafor (1998) has observed that the wealth and power of a nation 

depend on the successful education of its citizens, and in the number 

of highly talented men and women within the national compass a 

nation succeeds in providing superior and divergent education. 



 
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He further observed that among the factors necessary for the 

ushering in and consolidating contemporary development the factor of 

education stands in a class by itself, let it be observed that moreover 

being the central point around which factors revolve, musical 

instrument technology education is a major focus for the 

actualization of self-reliance, national development and real political 

and economic independence. 

 

Purpose and Objective of the Study 

Culture is the way of life of people. Sometimes they are fully 

imbedded in the music and dance of a common people. Also music is a 

vital tool for unity. This is dated back to the days of our forefathers. 

The current state of Nigeria does not give room to the important of 

traditional musical instrument technology to excel in the field of 

music. Hardly will you find a complete documentation for the practice 

of the Africa traditional musical instrument technology if there are. 

So this study hopes to remind the Nigeria government not to forget 

the place of music in national development. We hope to show how 

relevant traditional musical instrument technology to the attainment 

of peace and unity. Therefore, the objective of this study is to bring 

back to the awareness of the masses, the possible extinction of our 

traditional musical instrument technology in Nigeria, if nothing 

positive and urgent is done. 

 

Status of Traditional Musical Instrument Technology Education in 

Nigeria 

As observed by Okobia (1999) the educational objectives provided by 

the Nigerian constitution include the promotion of science and 

technology education. This is within the aim of leading the country 

into industrial development. As a demonstration of this emphasis on 

science and technology education the admission policy in our higher 

institutions is on a ratio of sixty (60) to forty (40) in favor of science 

and technology education against Arts and social sciences 



 
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respectively. In addition, the federal and state governments have all 

pledged robust financial commitment to technology education 

programme. The aims and objectives of technology education as 

contained in the National Policy on Education (NPE) Art articulate and 

laudable. Moreover, the present state of technology education in the 

country does not reflect the pledges to traditional musical instrument 

technology. It is all westerner with little or no prominence to our 

traditional music instrument. 

 

Challenges of Traditional Musical Instrument Technology in Nigeria 

Even the implementation of technology education programme is 

sorrowed with many problems, which have made the realization of the 

programme a phenomenon mirage. These problems rouge from human 

and material shortages to outright lack of harmony between policy 

and practice in the implementation of technology education 

programme, One of the major problems that hinder the success of 

Nigeria technology education programme is shortage of man power 

(technology education teachers) while it has remained relatively easy 

to employ teachers in other fields, it has become a heavy challenges 

to employ traditional technology education teachers.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                               

There is also the attitude of the generality of Nigerians, which tends 

to regard traditional music technology education as somewhat inferior 

to other types of technology education. This attitude has some 

colonial origin. 

 

As Fafunwa (1997) noted, colonial masters stressed literal tradition 

and made university degrees remove indelible symbols of reputation in 

Nigeria. This was to the damage of technology, agricultural, and other 

problems include poor funding, shortage of important facilities and 

lack of the political interest to implement a useful and set upon a 

technology education programme in the nation. Kum (2001) noted that 

Nigeria has not been too shy to redirect technology and scientific 

education. As a result of this, it has not been possible for her to 



 
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realize the full benefits of technology education in the enhancement 

of national development. 

 

He moreover concluded that nation‟s technological development was 

low because “the nation man-power from all discovers has been 

dependably designed to meet the immediate and not the future 

needs. The situation presented above shows clearly that all is not in 

order with traditional musical instrument technology education in 

Nigeria. This situation has serious implications for our goals to 

achieve a sustainable national development. 

 

Relevance of Musical Instrument Technology Education to National 

Development  

Relevance means purpose, usefulness, importance or relatedness. 

When relevance of musical instrument technology education to 

national development is being discussed, one is talking about the 

usefulness of musical instrument technology education towards the 

development of a nation such Nigeria. Music in various ethnic cultures 

contributes immensely to the integration of the Nigerian societies. 

