AN APPRAISAL OF WOMEN INHERITANCE RIGHTS IN NIGERIA

Abstract

Over the years, the customary law has influenced the inheritance laws in Nigeria. The primogeniture system practiced among the major ethnic groups give unequal right to male and female regarding inheritance and sharing of property. The system that recognizes the right of the male child over that of female also discriminate against and deny women the right to inherit property of their late father or spouse. This research appraises the inheritance rights of women in Nigeria. The research adopts the doctrinal research method and the study finds that women�s right to inheritance under customary law has been hindered under various customary laws, traditions and cultural beliefs. It was also shown that the 1999 Constitution provides for the discriminatory practices in Nigeria including inheritance rights. There are also other regional and international legal frameworks available for the protection of the inheritance rights of women. The study also finds that the Nigerian laws protecting the inheritance rights of women in Nigeria have been adequate in recent times with regard to the outcome of various cases observed in Nigeria. However, there have been some challenges that have militated against the implementation of these inheritance rights laws such as, lack of awareness of legal rights of women, poor political will of public agencies protecting women�s rights, poverty and socio-economic status of women, and the issue of male dominance has affected the implementation of women inheritance rights laws in Nigeria. The study therefore recommends that government should ensure that it puts in place such programmes that would sensitive the women folks on the available means and remedies in realising their rights to inheritance. The study concludes that that enlightenment programmes are needed particularly in rural areas where the application of customary practices which derogates the inheritance rights of women so as to sensitize women on their rights.

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urn:uuid:7d06761b-0f3a-4da5-94c5-e711311ad7ee