There is a popular saying amongst the Yoruba ethnic group in Nigeria that “Iya ni wura, Baba ni jigi”. Literally, this means “mother is gold, and father is a mirror”. Parents are usually respected as if they were gods predominantly amongst the Yoruba people in Nigeria; it is often said that they are next after God. Well, it is quite astonishing that the practice of “filial piety” has declined to a minimal level over the years in Nigeria. In Nigeria, unreasonable parental expectations, peer pressure, and disobedience are the major factors causing the decline of filial piety.
It is a trend to discover Nigerian parents who unreasonably expect to reap what they have not sown. In cases where a child takes the responsibility at home, such a child is likely to disrespect his/her parent. At tender age, teenagers and youths, particularly the male child are given undue responsibilities. Some of them take care of their siblings and parents financially. There is a case where a seventeen years old teenager who is in his second year at the university is said to pay his siblings school fees and feed them; in addition, he takes care of his father and mother. Expectedly, such a child will likely disobey the parents due to unreasonable parental expectations.
Many a teenager is usually tempted or pressurized by mates. Peer pressure is another major cause of decline of filial piety in the Nigerian society. Bad character and illegal activity is now idealized amongst teenagers in Nigeria; internet fraud, drug misuse, and similar illegal behaviour is rampant amongst the teenagers. Hence, it could be threatening to train a child who will not engage in these activities owing to influence from friends. Children who are bred in such society will likely be disrespectful.
Not only could the parent and society cause decline in filial piety, but also the child could be the cause of it. Frankly, some teenagers have been trained meticulously by their parents; however, they have decided to become disobedient. Therefore, disobedience is one of the causes of the decline in filial piety in Nigeria.
One of the major solutions to the decline in filial piety is that parents should stop unreasonable expectations from children who should still be fed by the parents.
Similarly, parents should curb the society of bad children by training their children, so no one will influence the other negatively. A saying goes thus: ” You are a product of your society”.
