The Kwara State capital is rich in history, cultures, customs and traditions. But there are fears that the community is fast losing its essence, owing to globalisation and an unrestrained obsession with foreign cultures among the people.

"Establishing a centre for the study of Ilorin in an institution of higher learning like Unilorin, reflects the depth of Ilorin as a community diverse and cosmopolitan; populated with different tribes and languages- the Yoruba, Hausa, Fulani, among others."

Former Vice-Chancellor of the University of Ilorin, Professor Is-haq Oloyede, while announcing the establishment of the centre in 2011, explained that the Ilorin community is a naturally pluralistic society in the positive sense with its diverse cultures; which prompted the university to internalise its programmes in its activities.

He said: "Let me say it loud and clear that Ilorin community is a pluralistic society. And it is naturally pluralistic in the positive sense of the word, because even many of us from Abeokuta have houses here. So, there are natives who are Hausas, there are natives of this land who are Fulanis; there are natives of this land who are Yorubas; and we can say that it's a multi-cultural community.

It is a community that can be regarded as a university, because one of the attributes of a university is to be universal. Ilorin is a multi-cultural, multi-linguistic, very, very pluralistic society in terms of its complexity. This also explains why the University of Ilorin is currently establishing the Centre for Ilorin Studies that would study Ilorin in its full meaning... it is therefore a centre that would build on the nature of this community."

Known as Ilu Alufa (a community of Islamic scholars), it has internalized its rich Islamic erudition and the cultural confluence to standardize and enrich the traditional waka and were performances which later metamorphosed into the popular Fuji music. Many waka performers abound in the city, mostly performing during occasions. Besides, children normally were known to converge during the midnight meal time in the Muslim fasting (Ramadan) to sing and dance around the neighbourhood ,as a way of waking residents and neighbours. Besides, there are several other traditional folklores, which are a blend of Arabic and Yoruba, usually performed by children in the community.

Abdulrasheed Na'Allah, a Professor of English, Comparative Poetics and Performance speaking at the public lecture titled, "Contributions of Ilorin Islamic Oral Genres to Yoruba Tradition," explained that Ilorin, as an Islamic community, has contributed significantly to Yoruba culture and tradition. Professor Na'Allah who is the Vice-Chancellor of Kwara State University and an indigene of Ilorin, observed that Islam has immensely enriched the African oral culture, saying "it has been able to make Ilorin culture unique and special. It has made Ilorin one of the most influential communities in Nigeria."

Na'Allah, highlighted Ilorin's contributions to the socio-cultural development of Nigeria through the traditional waka and were poetry, which later metamorphosed into fuji music, as well as Islamic religious songs during Ramadan. He explained that they are a major source of wisdom narrations and historical analysis, containing profound philosophical messages and moral convictions.

Sadly, according to observers, some of these inherently Ilorin musical performances are giving way to globalisation. The Vice Chancellor lamented "Today, I think the sad news is that, Ilorin, if it is not careful, is going to lose most of these things. The sad news is that today, Ilorin is joining some traditions which I thought are mainly found in the south-west among the Yoruba, which is that you would soon start speaking English to your children.

"You have never been to even Lagos, let alone been to London or New York city.You are just in Ilorin ,and then you speak English to your children. It just baffles me because these children, if you listen to the English they speak, it is terrible English. So you are starting with your child with terrible, rotten English, that is even more terrible than Pidgin English."

Na'Allah lamented that Nigerians are fond of obsessing with foreign cultures at the expense of the indigenous cultures. He noted that adopting foreign cultures and customs, is not a yardstick for development.

According to him, the language, culture and the community values learnt by children, would go a long way in moulding their lives.

He said "There is one nation, for example, that is catching up to become the largest economy in the world, that is China. China doesn't speak English. If you go to China and you speak English to them, many of them would just look at you. You would be lucky to find some, of course, who speak English...

"For us, we are so eager to forget our own language, to forget our culture, to forget our tradition, and I want to say that Ilorin which is the topic of this discussion, is making a major mistake. If it continues the way it does, generations to come will completely forget anything that is inherently and deeply Ilorin."

However, many say the local performances and musical genres which had distinguished Ilorin and enriched the Yoruba cultures, may be hard to revive in the community. The sad reality confronting the community nowadays, is that the present and future generation of its children, may find it hard grasping and understanding these musical genres. Grand Khadi of Kwara State Sharia Court of Appeal, Justice Olohuntoyin Mohammed, who is also an indigene of Ilorin, said rather than learn the cultures of their progenitors, many children of Ilorin Emirate prefer to watch European football matches.

He said, "I was weeping within when Professor Na'Allah was delivering his lecture. I whispered to the IEDPU President, asking can all these good things come back? Instead of these musical genres that we were used to when we were younger, our children, including my own children, would prefer to spend their time watching Chelsea and Arsenal Matches.

"In Nigeria today, we are losing our identity and we are losing it very, very fast. It is not good for the growth and development of this nation."

The Grand Khadi noted that to revive some of these cultures, children would have to be encouraged to specialise in the field. "Certainly it can be revived," he stressed.

The National President of Ilorin Emirate Descendants' Progressive Union (IEDPU), Alhaji Abdulhameed Adi said the IEDPU would try as much as possible "to make sure that some of the past activities that we were doing in Ilorin will come back."

Vice-Chancellor of the University of Ilorin, Professor Abdulganiyu Ambali said, "To many people in Yorubaland and beyond, Ilorin is the quintessential "Ilu Aafa" or "city of scholars", and this is why when we talk of the most prominent scholars of Islam and Arabic, not only in Nigeria but also across West Africa today, scholars of Ilorin would naturally be mentioned and celebrated."

But the pertinent question is: Can the culture be revived? Can the popular Ramadan waka performances by children come back? Undoubtedly, civilisation has played a key role in killing the ancient cultures and traditions of the community, as contemporary Ilorin children view the folklores and performances as primitive. Besides, there is no love lost among some members of the community who have chosen to live isolated lives ,and more often than not decide to lock their children inside throughout the day, thus preventing them from socialising with their peers in the neighbourhood.