Towards the Entrenchment of Ọmọlúàbí Concept for Social Justice and Best Practices in Nigeria

Abstract

The term best practice is a technique that is always reliable, leading to the attainment of a desired result in various human endeavours. It is such a laudable effort that the global village is considering this concept towards achieving a universal progress for proactive leadership to correct human lost values. Following from a Yorùbá adage, Ohun tá a ní làá náání … ‘wh t w h v is wh t w ch rish’, attempt is made in this paper to examine the intellectual basis and antiquity of best practices in Yorùbá world-view, culture, and renditions. Deserved emphasis is placed on the four key elements of ayé ‘worl ’, o í „h ’, i ‘work’, and ìwà ‘ch r ct r’ roun which the Yoruba concept of í revolves and explained as basis for best practices in civic/public administration, justice system, education, inter-personal relationship, and social network of the Yorùbá. Given the fact that the application of what is considered to be morally right and socially acceptable has always been the yardstick for measuring best practices, the paper explores the thoughts, belief system, and the í concept to suggest that the ideology is resilient in Yorùbá language orature and culture. It further posits that the application of best practices has produced an atmosphere conducive to peaceful co-habitation and promotion of the virtue of selflessness. The paper concludes that the concept of í be rekindled among Nigerian administrators and globally, and a rebirth of culturally determined best practices be made the basis of public administration in building a just and egalitarian society where the rights of man will not only be protected but further enhanced.