7 Traditions In Nigeria You absolutely Never Knew

Nigeria has a range of cultural practices,

ranging from the Magun to witch hunting

and female circumcision and some just seem

weird.

In this modern era, some of the practices which

are considered a means of preserving cultural

values and norms may appear strange and may

even be considered outrageous by people from

other parts of the world.

Let’s take a look at 7 cultural practices among

various tribes in Nigeria which some may

consider strange.

1. Sharo Festival:

“Sharo” means flogging. It is a public ceremony

that demonstrates to the society that a young

man has come of age, and may take a wife. The

young participant is continuously whipped by

someone else, called a challenger, but he must

show no signs of pain.

The Sharo cultural festival as a major event in

the Fulani settlements attracts people from all

works of life to witness the bravery spectacle

exhibited by the young and energetic Fulanis.

Usually held in a market place for a week, the

festival displays the test of endurance and elicit

the strength and perseverance of young males

to withstand the pain emanating from severe

flogging.

2. The Magun:

The Nigerian society frowns at adultery. The

Yoruba ethnic group has a powerful juju (black

magic) called Magun for adulterers and most

times the outcome is not palatable as the

offender could lose his life. The Magun is

placed in married woman without her being

aware of it either by her husband or his family.

If she commits adultery, her lover could end up

losing his life or getting stuck while in the act.

3. Inheritance Practices :

The inheritance practices are rooted in the

belief by many that the wife herself is a

property that can be passed around. In some

Nigerian cultures, when a man dies, the wife

could be inherited by one of the man’s

brothers. However, these days, greedy

relatives use it as a way to access the late

man’s wealth. This practice is becoming a thing

of the past as more women are becoming

enlightened and rejecting it.

4. Widowhood Practice :

As if it is not enough that a woman lost her

partner to the cold hands of death, she would

be subjected to further humiliation to prove

she has no hand in his death. In some Nigerian

cultures, the widow is forced to drink water

used in washing her husband’s corpse. Family

members of the deceased also forcefully shave

her hair and make her sleep with the corpse.

This is done to prove that the widow is not

responsible for her husband’s death. This

culture is gradually going out of practice.

5. The Servicehood or Nwaboy Phenomenon:

This is mostly practiced by the Igbos. The

Nwaboy or servant serves the master in return

for settlement, often in the form of an

automobile spare part shop; electronics or

super market. During this period, the Nwaboy

stays under the masters’ tutelage for an agreed

number of years to learn the ropes of the

business. After he faithfully serves his master

for the number of years, he is rewarded.

Sometimes, it is not advantageous to the

Nwaboy as the master ends up cheating him

out of his reward.

6. Female Circumcision

Many tribes in Africa still follow this scary

tradition. Nigeria is one of the countries in

Africa where female circumcision is widely

practiced. For men, circumcision is partial or

complete removal of foreskin around the

genitals and for women it is removal of

genitals. This is meant to preserve the chastity

of women. As the level of education increases,

the likelihood of supporting the practice of

female circumcision reduces and regular use of

media of communication such as radio and

television is an influential factor against the

practice of female circumcision in Nigeria.

7. Witch Hunting:

This is practiced mostly among the Edos. If a

man or woman is suspected of practicing

witchcraft due to strange occurrences or deaths

in the family or community, he or she will be

taken to a witch doctor. The suspect undergoes

all kinds of torture to force the truth out of

them and they end up confessing. The

confession is enforced by the witch doctor and

if the suspect is found guilty, he or she will be

ex-communicated from the community.

What other strange traditions do you know

about?