Abstract
Nigeria is a thriving nation, one of the richest country in Africa, often nicknamed by its inhabitants "the giant of Africa". It is also a country victim of overpopulation, criminality, child labor, and many other problems such as slavery. The modern political state Nigeria was created with the merging of the Southern and Northern Nigerian protectorates of the British Empire . The country is therefore very new and a patchwork of many religions. It is composed of as many as 250 ethnic groups . Needless to say, it is a very interesting but complex country on many points.
The notion of family is very different from what an inhabitant of a "Western country" might be accustomed to. In Europe the word "family" often refers to the core family unit: mother, father and children. It is not common for several generations to be living under the same roof. Though people might have close ties with their relatives they rarely see each others on a daily basis. This is not the case in Nigeria where family ties are very strong and where extended families might often live together in very crowded and simple lodgings. Another big difference is polygamy. It is permitted and sometimes even encouraged in many parts of the country, but not everywhere, bringing great disparities in Family politics throughout the country. In fact, it is the entire legal system that is concerned. Several law system cohabit, that is, the "law" is not the same for everybody. This can mean life or death and a completely different way of life depending on where the person lives and which god he or she worships.
