Abstract:
Family life amongst most African communities is organized along
patriarchal lines where the male is the head of the family. Property
succession and inheritance was through male lineage. This is probably
because unlike women who leave the family after marriage, the males
remain at home. The desire to keep the family‟s wealth within the
home dictated that the wealth be inherited specifically by the men. To
add on to that, in the African Traditional community, perpetuation and
continuity of life was a matter of grave concern for the individual
family. It was through procreation that that their personal immortality
was perpetuated and a source of heirs to their property was ensured. It
was, therefore, a must for every individual to get married and have
children.
