FAMILY LIFE
Most Nigerian families are patriarchal and rights of inheritance are traced through the male members of the family. Those who hold traditional titles such as Chief, Emir, Oba or Eze enjoy higher status in the community. Some of these titles are inherited, but wealthy individuals may receive titles as a result of their achievements.

Extended families, in which parents, children, their spouses, grandchildren and other relatives live under one roof, are common in rural areas. Family relationships are guided by a strict system of seniority. The freedom to use first names is given only to seniors and superiors. It is an insult to call an elder sibling by his or her first name. Although the extended family system is changing, a tradition of mutual caring and responsibility is very strong in Nigerian family life.

Practices such as child marriage are disappearing, but girls are still encouraged to marry early. Marriages involve all members of the two families. Bridewealth (a dowry) is paid, and there are elaborate religious ceremonies. Relationships in which a man has more than one wife are accepted by most ethnic groups in Nigeria. This practice is changing because of westernization and the spread of Christianity. In urban areas, more and more people select their own partners and marriages across ethnic groups are becoming more common. Divorce is also increasingly common in urban areas.
 Did you know?
     
Nigerians are very proud of traditional titles. One of the most sought-after titles in Nigeria is Chief, which is considered more important than a doctoral degree.

   
Children are very important to Nigerian families. Parents believe that children will provide support for them in their old age. Elaborate naming ceremonies accompany the birth of a child. Names often have special significance: for example, the Yoruba name "Adeleke" means "We are already higher than our enemies."

In most families, women carry out all the household tasks, sometimes with the help of relatives or servants. The typical Nigerian husband does not have household duties. There are great differences between the lifestyles of the rich and the poor, and between rural and urban families. In rural areas the traditional practice of caring for the elderly by their children, grandchildren, spouses, siblings or even ex-spouses is strong, but in the urban areas, under conditions of hardship, this tradition is beginning to change.

Although most urban areas in Nigeria have electricity and running water, the supply is erratic. Overcrowding and poor housing conditions exist in cities like Lagos, which has a population of 5.6 million people, or Ibadan, which has more than a million people.