RELIGIOUS/CULTURAL INFLUENCES, INHERITANCE PRACTICES ON WIDOWHOOD, SOUTHWESTERN NIGERIA: A STUDY ON THE AWA PEOPLE OF IJEBU, OGUN STATE

Abstract

Widowhood practices are preserved and conserved within an instinctive operational system of several homogeneous religious and cultural values of sub-Saharan African ethnic groups. In the pre-Islamic and Christian periods of African civilization, those who bore the burden of widowhood practices were barely emancipated, but grudged being socio-economically relegated. With the introduction and wide acceptance of Islam and Christianity, the burden of widowhood practices was lessened, yet the widows were not really comfortable because of their exposure to the socio-economic spheres of Western civilization. Despite the grudge, emancipation, and exposure to Western civilization, widowhood practices are sustained within the sphere of influence of Islamic and Christian culture. The center point of widowhood practices is the inheritance of the widow and/or the properties of the deceased. This study examines the interplay of religious and cultural influences of inheritance practices and their impact on widowhood among the Awa people of Ijebu, Ogun State, Southwest Nigeria. The research explores how traditional Yoruba customs, Islamic, and Christian beliefs shaped attitudes towards widowhood, property rights, and the social support system. The study adopted qualitative interviews, participant observation, and focus group discussions. Findings highlight the need for culturally sensitive interventions to promote widows' rights and social justice. The study concluded that widowhood practices in the Awa community are integrated into rites, which undermined the women's rights in contrast to a humane perspective.