"'I nu-nwunye' (marriage) has a foremost place in Ibo social economy. It looms upon the horizon of every maid and youth as an indispensable function to be fulfilled with as little delay as possible after reaching the age of puberty," 74 writes G. T. Basden. Two words, however, summarize the Ibo concept of marriage: community and procreation. The Ibos believed that marriage was a community rather than an individual event. People married, not necessarily for love and companionship, but to fulfill the social obligation of maintaining the life of the community through procreation.

Restrictions and Requirements

While infant-marriage (a boy and a girl affianced at birth) was an acceptable practice in traditional Ibo communities, most marriages were between two consenting adults. "And usually, it was a long, tedious, and ceremonious process that consisted of certain laws and customs that must be observed," says an Ibo man. For example, marrying...