Polygamy and its impacts on African households -By Ifeoluwa Adebayo

Polygamy is a practice in which a man can have more than one wife at the same time in a society where it is allowed. Polygamy has been in existence since the time of the early men, even till this day. It has been seen as a common type of marriage especially in Africa. Polygamy has a lot of effects both in the past and the present.

In Nigeria, regions with high prevalence of poverty have the highest polygamy rates. According to the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS), the 2017 Demographic Health Survey shows that 44% and 47% of women in the Northeast and Northwest are in polygamous unions, while that of men is 24% and 20% respectively. According to the statistics, polygamy is prevalent among the Muslims.

Polygamy today has been less economical than in the past. In the past, it was used as a medium of ensuring stability in the family. Marrying many wives enhances the chances of having many sons which brings honour and influence to the family. It was also used to establish the economic stability of a farmer. The children will work on the farm and at the end be a backbone when their parents are old.

This article is not against nor in favour of polygamy but describing its impact especially in an African household. Nowadays, polygamy has taken a new style in which the husbands in monogamous homes are not really faithful to their wives. Some monogamous husbands instead of marrying a second wife, they have concubine/s outside their matrimonial home which causes problem in the family.

An effect of polygamous unions is jealousy. Jealousy is uncontrollable among the wives which can lead to physical injuries. Out of jealousy, sometimes the husband is bewitched. The attainment of standard education is always difficult for children in polygamous unions.

The children are at greater risk of experiencing mental conflicts, family violence, mental distress and so on. Also, there would be conflicts on household income between the wives which results to financial stress, poverty and unhappiness.

In conclusion, practising polygamy in the past was more better than now. Monogamous homes tend to reduce poverty in the country. I suggest that both private and public sector should promote monogamy. Government should also provide economic incentives for newly wedded couples. This will really reduce the rate of polygamy especially in Africa.

Ifeoluwa Adebayo is a student of English, Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile-ife. You can contact him at afolarinifeoluwa@gmail.com