Igbo Community Research Articles

Repackaging Igbo folksongs for global acceptance: towards reviving and preserving the musical heritage of a Nigerian community

The entire life of an average Igbo (from cradle to grave) revolves round the arts generally and most especially the musical arts. Many aesthetic features of a wide range of the arts of music, dance and drama fill the lives and environments of Igbo rural communities. As the very essence of culture, folk music forms the basis of people’s tradition and identity. Transmitted orally between generations, it does not necessarily conform to the music of any other culture. However, in some cases it may share common factors, elements or characteristics with those of other ethnic groups around the country. Recent studies have shown that the state of Igbo folksongs in the twenty-first century is not very encouraging. Although a few Igbo musicologists have made arrangements of some of the folksongs, transforming them into art music of some sort, the music has been to a great extent neglected and relegated to the background by the present generation, especially the youth, such that it may eventually become a lost heritage. Unfortunately, many musicologists fail to realise this unhealthy development and consequently do very little or nothing to salvage the situation. This article therefore sets out to draw the attention of Igbo musicologists and all other stakeholders, while highlighting the attempts made so far towards ‘repackaging’ these folksongs for global acceptance and for posterity. Describing these trends holds the potential of creating a better future for the Igbo musical tradition and culture.

Eucharistic Fellowship and its Relevance in Human Relationship

Man is naturally a social animal. For no single human being is an island, and simply put, no one is completely sufficient. Man thus naturally relates, and in this human relationship, personal interest, sentiment, bias, desire e.t.c, comes in and thus problems ensue. Man has also devices various academic means to resolve the problem, these means or ways include sociology, psychology, anthropology, history and international diplomacy and religious studies. Among the world known religions which of course speak peace and good human relationship, Christianity seems to stand out. Christianity, a religion traced to Judaism and the life and activities of Jesus Christ, gave man veritable tools of sustaining good human relationship. The importance of human relationship or the need for harmony, oneness and unity is showcased in the African Traditional Religion(ATR) among the Umunna in the Igbo community is demonstrated by the practice of “ Oriko” which exemplifies unity and also is synonymous with the Christian Eucharist fellowship. Having considered qualitative and hermeneutical methods, this paper is of the view that the Eucharist in the New Testament depicts strong lessons of love, peace, hospitality, acceptance, unity, harmony, forgiveness and sacrifice, faith/trust in God and in fellow man among others. If these are learned and practiced as explained in Eucharistic fellowship teachings by St. Paul in 1 Corinthians 10:16-17, the challenges encountered in human relationship will be a thing of the past.

Hosts’ Perception of Impacts of Community Development Schemes and Tourism Projects In Southeast Nigeria

Recently, community development schemes and tourism projects at rural communities have not been sustainable due to their perceived impacts by members of the host communities. This study conducted ethnographic investigations in five selected Igbo communities in Southeast Nigeria, to examine hosts’ perception of impacts of community development schemes and tourism projects. The study which lasted between 2011 and 2014 was able to find out some of these perceived impacts coupled with the consequences of hosts’ perceptions. The result has the potentialities of addressing these problems to maximize the gains of these project initiatives to the development of rural communities. DOI: 10.5901/mjss.2016.v7n5p361

Female Genital Cutting Restricts Sociosexuality Among the Igbo People of Southeast Nigeria

Female genital cutting (FGC) involves partial or total removal of the external female genitalia and causes detrimental effects on woman’s physical and psychological health. Estimates suggest that 130 million women and girls have experienced FGC worldwide. A frequently cited reason for performing this procedure is to restrict female sexuality. To test this idea, we examined women’s willingness to engage in uncommitted sexual relations (sociosexuality) among the traditional Igbo community in Southeastern Nigeria, a region in which FGC is prevalent. Women with FGC reported more restricted sociosexuality in all three domains (attitude, behavior, and desire) compared to women without FGC. Our results suggest that FGC significantly restricts female extra-pair behavior. We provide evidence that this practice is partially attributable to sexual conflict over reproduction by decreasing paternity uncertainty and increasing the reproductive costs to women.

