In the traditional Nigerian society music was an integral part of education. A musician was often expected to practice other areas of the arts and occupations. There were musical families with long traditions of music making. There were instrument makers who were also expected to practice other areas of occupation. Training in music often involved a long period of apprenticeship during which the trainee learned other aspects of the art.

Traditionally, music is a supreme motivator. In the African context, whether in war, in communal development projects or just for summoning people to emergency meetings, appropriate music has been regarded as indispensable in infusing patriotism, challenge, dynamism, and animation. The town-crier employing his own brand of music (ululation, ogene -clapperless bell, or ekwe small slit drum) does his rounds delivering his message to the people in music and song. Music is integral to the African's life-long educational system. Africans use music as much as music controls their life and speech. Learning traditional music is therefore life-long and starts quite early in life. Apart from this informal process of music education, there is also the apprenticeship system which is undergone by master instrumentalists and dance groups.Western education brought along with it Western culture, and a new musical idiom was embraced. Naturally, there were some conflicts in the teaching, performance and appreciation of music in Nigeria. However, Ethnomusicology was introduced, and a new musical awareness set in. This is the thrust of this paper. It ends with some recommendations on how music education in Nigeria should be made an important and compulsory part of the curriculum in our educational system.

The development of musicians and the continuity of the musical art should be the main thrust of music education. The institutions of education should therefore be equipped to mould the development of music in society and to make the strongest input into musical expressions that are fashionable, acceptable and available. Formal music education came to Nigeria by way of Western institutions, drawing from the cultural traditions of Western societies. On the other hand, the media and other agencies have brought in other types of music acceptable in Western societies outside their academic sectors. Musical and cultural contact has given birth to the contemporary popular music of Nigeria that integrates Nigerian and non-Nigerian elements. With the growth of city life, commerce, industry and communication, this music has grown in popularity, in some cases sweeping every other thing aside. The attendant 'pop phenomenon' also means that cultural intrusion from outside Nigeria has grown more menacing. Who controls the popular music in Nigeria today? This paper tries to answer this question and in addition presents some data on the prevailing perspectives in the hope that the Nigerian Government and all music educators should range plans and solutions against them.

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This paper is an attempt to see whether lofty ideals of sound education are being achieved in primary education since music is a sine qua non. It defines primary school in Nigeria and the general objectives of primary education. It reflects on the type of education the Nigerian child received both in the traditional society and in the colonial era, and the methods used. What role did music play? Furthermore, it looks at the state of music now, and how things went wrong in the middle. It underscores the importance of music in the primary school curriculum and makes recommendations on improvement.