Technology in Traditional Igbo Society with the Manifestation in the Modern Global Development

Abstract

This paper examined Technology in the Traditional Igbo Society and the Manifestation in the Modern Global Society. The write up showed that the Igbo people from the cradle of her emergence as a society had been technologically oriented and prominent since they had always produced all their needs independent of external influences. Technology had enabled the Igbo people to be economically/socially viable with such indicators as prominence in metal works (smelting and black smiting), wood works (harvesting, processing and calving), pottery (moulding and firing), building (construction and dwelling), textile (spinning and weaving), agriculture (planting, harvesting, processing consumption) and many others. Archeological findings had shown that the Igbo had through all the ages of human civilization got involved in all stages of technology from the primitive to the modern eras. The technological ingenuity of the Igbo people had manifested glaringly during the Nigeria and Biafra war during which the made discoveries and produced military devices and equipment, exploit crude oil and built refinery, constructed air ports and survived//resisted total annihilations for three decades without external assistants. The above achievements of the Igbo people were subjected to wastages since there was no development and continuity of their technological breakthrough after the war. The technological ingenuities of the Igbo which had been hindered by marginalization had helped the Igbo people for their post war survival and their economic progress/successes. The Igbo people had contributed immensely in the technological development of Nigeria in particular and the world in general. Certain challenges such as non enabling environment, political/social factors and under development had hindered the optimal development of the technology of the Igbo people. To overcome these hindrances that had prevented the development of the technology of the Igbo people, recommendations among which include: the Igbo people should encourage technological development through vocational training (apprenticeship), research; practical oriented technical, vocational, technological/engineering education/trainings are here by proffered.