English-French Translation of Igbo Traditional Marriage Items: A Semiotic Approach

Culture is the people’s way of life including their beliefs and customs. Traditional marriage in Igbo land is symbolic because it reflects the Igbo man’s ideology and idiosyncrasies This could be seen in the different gift items brought by the bridegroom to the family of the bride before the bride‘s kindred officially and socially legalize the marriage The items differ slightly from one locality to another and from one Igbo community to another. These cultural items that must be presented on the day of one’s traditional marriage( otherwise called ‘igba nkwu nwanyi ’okuko onye uwa or igbu ewu nna ) by the groom are quiet elaborate and very significant. It is a must in Igbo land that any man who seeks the hand of an Igbo lady in marriage must concur to the provision of such items as they are listed. Alternatively, he could give the money equivalent of the items. The thrust of this paper is to translate the frequently listed items from English to French, analyze them and ex-ray their significance and meaning as they are given and received. The paper also investigates the various stages of traditional marriage in Igbo land precisely in Anambra State. DOI: 10.5901/mjss.2016.v7n1s1p311

Language Endangerment: Issues of Igbo Proverbs

In the past two decades or so, much attention has been drawn to the issue of language endangerment, especially African languages. Most of these researches have tried to ascertain the endangerment status of various languages in whole by considering mostly the number of speakers. This paper however takes a different approach on this subject of language endangerment. Rather than looking at the language as a whole, this paper examines the gradual loss of an important aspect of the Igbo language; proverbs. The central claim of this paper is that language endangerment is gradual. It starts with the loss of some vital aspects of the language thereby losing its communicative relevance in certain domain. If this trend continues, and more domains lose their communicative relevance, if unchecked, might lead to an eventual total loss of the language. By observing the language use of two different age groups (Elder and Youth groups), this paper was able to highlight a generational gap in the use and interpretation of proverbs by the younger generation.The particular Igbo community that this study is based on is the Ogwashi-uku community in Delta state. Data were gathered from communal meetings of two separate groups; made up of the youths and the elders. Using the linguistic vitality and endangerment (LVE) framework, this paper examines the competence level in the use of proverbs between the older generation of Igbo speakers and the younger generation. Findings show that most youth speakers lack competence in the use and interpretation of proverbs.

An African Igbo Perspective on Mourning Dances and Their Application to Dance/Movement Therapy

As a preliminary examination of therapeutic aspects of mourning rites honoring the dead in Igbo communities of South-Eastern Nigeria, this article brings into focus functions of dirges and accompanying mourning dances as a cultural healing system relevant to dance/movement therapy (DMT). The perspective of the author, a Nigerian of Igbo extraction and an active witness of the death dances, is interwoven with psychodynamic and humanistic principles. Discussion centers on how integrating techniques of African Igbo mourning dances into DMT treatment approaches may help alleviate overwhelming suffering and a sense of fear associated with pain of bereavement and loss.

An Analytical Analysis of Entrepreneurial Skills in Some Selected Small Scale Businesses in the Southern Region of Nigeria

The objective of this paper is to investigate entrepreneurship skill development through the apprenticeship scheme in some selected small scale business in the Southern region of Nigeria. The paper describes entrepreneurship skills development and also analysis the apprenticeship scheme in Southern region of Nigeria. In order to achieve the objectives, a well-structured sampling technique was employed. A total of number of 112 questionnaires were administrated to the selected small scale business owners in the southern region states which were all properly completed and analyzed using simple percentage. The results obtained revealed that there is low level of education among the majority of the selected small scale businesses in the Southern region of Nigeria. And majority acquired their skills through the apprenticeship. The sources of apprenticeship recruitment are mainly friends and associates. The paper therefore recommends that attention there is need for regular seminars, conferences and workshops for the owners of the small scale business among the Igbo community in order for the region to experience rapid and sustainable economic transformation desired.

