Integration of Indigenous Music in Formal School Curricula in Rivers State: Teachers’ Experiences and Challenges

This study examines the experiences and challenges of music teachers engaged in integrating indigenous music into formal school curricula in Rivers State, South South Nigeria. Nigeria's National Policy on Education affirms the value of indigenous cultural knowledge in school curricula; however, the implementation of this policy in music education remains fragmented and teacher-dependent. Rivers State, home to multiple distinct ethnic groups including Ikwerre, Ogoni, Ijaw, and Kalabari, presents a particularly complex context for indigenous music integration given its cultural diversity. This research employs a qualitative phenomenological design, gathering rich narrative data through in-depth interviews with 20 music teachers currently working in primary and secondary schools across Port Harcourt, Eleme, and Ahoada East local government areas. Participants describe their lived experiences of navigating curriculum requirements, cultural sensitivities, resource availability, and administrative support when incorporating indigenous music into lessons. Supplementary data are drawn from focus group discussions with school music heads and a document review of current Rivers State music syllabi. The analytical framework draws on phenomenological reduction and thematic analysis, grounded in culturally responsive pedagogy theory and decolonial curriculum scholarship. Findings will map teacher experience patterns and produce a framework of enabling conditions and barriers for indigenous music curriculum integration in diverse state contexts. Keywords: Indigenous music, curriculum integration, music teachers, Rivers State, culturally responsive pedagogy.