Types of Family in Nigeria
Would you be interested in knowing the types of families in Nigeria? Have you ever wondered how Nigerian families survive? There are different types of families and family structures in Nigeria. The present-day family in Nigeria is expanding as the day goes by. Many families are averagely surviving while some merely survive.
For the majority of Nigerians, a family is a group of people who are often connected by blood, marriage, or adoption. The nuclear family, which consists of one man, his wife, and their unmarried children, and the extended family, which is typically composed of some nuclear families, are the two main forms of families.
Most cultural groups in Nigeria follow patrilineal descent, uphold patriarchal authority, adhere to patrilocal rules of residence, and have a patricentric worldview. This arrangement is taken into consideration when raising the kids, and female kids are purposefully raised to serve and submit to males. Marriages have occasionally been dissolved as a result of the birth of a single child or multiple children due to this structure.
TYPES OF FAMILY IN NIGERIA
Today we’ll take a look at the types of families we have in Nigeria, more so, the structure and everything you need to know about Nigerian families. Bearing numerous children is both acceptable and a badge of honor in Nigeria. For instance, most households in the northern portion of Nigeria have ten or more children, although having a large family comes with a heavier financial burden.
As a result, in 1995, the estimated national fertility rate was 6.31 children per woman. In comparison to the death rate of 12, there were 43.26 births per 1,000 people. However, because of the inadequate medical infrastructure and the general hardship of Nigerians, the infant mortality rate was 72.6 deaths for every 1,000 live births. One of the highest rates in the world, it had a detrimental effect on the birth rate. There is a significant rate of maternal mortality.
The liberal use of the word “uncle” to relate to all elder male family members and occasionally relatively unaffected is another characteristic of Nigerian families. Additionally, “aunty” may be used to refer to any elder female relative or unrelated person. Similar to how men and women are referred to loosely as “daddy” and “mommy,” respectively when they are over the age of forty-five. Regardless of age, those with higher social rank are addressed as sir or madam. The majority of Nigerian cultures place a high value on showing respect to elders and superiors, which may be the basis for this.
Here are the types of families available in Nigeria today:
THE NUCLEAR FAMILY
This type of family is common around us. Its name is derived from the Latin term nucleus, which means core in English. The marriage of a man and a woman in our instance serves as the foundation of every home. The natural family comprises a father, a mother, and kids. The majority of people in the world have this concept of family.
A family is not regarded as nuclear if at least one grandparent resides with a married couple. It is a type of household that is larger. Conversely, a nuclear family is not present if at least one parent does not live with their spouse and children.
THE EXTENDED FAMILY
This type of family consists of the collection of a nuclear, single parent, grandparents, and other family members living together. It simply brings the togetherness of all family members. The complete extended family is married couples with any of their parents, siblings, or children from other siblings together with other relatives.
THE SINGLE-PARENT FAMILY
A single spouse with one or more children makes up the family. This type of family can occur for a variety of reasons, including the unwed birth of a child, the death of one parent, the dissolution of a marriage, or the parents’ separate living arrangements.
Social services occasionally assist these families. More frequently than not, friends or family can assist the parent in parenting the child. When the parent is at work or otherwise occupied, they can look after the youngster.
CHILDLESS FAMILY
They’re some couple married not to have children for a space of time. While most childless couples are due to infertility. The dream of every marriage is to bring forth the younger generation, but the inability to give birth is termed childlessness.
Another issue related to childlessness is genetic, a situation whereby the spouse is diagnosed with a particular disease, and for further occurrence, they are asked to remain childless for the disease not transmitted to their young ones.
Career-driven parents are also in the class of a childless family, these people are focused on their careers and don’t want children till they meet their desired goals. While some due to the economic situation of the nation remain childless.
STEP FAMILY
When one or both of the spouses opt to combine the children from their past marriages with their children, this form develops. Although it has a different structure, such a family is nonetheless regarded as nuclear. Relationships in these households can be challenging. Healthy connections in the home are threatened by the past of the spouses.
A couple frequently believes they can successfully reunite all of the children. Adults may anticipate that things would proceed as usual, but when they discover that there are numerous issues, they become dissatisfied. Children might not notice when a new parent is paying them attention.
GRANDPARENTS FAMILY
Are you wondering about the grandparent’s family? Well, these tend to be the best family for most elderly parents as they would be taking care of their grandchildren. It makes them lively and strong, the grandchildren tend to keep them strong by stressing them rather than staying all alone.
CONCLUSION
Love and affection come from the family. This is the first set from which we learn the knowledge, skills, and abilities that we will later strive to apply to our surroundings. The idea of family has recently undergone a significant transformation. There are now many various forms of families in addition to the mother, father, and children that make up a family in the traditional sense. The world changes as time go on, and other things change along with it. We have chosen six particular household types that are prevalent in the modern world.