Ending Gender Discrimination in Succession to Traditional Ruler-ship in Nigeria

Ending Gender Discrimination in Succession to Traditional Ruler-ship in Nigeria Edoba Bright Omoregie Abstract Traditional Rulers are vital part of the institutional structure of Nigeria. They feature as titular heads of their communities and are formally recognized in all 36 states of Nigeria and the federal capital territory. They are involved in several activities which are central to the lives of the Nigerian people, including political, social, economic, developmental, security matters and customary arbitrations. In most communities, the method of succession to traditional ruler-ship is essentially patrilinear by which only a male member of a ruling family succeeds to the position. In a number of those communities, the male primogeniture system of succession prevails. The system has gone unchallenged for so long despite its patent discrimination against women in contravention of the gender non-discrimination clause of the Nigerian constitution. In two cases decided 2014, the Supreme Court of Nigeria voided the custom of male primogeniture operative in some Igbo communities of Southeast Nigeria. These decisions appear to establish legal principle for assessing the validity of customs in Nigeria which are discriminatory against women. The paper extrapolates the full amplitude of the Supreme Court gender non-discrimination doctrine as it relates to succession to traditional ruler-ship and arrives at novel conclusions. Full Text: PDF DOI: 10.15640/ijgws.v3n1a14

Comparison of domestic violence against women in urban versus rural areas of southeast Nigeria.

BackgroundThe perception and prevalence of domestic violence (DV) in rural areas is poorly understood; the result is that most efforts at eradicating this harmful practice are concentrated in urban areas. The objective of the study was to compare the burden and perception of DV among women living in rural and urban Igbo communities of southeast Nigeria.MethodsThis was a comparative, cross-sectional study of women residing in rural and urban communities in Enugu, Nigeria, who had gathered for an annual religious meeting from August 1–7, 2011. Data analysis involved descriptive and inferential statistics and was conducted with the Statistical Package for Social Sciences, software version 17.0, at a 95% level of confidence.ResultsA total of 836 women who met the eligibility criteria participated in the survey. Of these, 376 were from Okpanku, a rural community, while 460 were from Ogui Nike, an urban community. The prevalence of DV among rural women was significantly higher than that among urban women (97% versus 81%, P<0.001). In particular, the prevalence of physical violence was significantly higher among rural women than among urban women (37.2% versus 23.5%; P=0.05). In contrast, rural and urban women did not differ significantly in the proportions that had experienced psychological or sexual violence. The proportion of women who believed that DV was excusable was significantly higher among rural dwellers than among urban dwellers (58.5% versus 29.6%; P=0.03).ConclusionThe burden of DV against women may be higher in rural communities than in urban communities in southeast Nigeria. More rural women perceived DV as excusable; this finding suggests that factors that sustain DV could be strong in rural areas. A comprehensive program to curb DV in this area may need to significantly involve the rural areas.

Sex Variations in the use of taboo Expressions in Igbo Community: A Manifestation of Gender Inequality

This study examined sex variations in taboo expressions in Igbo culture area and argued that sex variations in taboo expressions in Igboland is an indication that gender inequality still operates in Igbo community despite all efforts aimed at eliminating all forms of discrimination on the basis of sex. To carry out this study, the researcher adopted a descriptive survey method. The methods of data collection used were interview, personal observation and the researcher’s intuition as a member of Igbo speech community. Secondary data was collected through library research. A total of 48 fluent speakers of Igbo who inhabit the Igbo speaking areas were purposively selected for this study. The data collected were descriptively analyzed. The result of the study proved that sex is a strong linguistic variable that affects speech in Igbo community and that women in Igboland are forbidden from using certain taboo expressions, especially in gatherings comprising men and women. This paper, therefore, concluded that the differences observed in the speech of men and women in Igboland serve as an evidence of inequality between men and women in Igboland despite various attempts aimed at putting an end to all sorts of discrimination on the basis of sex. Key Words : community, culture, inequality, expression, language, sex, variation, taboo

Locating Social Capital in Interpersonal, Group and Community Interactions in Developing Societies of Africa (Evidences from Igbo Communities of South-Eastern Nigeria)

