By Abu Hassan
Abagana, Nigeria – Despite a landmark Supreme Court ruling in 2014 declaring it discriminatory, women in parts of south-eastern Nigeria are still routinely being denied their rightful inheritance, perpetuating a tradition that favors male heirs. This practice leaves many women financially vulnerable and struggling to make ends meet after the death of their fathers or fathers.
Onyinye Igwe, 29, is one such woman. When her father, a relatively wealthy man, passed away intestate (without a will) two years ago, his estate, including houses, land, and money, was divided solely amongst his three sons, leaving Onyinye and her five sisters with nothing.
“The men [her brothers] claimed all that our father had,” Onyinye told the media. “They told us [women] that we are going to get married into another person’s home, so we don’t have to inherit anything from our father. Because that’s the tradition, we didn’t fight with them.”
The consequences have been devastating for Onyinye, forcing her to abandon her university dreams and instead run a small noodle business in Abagana, Anambra state, just to survive.
Onyinye’s story is not unique. Evelyn Onyenokwalu, another woman living in the same region, experienced a similar fate. As the first child in her family, Evelyn was excluded when her only brother inherited their father’s entire estate, including the family house.
“So many people got involved before my brother gave me one room [in the family house] and he said I should not be locking the door,” she explained. “There was a time I was broke because my brother rented some of the rooms and did not give me a share from it.”
Evelyn’s brother, Oscar Nonso, defended his actions, claiming he was simply adhering to the tradition. “Here the men take it all, they give to their women whatever they wish,” he said. “This fighting for inheritance in your father’s house is just like fighting for [a] double portion, because when you [women] get from your father’s house, definitely you will get from your husband’s house.”
This deeply ingrained custom stems from the belief that ancestral family land should not be inherited by women, as they are expected to marry outside the community. There are also concerns about husbands gaining access to family land through marriage. Family houses, traditionally called “obi,” are also seen as the exclusive inheritance of male children, representing a patriarchal system that dates back generations.
While the Nigerian constitution prohibits gender-based discrimination, the Igbo tradition persists. In 2014, Nigeria’s Supreme Court ruled that excluding female children from inheritance, regardless of their circumstances, was discriminatory and illegal. This landmark ruling came after a woman spent over 20 years fighting her family in court. However, despite the legal precedent, changing deeply rooted cultural practices remains a significant challenge.
The continued denial of inheritance rights for women highlights the ongoing struggle for gender equality in Nigeria and the need for greater awareness and enforcement of the law to protect women and girls from these discriminatory practices. The future financial stability and empowerment of Nigerian women depend on dismantling these outdated traditions and upholding the legal rights enshrined in the constitution.
