Emphasizing the Right of the Child Through African Cultural Values and Music Education

Abstract

The right of children has been challenged and threatened in Africa from time immemorial, this has made them vulnerable to abuse, exploitation, and discrimination. African children are abused most of the time because they do not know they are entitled to some rights. Children across Africa face many interconnected cases of abuse and barriers every day to their right to an education (Kilatu, 2019; HRW, 2022). But the African charter on the rights and welfare of the child emphasizes the right of a child to have education directed to preserve and strengthen positive African cultural and traditional values and experiences. The descriptive survey design was adopted for the study with a population of forty respondents in Nigeria. A structured questionnaire which consisted of fourteen items in three sections was used to elicit information from the respondents. The data collected from the investigation were analyzed using percentages. The study equally used unstructured interviews, observation, and library sources to gather data for the work. The research found out that many adults and children are not aware of children’s rights and this makes children vulnerable to abuse and exploitation. It equally found out that there is a need for society to inform and equip African parents and children with knowledge of children’s rights and privileges. This study recommends that since the African tradition is transmitted through folklore and folksongs, it should be included and emphasized in the education of Nigerian children and adults.