The dawn of the social capital theory opened up an avalanche of research interests from different academic fields particularly in western societies leaving one to wonder if there are similar occurrences of this concept in dissimilar societies such as in Africa and other cultural locations. If social capital as defined by Fukuyama (2002: 26-27) is the “existence of norms and values that necessitate individuals to band together to defend their interests and organize to support collective needs”; then social capital can be argued to exist wherever there is interpersonal and group interactions. The big question concerning the social capital research in Africa; is on why there is a drag of interest from researcher on a paradigm that sustains social intercourse in the region’s communities. Could it be that the terms, concepts and scenarios are mismatched with working definitions that are often developed from western studies? How therefore, could the concept be properly articulated to portray its essence and location within the African cultural worldview? In other to address these questions, I will be exploring the concept of social capital as represented in available western literatures and juxtaposing the positions with insights from African Igbo cultural perspectives of the concept.

Re-Examination of Igbo Values System, and the Igbo Personality: A Kantian and African Comparative Perspective

The primordial Igbo personality is subsumed in a world view of metaphysical reality in which God, as the Supreme Being, plays a central role. The construction of the model Igbo personality starts with an adequate appreciation of the communal role of the individual in maintaining societal balance, peace, prosperity and moral transparency. It is impossible to think of the individual as different from the community. There is a pre-existing metaphysical and social bond that inextricably links one to the other. The interests of the individual are concomitant with that of community. His aspirations, dreams and hopes for a better future and a fulfilled life are dialectically tied to the communal apron strings of what is good for the community. Thus it is “alu”, “nso ani” and “ajoomume” (evil and evil conduct in the Igbo moral sphere) for the individual to even think or act against the metaphysical and cosmological position of his indigenous Igbo community. With this attunement between the individual and his community, it becomes easier to build personalities who see themselves as members of the community. Most importantly, these personalities do exhibit values and virtues which strengthen the spiritual, ethical, social and economic heritage and resources in the Igbo communities. The conception of the Igbo personality, primordially speaking, is a conception in which the individual radiates, as it were, communal values. These communal values are the structural principles and powers that define the identity, integrity and inner self of the Igbo person. When an Igbo man reflects a personal behavior pattern filled with these action-values he is seen to be on the path of a dignified existence. He becomes, as it were, the embodiment of the universal merited dignity of humanity as we say in Igbo lore—“Onyenkabummadu” (this person has human dignity and lives it in his conduct). We can then re-examine to what extent the Igbo communal values are in attunement with the Kantian concept of human dignity. This paper posits that the Igbo communal system has the best indigenous ethical and environmental structure for the restoration of man’s dignity as posited by Kant and, has, for ages before Kant, been at the forefront of this restoration, ethicalization and construction of values for human dignity.

Teenage testicular torsion.

Aim: To study testicular torsion in teenagers in the Igbo community. Method: A retrospective study was carried out as regards requests for pathological examination of specimens received at a Regional Reference Laboratory based in Enugu. Results: Over a period of 30 years, 28 surgical specimens of testicular torsion in Igbo teenagers were received. They were submitted by 18 doctors working in 6 of the numerous towns inhabited by the Ibos or Igbos. The peak age was 16 years. The right testis (64.3%) was involved more often than the left unlike Western reports. Three patients reported within 24 hours of experiencing the usual pain and swelling. Most testes showed advanced necrotic changes. Perhaps, the lesion is uncommon in the community. Certainly, as many as 14 doctors sent but a specimen each. Since the Teaching Hospital at Enugu accounted for fully 16 cases, this suggests that most patients had to travel long distances to obtain treatment. Conclusions: These findings indicate the need for health education as well as the provision of more specialist hospitals for the teeming Igbo communities. We hope that this will be attained through those now springing up in Abakaliki, Orlu, and Aba. Key words: Testis, Teenage, Torsion, Igbos

Establishing Igbo Community Tradition in the United States: Lessons from Folkloristics

Abstract Since 2000, the goal of my teaching of Igbo cultural heritage in the United States has been to resuscitate suppressed Igbo community traditions and neglected traditional knowledge among educated parents so that they can pass their Igbo culture on to their American-born children. It is for this reason that I have chosen to be called, and have come to be known in Igbo American communities as TICHA, which stands for the Teaching of Igbo Cultural Heritage in America. This article shows how I have been using lessons from my over thirty years’ study of Igbo folklore to reacquaint Igbo people in America with Igbo cultural heritage, thereby shaping their preparedness to resuscitate and establish their ethnic community tradition in the United States.

