The cultural attitude in Nigeria(especially in the western part of Nigeria), before the era of globalisation was that no one could own words or knowledge. Folk tales, stories and even the Yoruba history was passed down orally from one generation to the next and nobody has really been able to pin point the source or origin of these tales till date. This is evidenced by some Yoruba literature books (YORUBA LEGENDS by M. I. Ogunmefu and OWE YORUBA IN PROVERBS by A.A Kila) that no referenced sources, presupposing the fact that it was passed from generation to generation by mouth.
With the advent of globalization comes the changes to our perception of intellectual and academic integrity. This change in attitude is evidenced by the numerous copyright agencies that have been established in Nigeria, in order to help protect people 's works. The most notable is the Nigerian Copyright Commission(NCC) which was founded by the 1988 Act as the primary agency responsible for regulating copyright matters in Nigeria. The Act has been modified again and again [(Amendment) Decree (No. 98) of 1992 and Copyright (Amendment) Decree (No. 42) of 1999] to accommodate the changes brought about by globalization and easy access to information. (http://www.copyright.gov.ng/index.php/about-us/ncc-historical-background)
It is also worthy to note that the amount of intellectual property litigations have also greatly increased in Nigeria. There have been 2 notable litigations in this area in Nigeria.( http://www.punchng.com/news/don-sues-cbn-governor-for-plagiarism/)(http://www.modernghana.com/news/430099/1/plagiarism-dikes-suit-against-two-uniport-professo.html).
I also think intellectual integrity in Nigeria today is at par with other parts of the world. The consequences of plagiarism in other parts of the world is almost the same as the response to plagiarism in Nigeria. The embarrassment and subsequent integrity issues that
References: Yoruba Legends by M. I. Ogunmefu Owe Yoruba in Proverbs by A.A Kila www.copyright.gov.ng Copyright (Amendment) Decree No 42 1999 Laws of the Federation of Nigeria www.huffingtonpost.com www.punchng.com www.modernghana.com www.thenigerianvoice.com Journal of Sociology and Education in Africa – Vol.4 No.2: June 2006 Olabisi Olasehinde-Williams