Nigeria is a country of great diversity: With 36 states, 250 different tribes, 400 ethnic groups, 4,000 separate languages. Each ethnic group abides by its own cultural practices, striving to maintain its identity. The people are Muslims, Christians or animists, but common to them all, is that the practice of religion is mixed with to cultural practices and customs, most of which are detrimental to the womenfolk, particularly the widows.
Although successive governments had initiated certain women empowerment Programmes or the other, these have not really touched the rural women in a sustainable manner. In addition, the special condition of widows and the orphans under them have often been neglected. Moreover, everything seems to happen in the capital cities, rural women are very isolated and widows often struggle to survive without help from member of the society.