CONTEMPLATING THE CONTRIBUTIONS OF RICHARD CHIJIOKE OKAFOR TO NIGERIAN MUSIC DISCOURSE

Abstract

A constraint in Nigerian music historiography and scholarly discourses at the moment is the unavailability of literature on Nigerian music scholars, composers, educators, performers and exponents. Very few attempts have been directed at filling this gap, resulting in targeted presentations on some notable Nigerian scholars that made valuable contributions in music education, composition, performance, and scholarship. Available contributions are on Meki Nzewi, Mosunmola Omibiyi-Obidike, Dan Agu, Godwin Idolor, Olayemi Olaniyan, Emeka Mbanugo, Femi Adedeji and Arua Ogisi. These dedicated works provide access to various aspects of the life and contributions of the musicologists. This leaves a wide gap in literature, requiring deliberate efforts to document and disseminate more information on the large number of Nigerians that have made significant contributions to the growth and development of formal and literary music activities, education and discourses in Nigeria. Compared to their international counterparts, it is evident that scholars such as William Wilberforce Chukwudinka Echezona, Akin Euba, Ayo Bankole, Samuel Akpabot, Richard Okafor, Joshua Uzoigwe, Bode Omojola, Onyee Nwankpa, etc. are outstanding contributors that have little or nothing about them in Nigerian music literature. With a few lines are dedicated to some of them in more general discourses, it is quite compelling to generate rich literature as a necessity and complement to music studies within and outside Nigeria. Thus, this is an attempt that presents a summary of the place and contributions of Richard Chijioke Okafor on Nigerian music discourse. Using descriptive, historical and analytical methods, the paper validates and presents Richard Chijioke Okafor as one of the unequivocal and significant contributors that shaped the trajectory of Nigerian music discourse within and outside Nigeria in research, scholarship and pedagogy.