THE ROLE OF GUIDANCE IN ADDRESSING HARMFUL WIDOWHOOD PRACTICES IN NIGERIA

The study investigated the influence of harmful widowhood practices on widows in Nigeria: implications for Guidance. The study was guided by it three specific objectives, three research questions and three null hypotheses. The research design for this study was a descriptive survey research design. The population of this study comprised of all widows in. A sample size of three hundred and twenty-one (321) respondents was sampled for the study. The instrument was a self-designed questionnaire titled “Harmful Widowhood Practices Questionnaire (HWPQ). Frequency counts and percentages was used to analyse the demographic data while Mean scores and Standard Deviations was used to answer the research questions also ANOVA was used to test hypotheses 1-2 while t-test was used to test hypotheses 3. The study revealed that poverty, unemployment, lack of education amongst others were some of the factors responsible for harmful widowhood practices in Nigeria, depression, financial instability, emotional instability amongst others were some of the major influence of harmful widowhood practices in Nigeria. It was therefore recommended amongst others that: information and sensitization should be created on the influence of harmful widowhood practices on widows and national development in order to bring the menace to the barest minimum if not totally eradicated.