Sport and Culture in Nigeria.

The article focuses on the sport culture of Nigeria. The cultural attribute of sport refer to those physical and mental activities and traditions engaged in for fun and exercise. The cultural aspects have ever been omitted in most of the literature of cultural and physical anthropology. Now, it is accepted that the influence of sport in modern industrial society is particularly important. A nation's play, suggestively, is very revealing of its society and values, and other facets of political and economic life. In Nigeria, there are many traditional sports, including wrestling, folk dancing, swimming, horse-racing, hunting, and boxing. These sports feature prominently in cultural activities such as the funeral rites of significant persons, new yam festivals, initiation to manhood and "Argungu" festivals. The degree to which the different ethnic groups practice the above sports depends on religious beliefs, geographic locations, and availability of natural facilities. Traditional sports are by and large practiced in the villages. The social position of women in Nigeria greatly influences their participation in sports. The place of sport in education in Nigeria is better reflected through the physical education programs in the schools.