Mami Wata and the Occluded Feminine in Anglophone Nigerian-Igbo Literature

This article examines the ways in which literary representations of the sacred feminine have shifted and evolved in anglophone Nigerian-Igbo literature. Beginning with an examination of the precolonial tradition of Mami Wata, or mother water, goddess worship among Igbo communities, this article traces the ways in which colonial imposition both fossilized previously flexible standards of gendered discourse and promoted largely Judeo-Christian norms for gendered behavior as part of a total political, economic, and social process of domination, which resulted in an effacement of the sacred feminine from literary representation. This effacement, however, has been redressed in recent years through a shift in engagement that has allowed the anglophone Nigerian-Igbo writer to return to the feminine as a means of voicing an alternative tradition, turning away from the colonialist problematic of earlier works. This evolution in discursive representations of gender and femininity is explored through readings of Achebe's Things Fall Apart , Nwapa's Efuru , Emecheta's The Joys of Motherhood , and Abani's GraceLand .

Plasma concentration of ascorbic acid and some hematological parameters in tobacco snuffers among the Igbos of Southeastern Nigeria

Background:Tobacco snuffing, like cigarette smoking, is known to be a common habit among the adults of Igbo communities in Nigeria. In view of the various pharmacological actions of nicotine and other additive constituents of tobacco snuff, there is growing concern that ascorbic acid, which is a vital antioxidant, and blood cell production or morphology may be affected.Objective:To investigate the possible effects of prolonged use of tobacco snuff on plasma ascorbic acid concentrations and some hematological parameters.Materials and Methods:Fifty adults of Igbo extraction (35 males and 15 females) residents in and around Enugu metropolis, who have been snuffing tobacco for 6 years and above, were recruited for the study, after they gave informed consent. Also, 50 apparently healthy, age-matched persons (25 males, 25 females), who do not smoke or take tobacco snuff, served as controls. Spectrophotometric method was adopted for ascorbic acid determination while hematological profiles were assessed by Bain method.Results:The results showed no significant difference in the measured parameters relative to the controls AA (P=0.08); Hb (P=0.19); PCV (P=0.10); RC (P=0.06); PC (P=0.20); WBC (P=0.09).Conclusion:The results of the study suggest that tobacco snuff inhalation may not adversely affect plasma ascorbic acid concentration and hematological parameters in adult humans. The study, however, has not concluded that tobacco snuffing is totally wholesome.

Igbo Slang in Otu-Onitsha: Towards Enriching the Igbo Language

Slang expressions are &ldquo;Terms that are made up or are given new definitions[by a social group] in order to make the terms novel or conventional [suchthat people outside the social group are excluded from the group&rsquo;sdiscussions]&rdquo; (Harris, 1994). Slang is, therefore, a sociolinguisticphenomenon. This chapter investigates the Igbo slang expressions used bymembers of Otu-Onitsha speech community. Many scholars have attemptedthe study of slang use in Igboland (see Anasiudu and Oluikpe, 1983; Oluikpe, Anasiudu and Ogbonna, 1984; Oluikpe and Ogbonna, 1987; Anasiudu, 1987; Okorji, 1998; Ebede, 2001; Oluikpe and Anasiudu, 2006; Nwoye, 2007). Although a few instances of Igbo slang appear in some of these works, none gives a detailed examination of Igbo slang expressions frequently used in an Igbo speech community. It identifies some Igbo slang expressions, their various users and contexts of usage. As Otu-Onitsha speech community comprises Igbo speakers from the different dialect areas of Igboland, we advocate that these slang expressions in use in Otu-Onitsha should consciously be made to permeate into the various Igbo communities as it iscustomary for the speakers in Otu-Onitsha to visit their family homes/villages from time to time. This would, definitely, enrich the Igbo language in their respective communities.

