Traditional Magic and Medicine as Instrument of Social Integration in Okunland, Kogi State

In African Indigenous culture, the means of dealing successfully with traditional problems like diseases, sorcerers, witches, enemies, and lack of success in life experiences, have been developed. The use of magic and medicine had helped to deal with some of these problems which are life threatening and source of disintegration in the society. Modernization and globalization had made most people to now over rely on modern medicine which had created a wide gap in the socio-cultural integration of the Okun people. The need for cultural re-awakening and positive re-discovery of a tool of social integration is urgent. This paper examines the phenomena of magic and medicine as an instrument of social integration with reference to the Okun people of Kogi State. It also examines how magic and medicine could be used in solving some socio-economic, therapeutic, political and cultural problems emanating from the society. A phenomenological analysis of African traditional medicine and magic as a methodology was used for this write-up. As qualitative research, this work intends to focus primarily on non-statistical means of both the design on the one hand, and data gathering and analysis on the other hand. The method of data collection would involve both the primary and secondary sources of data collection. The major finding is that modern medicine is not sufficient in providing the complete answer to most of our medical problems. The paper concluded that before we can provide complete solution to our various socio-political, economic and medical problems, African traditional medicine and magic would have to be used along with modern medicine.