Influence of In-Laws on Inheritance Rights as Perceived by Widows in Port Harcourt Municipality, Nigeria

Abstract

The study investigated the influence of in-laws on inheritance rights as perceived by widows in Port Harcourt Local Government Area of Rivers State. The study employed a descriptive survey design. The sample consisted of 300 widows purposively selected from the Local Government Area. The research instrument for data collection was Perception of In-laws Influence on Inheritance Rights Questionnaire (PIIIRQ). The data were analyzed using frequency counts, percentages, t-test and ANOVA Statistics. The results revealed that 68% of respondents perceived in-laws influence on their inheritance rights as unfavourable. Significant differences were also found between younger and older widows on one hand and highly and less educated widows on the other hand, in their perception of in-laws influence on their inheritance rights. The Duncan Multiple Range test also showed that Hausa, Igbo and Yoruba women were significantly different in their perceptions. Based on the findings, counseling intervention was proffered such as setting up clinics for abused widows, counseling them on skills acquisition training among others.

Keywords: In-laws' influence; Inheritance rights; Widows' perception, culture

The Nigerian Journal of Guidance and Counselling Vol. 11 (1) 2006: pp. 93-103