Music in Nigerian culture is not only a social phenomenon but also 

plays vital cultural and religious roles. According to Nzewi (1980), the 

musical tradition of the Nigerian culture is something that has latent 

psychological, psychical and spiritualizing essence in all its elements 

and applications.  

 

Upholding Nzewi‟s view, Agu (1992) wrote that „the musical culture of 

the Nigerian tribes is quite rich and varied and it is associated 

directly with the socio-cultural, religious and political systems and 

preserved by tradition‟ (p.8). Nigerians create and perform music to 

enrich every activity, ranging from birth to death. All musical 

creations serve specific purposes and all performances are carefully 

chosen to suit specified functions and activities appropriately and 



 
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inclusively the technology behind it. In this regard, (Agu, 2000) 

inferred that;  

Music making is not simply an exercise in the 
organization of sound. It is symbolic expression of 
social and cultural organization, which reflects the 
values, and the past and present ways of life of the 
human being who creates it (p.79).  

 

Musical instrument technology education ought to be a viable part of 

the school curriculum and should be designed to meet the needs of 

the students and the society in particular and it should be 

traditionally based. For it to achieve this objective, musical 

instrument technology education must combine traditional skills with 

modern technologies. Most of the instructional aides used in the 

teaching and learning of music emanates from the technological 

innovations. Technology has been part of music education, and for a 

long time, it has been an important aid in the teaching and learning of 

music. The musical instruments both local and Western and other 

musical equipment indicate that music education is not a stranger to 

technology.  

 

In more advanced nations like Europe and America, computer 

technology is inevitable in their music education because of its 

powers of efficiency in music teaching and music making. In Nigeria, 

the use of computer in music education has not developed to a 

reasonable level. This is due to, as Olorunsogo (2008) wrote „wide gap 

on educational plans and socio economic development plans‟ (p.33). 

Since this is the case, Nigerian music education cannot depend so 

much on computer assisted learning. We should also look inwards. The 

stance of this paper is that musical instrument technology education 

should not be restricted only to the use of computer and other 

electronic devices but attention should also be drawn to the local 

musical instrument technology. This will go a long way in enhancing the 



 
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entire system of music education for better and more productive 

teaching and learning experience. Nigeria is blessed with varied 

vegetation zones which help them to create the varying instruments 

used by different tribes and culture and can effectively in making 

and teaching instrument technology in schools. Agu (2000) stressed 

on the importance of Nigerian local musical instrument technology and 

noted: 

Nigerians are great lovers of music. As they create and 
perform music, so do they manufacture musical 
instruments. The production of the variety of musical 
instruments by Nigeria was made possible by ability to 
harness their environment as much as possible, making 
effective use of local materials around them with good 
results. (p.89) 

 

Immense benefits can be derived from utilizing the materials within 

our environment technologically in music education which will in turn 

bring about National development. Taylor (1980) believed in the 

philosophy of learning by doing as found in the theories of Dewey, 

Montessori, and Piaget that children learn by doing and by thinking 

about what they do. Exposing our music students to Nigerian local 

musical instrument technology will not only broaden their experience 

in musical knowledge but will also enhance the development of 

Nigerian musical instrument technology. Music is about the technology 

that is involved. The following are the benefits as outlined in Ojukwu, 

and Ibekwe (2015): 

 With the involvement of traditional musical instrument 

technology in music education, students‟ concentration, 

cooperative learning and level of creative thinking is enhanced 

especially when they perform as a group; It will go a long way 

in sustaining the interest of music students thereby improving 

their concentration level, changing their general attitude to 

learning;  



 
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  Students‟ level of comprehension of musical concepts is 

enhanced owing to the involvement of students in the 

instrumental production and performance; and  

Advancement of the standard of Nigerian music education technology 

will not only be beneficial to „Nigerian composers but also to music 

students, music teachers and performers at various levels‟ Nwamara, 

(2007). In addition, it will also prevent traditional musical instrument 

technology from extinction thereby enhancing the value cultural 

heritage.  

