Family and Household Issues in Northern Nigeria: Change and Continuity

Abstract

This paper examined the continuity and change in families and households in northern Nigeria. Being social phenomena, family and household remain the first agent of socialization and depend on cultural, social and economic factors that continued to change in time and between countries. Secondary data from IPUMS which covered the period of 2006-2010 were employed, and analysis was done using percentages and frequency distribution. The result shows diversity in family types, household structure and relationships in the contemporary northern Nigerian settings. High rate of divorce and remarriage has led to greater number of reconstituted families and single-person households. However, the traditional extended and polygamous family structures as practised in the past remain the norm for most people.