The Role of Umuada Igbo in Conflict Management and Development in Nigeria

Abstract

The Umuada Igbo in Igbo cultural group is one of the most organized, peaceful and endowed women groups in Nigeria. As individuals and as a group, their contributions as farmers, civil workers and managers of human welfare are central to the ability of households, communities and nation to tackle the challenges of poverty and conflicts. It is to be noted, however, that the Umuada Igbo like other women groups from other nations suffer from decreased access to resources and paternalistic domination. However, their traditional and modern contributions make them to be no "pushovers" in the political, economic, religious and social life of the nation. Their roles in these areas are acknowledged. Their developmental efforts are remarkable in the families, communities and the Church. In families and communities, their reconciliatory roles are unsurpassed in support of their husbands, and the empowerment of rural women since they appreciate that empowerment is essential for a new world order and essential to find solutions to many conflicts. To achieve this, an environment for peace has to be created. As an organized group, they have established goals and strategies to pursue peace. This paper aims at studying their roles as agents of reconciliation and vanguards of development in pre-colonial and post-colonial modern Igbo land of Africa. John Burton's Human Needs model (theory) was adopted as a theoretical tool of analysis. Suggestions were proffered on how to use the Umuada as an agency of development to improve the status of women in the society.

Local Government Administration in Nigeria and Pakistan: A Cross-Cultural Content Analysis

“…The traditional environment that is prominent in such civilizations served as the foundation for pre-colonial governance in Nigeria. For instance, the Hausa-Fulani in the northern parts of Nigeria, where the emirate system is very strong and prevalent; the Yoruba in the western part, where the Oba traditional system is prevalent; and the Igbo in the east, which was republican in nature with the elders' council (Obasi & Nnamani, 2015). It is imperative to note that the Pre-colonial Nigerian societies had separate administrations that did not interact with one another prior to the coming of the colonial masters.…”

Umuada: A Sociopolitical Institution for Peacebuilding and Conflict Management in Nigeria

“…It participated in conflict resolution and transformation within the family and community. It commanded respect from the male members and often represented the interests of women in decisionmaking processes (Obasi and Nnamani, 2015). One of my co-researchers, a woman peacebuilder in Nsukka Enugu State, carefully articulated her understanding of the relational being of the Igbo woman and her historical identity.…”

“…The communities look to them for the resolution of major conflicts, including domestic conflicts, interkindred conflict, and armed violence resulting from land boundary disputes. They mediate and help in resolving different types of conflicts between and within communities (Obasi and Nnamani, 2015).…”

“…The Umuada ensure that the parties keep to that agreement through the second of their two approaches-that is, force and threats-by way of fines or other indigenous methods depending on the issue. It is important to note that before using the second approach the Umuada will have conducted exhaustive consultations and given several opportunities for a peaceful resolution of the conflict (Obasi and Nnamani, 2015).…”

“…The Umuada thus function as a traditional justice mechanism that not only mediates but also engages in fact finding and adjudication. Obasi and Nnamani (2015) advance that the Umuada will extract the facts, analyse them and decide appropriate measures of penalty to be apportioned on the guilty party. They de facto act as a 'court of arbitration' (though not with legal force).…”