 

Factors Affecting Traditional Musical Instrument Technology 

Education  

Music education is one way of achieving educational goals; but it 

appears that it has been relegated to the background in our schools 

especially in primary and secondary schools. One hardly found music 

as a subject in our primary and secondary schools. As a result 

students who are naturally gifted in music are denied the opportunity 

to develop their talents and as a result cannot contribute effectively 

to the musical growth of the nation and in turn hindering national 

development. Many problems militate against musical instrument 

technology education for national development. 

 

The music curriculum is expected to, at the end, to produce people 

who are musically literate and competent both in theory and practice. 

Unfortunately, this goal seems to be a herculean task. Music is taught 

at various levels of educational ladder not with a view to encourage 

independent reflection, creativity and innovativeness among students. 

According to Nnonyelu (2000) observed “no attempt is made to invent 

or improve on our local products to satisfy our basic needs” (p.123). 

In Nigerian school curriculum, most of the programme is Western 

oriented which does not give the Nigerian student access to music 

that is indigenous to contribute to formal music education and 



 
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thereby encourage creativity along the desired need of the student‟s 

community. As a result teaching technology becomes effective. This 

is another way to say the Nigeria musical instrument technology 

education is decolonized by our own people. This is the act of 

throwing our culture away for the Whiteman‟s culture.   

 

Okafor (2005) regretted that “the focus of the music education 

itself appears to be on Western music transplanted or introduced 

into the culture” (p.124). Most Nigerians look at teaching and learning 

of music from a negative perspective. There is a lot of misconception 

about music as a subject of study. Nzebuiro (1993) observed that 

people who are ignorant of what music entails often react negatively 

towards anybody offering music as a course and can go to any length 

to discourage their wards from studying music (p.37). The 

government also contributed to a large extent to this problem 

because they have not given enough attention to the subject in the 

area of work force and instructional materials. Most of the schools 

are not adequately staffed for traditional musical studies.  

 

Speaking on the government‟s neglect, Onwuka (1997) noted that the 

government is not willing to employ enough qualified music personnel 

that should match the existing workload. Musical studies in particular 

are very poorly handled in terms of course content. The teachers and 

the taught are greatly dampened by such factors … lack of motivation 

and the insufficiencies of traditional instructional material (p.87). 

The fact is that the government is not willing to employ local 

traditional musical icon to teach in our schools, simply because of the 

Whiteman paper called certificate. An eye witnesses reported that 

he witness in higher place of learning, to be specific a university 

program, where the traditional rulers who were among the attendees 

were neglected simply because of the word, tradition. Poor funding 

resulting to dearth of traditional musical instruments and other 

facilities also militate against music education. Music by its very 



 
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nature as a theoretical as well as a performing art involves a broad 

scope of educational resources. A school that has music in its 

programme finds that the subject is more demanding of fund than 

some other subjects. The government and school authorities find it 

difficult to meet up with the educational cost; they prefer purchasing 

equipment in other subjects that cost lesser than music or spend 

money on those subjects they felt that have more prospects to the 

nation more than music. This resulted in many schools being in serious 

shortage of musical instruments and other instructional materials for 

music teaching and learning.  

 

Buttressing on this issue, Mbanugo (1991) asserted: „In the face of 

rising costs and dwindling educational fund, music education in 

Nigerian secondary schools has become very badly hit‟ (p.105). This 

also includes traditional musical instrument technology. Shortage of 

instructional materials to a large extent hinders the effective 

teaching and learning of music. Okafor (2009) also agreed with the 

aforementioned and wrote „the apparatus for teaching is either in 

short supply or decrepit‟ (p.18). Music is basic to education and 

investment on the instructional materials (especially traditional 

musical instrument) for proper teaching and learning ought to be the 

concern of the government. 

 

Poor curriculum has also been partly responsible for a chain of 

problems in the sector. For instance on the new 9-year basic 

education cultural and creative arts curriculum, music is seriously 

marginalized. It is discovered that most of the themes in the 

curriculum are dramatic arts, fine and applied arts with little 

traditional music. Today music is not being taught in our primary and 

secondary schools (Ojukwu, and Ibekwe, 2015).  

