THE IGBO SYSTEM OF GOVERNMENT DURING THE PRE-COLONIAL ERA

The Igbo are a Nigerian ethnic group whose traditional form of administration relied heavily on village councils and was characterized by its decentralization.

The heads of the several households in a community would get together to form a council. Dispute resolution, resource management, and event planning were only some of the responsibilities of these councils.

There were both local village councils and larger tiers of governance with jurisdiction over many settlements. Decisions affecting the entire region were decided at these higher levels of administration, which were normally composed of delegates from each village council.

The Igbo administration was noteworthy for its usage of age classes. The responsibilities of the males in a society were divided up among age classes, or groups of men born around the same time. It’s possible that different age groups be in charge of different tasks in the community, such as cleaning the roads or planning the annual festival.

There was a heavy focus on community participation and decision-making in the Igbo form of administration before colonial rule. Although there were higher tiers of authority responsible for numerous villages, power was distributed widely and relied on citizen engagement.