The Motivations for polygyny in Nigeria.

Abstract

This paper explores the motivations of men and women who enter polygynous unions, using Nigeria as a case study. It looks at the different theories applied to polygyny such as socio-cultural evolution, socio-economic, demographic and gender and development theory. By examining these theories it becomes clear that our popular world view on polygyny is often out of context, and fails to captures the realities of polygynous societies and individuals’ reasons for entering it. This paper examines marriage and polygyny patterns in Sub-Saharan Africa and Nigeria by using data from the Demographic and Health Survey. It concludes that polygynous marriage in many countries in Sub-Saharan Africa has been declining due to economic reasons rather than westernization. It also explores different types of motivations for polygyny such as socio-economic, reproduction and mens’ prestige.