 

 



 
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Consequences of the Neglect of Traditional Musical Instrument 

Technology Education         

Okafor (1988) has observed that when education is neglected, the 

national soul is negated. When education is boosted, the national 

spirit is boosted. This statement is true of education in general. For 

Nigeria and indeed every nation of the world, there can be no real 

development without great tangible things being placed on technology 

education which is based on the ethnicity of the people. This is 

because language is a tool of unity and oneness. Our ability to equip 

and develop the musical instrument technology education programme 

has serious consequence for the goal and sustainable national 

development. Over and above every other thing, it has made it 

impossible for us to develop anything. Nigeria is one of the few 

countries richly blessed with natural resources yet we are rated 

among the poorest countries in the world today. This is due to our 

inability to fully utilize these resources for sustainable national 

development, the main reason being the failure of our technology 

education programme, traditional music education inclusively.  

 

A simple categorization of the implications of the failure of musical 

instrument technology education programme for sustainable national 

development in Nigeria include the following 

 Political and Economic instability  

 Poverty and Ignorance  

 Over dependence on foreign nations for materials and human 

resources. 

 Total lack of technological advancement. 

The above mention which is very true of Nigeria today is a proof of 

under development. Traditional musical instrument technology 

education is a major factor in the accumulation of human capital 



 
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which is vital for sustainable national development. That is not able to 

make meaningful impact is a clear prove of under development and 

dependence.  

 

Recommendations  

The purpose of music education programme of any country should be 

to develop the aesthetic potentials of its citizens to its highest level. 

In the light of the above discussions, the following recommendations 

are made for effective use of traditional technology in enhancing 

music education for upward national development in Nigeria in 

agreement with Ojukwu, and Ibekwe (2015. p.192).   

 

Reassessment of the present cultural and creative arts curriculum 

with an attempt to bridge the imbalance in the curriculum in the area 

of music and bring it to bear with the needs of Nigerians at the 

present in order that music education will be a means of transmitting 

musical knowledge for achieving functional and utilitarian music in 

Nigeria;  

 

First, a  review of the present music curriculum in Nigeria in order to 

incorporate innovations in the area of technology, such as 

incorporating master of traditional music into the musical academia, 

as earlier done, to enable students gain from their expertise and 

become more proficient in the area of traditional music technology. 

Attention of the students should be drawn to our traditional musical 

instrument technology in other to engage them in the production of 

simple local musical instruments.  

 

Secondly, the government should take up the full responsibility of 

funding traditional music programme in the school system to ensure 

availability of traditional musical instruments and other music 

facilities. Workshops and seminars should be organized for music 

teachers and music educators from time to time to get them abreast 



 
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with the latest development in traditional music. Furthermore, there 

should be proper maintenance of traditional musical instruments, 

equipment and other music facilities regularly in Nigerian schools.  

 

Conclusion 

There is a strong relationship between education and sustainable 

national development. According to kum (2001), technology and 

education (particularly technology education) are the main agents of 

man‟s transition from stone Age to nuclear, space and 

computer/internet levels that make life more convenient. Our 

inability to redirect technology education has made it difficult for us 

to fully benefit from this transition. Nigeria present state of 

poverty, instability, ignorance and dependence must not be allowed to 

continue.  

 

To overcome this, the following suggestions need to be considered: 

1. More efforts should be focus on traditional musical instrument 

technology education through the provision of more funds for 

its implementation and the right attitude towards traditional 

musical instrument technology. The ideal of looking down on 

traditional musicologists simply because they don‟t have a 

certified paper to prove their talents should be highly 

disregarded. In fact a museum should be created in all 

tertiary schools to celebrate these icons and their exploit. 

This will facilitate the Africa musical value among the youth. 

2. Traditional musical instrument technology and indeed 

scientific education should be made integral parts of Universal 

Basic Education Programme and pursued with equal strength by 

the relevant government agencies. That is every primary and 

secondary schools school should have a curriculum that 

appreciate culture and values. This will in turn inculcate some 

morals in the student thereby promoting peace and unity for 



 
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national development. This is because the Africa music is 

composed mostly for brave warriors. 

 

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