Distribution of Intestate Property Under the Customary Law of the Ngwa People of Abia State, Nigeria

The pattern of inheritance of property in Igbo land is generally assumed to be uniform. However, previous scholars have not considered the impact of diverse cultural practices on the law of the different Igbo communities. Igbo land comprises culturally distinct sub-groups with diverse historical and cultural origins requiring different customary law practices which, however, are absent in the region. The cultural specificity of the customary law of distribution of the Ngwa was examined. Also, the customary laws of distribution of intestate property among the people found in seven local government areas of Abia State investigated, in order to highlight their relevance or otherwise to the cultures. A combination of historical and analytical approaches was adopted utilising both primary and secondary data. These included legal texts, law reports, archival documents and case law analysis. Judgements in twelve cases that originated in Ngwaland and decided either by a customary court or the Customary Court of Appeal of Abia State were analysed. Oral interviews of 42 selected primary custodians of Ngwa customs and other persons knowledgeable in Ngwa oral history were carried out. Participant observations of some of the customs were also done during visits to the community. Data were subjected to content analysis. The assumption of uniformity in the customary law pattern of inheritance of property in Igbo land was demystified by the existence of peculiar customary rules of distribution of intestate property among the Ngwa people. Such peculiarities were typified by the unique Ngwa customary concepts like the ofo (a symbol of authority, physically represented by a piece of wood derived from Detarium Elastica); Isi Njoku (Njoku’s skull/head); Isi Nmaji (Nmaji’s skull/head); ohia ofo (lineage land reserved for the ofo holder); Ohia Njoku (lineage land reserved for the service of Isi Njoku), Ji Oketa Oliwa (harvested yam preserved underground) and Ji isi oba (first row of yams in a barn). These are special intestate properties whose unique Ngwa cultural significance makes them impossible to be partitioned. As observed in the customary law, the order of seniority was not followed when taking shares in intestate properties among Ngwa polygamous families. Similarly, the ultimogeniture rule applies in the distribution of a woman’s real estate. General uniformity in the customary law of intestate succession to property in Igboland was wrongly assumed because sub-ethnic cultural differences were not considered. Any application of uniformity will not only cause injustice but will also mislead the law to a blind alley. Rules of distribution of intestate property in specific communities are consequently a sine qua non to any conclusive assertion on the applicable laws. Thus, there is a need to ascertain and document the Ngwa customary law of inheritance in a Restatement of Law.

Colonial discourse, poetic language, and the Igbo masquerading culture in Ezenwa-Ohaeto's The Voice of the Night Masquerade

Until the recent effacement of aspects of the Igbo traditional values through the combined and sustained conspiracy of Western colonialism and Christian evangelical missions, the masquerade was one of the most venerated symbols of the people's social cohesion. It was particularly revered for its juridical functions in many Igbo communities. Whereas it provided entertainment to the communities, it was also often evoked as the most important symbol of justice amongst the people. This paper offers a critical reading of Ezenwa-Ohaeto's The Voice of the Night Masquerade, a work of rare achievement that brings into focus not only aspects of the cultural idiosyncrasies of the Igbo of South Eastern Nigeria through the cultural genre of the night masquerade, but also does so with an elegance that resurrects the age-long question on the nature of the language of traditional African poetry which engaged scholars like Chinweizu and his team, Wole Soyinka, and many others during the long, and continuing quest for the decolonization of the African mind. It locates aspects of Igbo language and culture through the vision and mannerism of Ezenwa-Ohaeto. The Voice of the Night Masquerade, it concludes, is particularly relevant because its ethics and aesthetics provide profound insight as a postcolonial statement in social equipoise that debunks colonialist civilizational assumptions of Africa.