Family, kinship, and marriage of Nigeria

Marriage. In Nigeria nowadays, there are three different sorts of unions: religious unions, civil unions, and traditional unions. One or more of these weddings may be chosen by a Nigerian couple. Religious marriages, which are often Christian or Muslim, are performed in a church or a mosque in accordance with the rules of the respective religions. Muslim men are permitted to have up to four wives; Christian men are only permitted to have one. The location of civil marriage ceremonies is a government registry office. Regardless of their religion, men are only permitted to have one wife in a civil ceremony. Traditional marriages typically take place at the wife's home and are conducted in accordance with the traditions of the respective ethnic group.The majority of ethnic groups traditionally accept several wives. 

Polygamy in Nigerian society has both benefits and drawbacks, depending on who you ask. Polygamy is viewed as a dividing factor in the family by some Nigerians, frequently setting one woman against another. Others view polygamy as an uniting feature that fosters a built-in network of support that enables wives to collaborate.

Although Western methods of courtship and marriage are not unheard of, traditional methods are typically followed, especially in cities and among the wealthy, due to the strength of traditional values and the strong influence of the family. In accordance with outdated conventions, women had little say in who they married, albeit the prevalence of planned weddings is decreasing. Women frequently marry in their teen years to considerably older men, which is also not unusual. It is the first wife's duty to take care of the newest wife and assist her in assimilating into the family in cases where there are already one or more wives.

Offering a bride payment for a prospective wife is a common practice among several ethnic groups in Nigeria. A bride price is some type of compensation the husband must pay before he can marry a wife, in contrast to a dowry, where the woman would contribute something of value to the marriage. A bride price can be paid to the woman's family in the form of cash, cattle, wine, or other precious items, but it can also take a more covert form. Males can give money to a prospective wife's schooling or assist her in starting a small company or agricultural activity. This kind of bride price is frequently used during the courtship process.Women who leave their husbands will be welcomed back into their families, but they frequently need a reason to do so. The bride price should be reimbursed if the husband is thought to have treated his wife well.

Traditional weddings are frequently filled with dancing and upbeat music, however traditions differ from group to group. There are also other exciting events and cultural demonstrations. For instance, the Yoruba have a custom when the bride and two or three female women emerge completely shrouded in white. It is the groom's responsibility to choose out his wife from the covered women in order to demonstrate how well he knows her.

In Nigeria, divorce is extremely prevalent. Marriage is less a partnership founded on love and emotional ties and more of a social contract designed to guarantee the continuation of family lines. A husband and wife are frequently very independent of one another and reside in different residences. Most ethnic communities allow either the male or the woman to dissolve the union. If a woman leaves her husband, it's common for another man to take her as his second or third wife. If so, the new husband is accountable for paying the previous husband's bride price. Divorced women's children are typically absorbed into the new household without any issues.

Household Unit:  By Western standards, the bulk of families in Nigeria are very huge. Several Nigerian males have multiple wives. In some ethnic groups, a man's status among his peers increases with the number of children he has. Ten or more members per family are not unusual.  Each wife in a polygamous family is in charge of providing for and raising her own children, however the women frequently assist one another when necessary. In order to divide the cost of their husband's food equally amongst or among the wives, the wives will also alternate feeding their spouse. In the home, husbands are the decision-makers, and many don't like having their opinions or desires contested. In the majority of Nigerian cultures, the father is responsible for caring to his crops, and his wives will each have a job of their own, whether it be taking care of the family garden, refining palm oil, or selling vegetables at the neighborhood market. Youngsters might go to school. The older boys will assist their father with his work when they get home, while the girls and younger boys will see their mothers.

Inheritance: The majority of Nigeria's ethnic groupings, including the Hausa and the Igbo, are male-dominated. Despite having a legal claim to inheritance in Nigeria, women frequently get nothing. This illustrates the forced economic independence that many women experience. Wives frequently have to take care of themselves and their children while their husbands are still living. The loss of the husband has little impact on the economy. When sons are old enough or other male relatives are involved, such as brothers or uncles, they typically receive property and riches. When a Fulani man passes away, his brother receives both his wife and his property. The wife typically relocates back to her family's home, however she could also move in with her husband's brother and become his wife.

Family groups: Despite the fact that men predominate in Igbo society, women are crucial to kinship. Men and women alike are inextricably linked to their mother's clan, which frequently resides in a distant hamlet. An Igbo's body is typically returned to his mother's village and interred with her family when he passes away. A disgraced or exiled Igbo will frequently be taken in by his mother's family. Nonetheless, there isn't a strong sense of widespread kinship among the Hausa. The nuclear family is the cornerstone of Hausa society. Although there is a feeling of a broader extended family that includes married siblings and their families, there is little further familial connection. Nonetheless, in Hausa civilization, there is a strong belief that blood is thicker than water. To ease tensions between or among neighbors, many Hausas would attempt to enlarge the concept of family to encompass clan or tribe.