Polygamy in Igbo Culture
POLYGAMY IN IGBO CULTURE In the whole world, there are five continents. Africa is the world’s second largest continent, with 80 percent of its area in the tropics. Africa is usually portrayed as a dark continent historically and physically isolated from the rest of the world but it is not. Nigeria is one of the most important country in Africa. It is located in western Africa, bordering the gulf of Guinea between Benin and Cameroon. People living together in a community have their own tradition and customs. Nigerian people do not stay away from this reality especially the Igbo community. The Igbo community is one of the three major ethnics group in Nigeria. Geographically, it is located in the Eastern part of Nigeria. In this paper, attempt will be made to describe Polygamy In the Igbo culture. As we are moving forward, we will talk about the importance of marriage in the Igbo culture. We will develop what polygamy is, analyzing the causes of polygamy in the Igbo culture and thinking about the consequences of polygamy in the Igbo culture. In the Igbo community there are two different types of marriage systems: the first is the customary marriage and the second is the statutory marriage. The statutory type of marriage is foreign to the culture of the Igbo community. The customary marriage is indigenous to the culture of the Igbo community. It has been in practice from ages to ages and handed down from generation to generation. Marriage is a family affair in the Igbo community. It is a contract between two families. Without an exchange of money from the family of the prospective groom to that of the perspective bride, it will be very difficult to claim that any marriage has taken
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