Leadership and changing communal values in Wole Soyinka’s Kongi’s Harvest

Abstract

It is a statement of fact that a nation without good and visionary leaders can hardly enjoy peace and social stability. More importantly, leaders are regarded as the custodians of customs and traditions of the people. However, problems are bound to occur when leaders fail in the duty of leading their followers to their established goals. Besides, most Nigerian leaders display an unreserved disrespect for their own culture and tradition, preferring the Western culture to their own because they lack the necessary cultural foundations to effectively lead the people. Consequently, African traditional theatre is continuously declining in terms of patronage due to the effects of modernism and neocolonialism. This transition into modern cultures instead of adapting the modern culture to suit their needs and aspirations results in change traditional societies. This study, therefore, examines how changing communal values, the cause of modern conflict, have affected African traditional theatre and African traditional societies. In examining the concept of leadership and the effects of changing communal values on African traditional theatre, the study undertakes a content analysis of Wole Soyinka’s Kongi’s Harvest and concludes that conflict would be largely abated if African cultures adapt, rather than adopt, received foreign cultures to suit local needs.