EQUIPPING THE BRIDE, SUSTAINING THE FAMILY: EXPLORING THE ROLE OF ÍDŪ ỤLỌ IN ECONOMIC CONFLICT MANAGEMENT IN CONTEMPORARY IGBO SOCIETY

Abstract

In traditional Igbo society, the practice of Ídū Ụlọ the ceremonial gifting of household items, foodstuffs, and domestic animals by the bride’s family to their daughter at marriage, is more than a cultural formality. It functions as an indigenous economic strategy designed to ensure the stability of the new home and mitigate economic tensions that may lead to conflict. This research explores Ídū Ụlọ not merely as a customary rite, but as a deliberate economic assemblage that fosters resilience, encourages wealth redistribution, and promotes peace between kinship networks. In the 21st century, where economic instability has become a major source of family disintegration and marital disputes, this rite offers a localized model of pre-emptive conflict management rooted in cultural values. Drawing from oral interviews, ethnographic fieldwork, and indigenous knowledge frameworks, the study will investigate the evolution of this rite in both rural and urban Igbo contexts. It aims to uncover how this practice has adapted to modern realities and how it continues to serve as a tool for economic empowerment, gendered support systems, and inter-family cohesion. By critically reinterpreting Ídū Ụlọ rite through the lens of indigenous conflict resolution and economic anthropology, this project offers new insights into the sustainability of traditional institutions in the contemporary African societies. Ultimately, the research advocates for a deeper recognition of some of the Igbo cultural practices as viable models for economic security and social harmony in family life today.