A woman has explained why she refused to give her father about ₦1.5 million to support a building project in their village, saying she would not contribute to a property she could not inherit because of tradition.
The woman made the disclosure while discussing the issue of female-child inheritance in Igbo and Ikwere communities.
How the building project started
She said the matter began last year when she had a conversation with her father about his plans to construct a building in their village.
According to her, her father told her that he wanted to embark on the project if he could raise enough money.
She said she decided to support him financially and planned to give him about $1,000, which she estimated at roughly ₦1.5 million at the time.
“Last year, I was discussing with my dad and he was like, I want to, I want to, that he wants to do a building project in the village if he has some amount of money.
“So I was like, okay, I’m going to support you with 1.5 million because then last year, a dollar was like 1.5. That time we had this discussion. So I’m just thinking like $1,000 would, would be okay. Let me just gather the money and just exchange it and give him the money when the time comes.”
She questioned her brothers’ contributions
However, as the time for the contribution approached, she said she began questioning why she should be the one funding the project when she had two elder brothers who were not contributing.
She said she eventually had another conversation with her father this year before giving him the money.
According to her, she asked her father whether she would inherit part of the building if he died.
“I said, daddy, this, this, this building project that you’re doing now in the village, if you owe and die, would I inherit a part of it?”
Father allegedly said she could only be given a room
She said her father answered that she would not inherit part of the property but could be given a space to stay.
“He said, no, that they can give me space.”
She explained that, according to what her father told her, she could potentially be given a room in the building if she wanted to stay in the village, but she could not claim ownership of a portion of the property.
She then questioned why she should contribute financially to a building from which she would not have an inheritance.
“I said, well, I’m the only one contributing for this house, isn’t it?”
She said her father acknowledged that she was the only one contributing.
She asked for land instead
The woman then asked whether her father could instead give her some of the land he had acquired.
According to her, he told her that she could not inherit those properties either.
She said she specifically wanted two plots of land because land in her village was relatively cheap.
“I said, me, I want that two plots of land that is in place because land in my village is very cheap.”
However, she said her father maintained that giving her the land as inheritance was not allowed under their tradition.
She withdrew her planned contribution
She consequently told him that she would not provide the money for the building project.
“I said, okay, giving you money to start up a building project, I will not be inheriting anything from if you are no more, is against my own rules and my own tradition and my religion is against my church.
“So therefore I will not be giving you that money.”
She said her father initially laughed at her response, apparently thinking she was joking, but she remained serious.
According to her, the two eventually laughed during the conversation before she made it clear that she was not changing her decision.
‘My money is not worthy to be included’
She said her father reminded her that they had already reached an agreement concerning the money.
“I said, no, I said, yes, we had an agreement, but I am here to disappoint you that I will not be giving you this money because I am not worthy to inherit anything from my father’s property because of tradition. So my money is not worthy to be included in that building project.”
She said her father asked her to reconsider the decision, but she told him she had already thought about it.
“I said, I’ve thought about it. That’s why I’m coming to you with this topic.”
According to her, she told her father that she was disappointed by his position on the matter.
“What do you mean it’s against your tradition? So you cannot against your tradition, give your daughter something.”
She said her father maintained that he could not do so.
She told her father to rely on his sons
The woman subsequently decided that her father should rely on other family members to finance the project.
“I said, fine, let the village people and your sons contribute money for these things.”
She said she eventually did not give him any money towards the project.
“I did not give him 10 Naira for that project. He will never get any money. He will never get any money from me to build, to do any building project in that village.”
She says she will still support her father
The woman clarified that her decision did not mean she would stop supporting her father personally.
She said she had sent him money for his birthday a few days earlier and would continue to give him money when necessary.
“As far as whenever I like, whenever I want to give my father money, a few days ago was his birthday. I did send him money.”
But she maintained that she would not contribute towards a building she believed she would not be entitled to inherit.
“I’ll give my father money, but as far as contributing to build a house that I will not be inheriting with this, uh, tradition, uh, this tradition is still alive. He will never be getting it out of spite.”
She bought more than 10 plots of land
The woman also revealed that she had chosen to invest her money in land instead.
She said she bought more than 10 plots of land in her village last year, arguing that she could use the property for her own purposes.
“Last year, I bought 10 plots of land in my village so I can buy land.”
She said she saw a difference between buying land with her own money and receiving property as inheritance.
“They can take my money and give me land, but they cannot take my money and give me inheritance because it’s against their tradition.”
Woman urges other women to invest in their own properties
She also warned women against investing their money in family properties where they could eventually have no ownership rights.
According to her, some male relatives could later sell family properties, leaving daughters who had contributed financially without any benefit.
She said women could instead use their money to acquire their own land and develop it themselves.
“And you, that is a girl, that have contributed money to build this house, instead of you to carry that money, go build your own house.”
She said she had chosen to use the money she would have contributed to her father’s building project to acquire land where she could establish her own property or plantation.
“That money where I don’t give them, I use and buy land.”
She added that she had bought land in the village and could use it for agricultural purposes.
“Inside bush where I go, any day I like, I use and do plantation, or do Banga plantation.”
‘I shall not be enabling a patriarchal structure’
The woman said her decision was also a way of refusing to support what she described as a patriarchal system that disadvantaged women.
“I shall not be, I shall not be enabling a patriarchal structure that is fighting against me.”
She encouraged other women to adopt a similar approach where they believe family traditions prevent them from inheriting properties they help finance.
“This is how we are going to be doing it from now.”
She compares inheritance practices in different communities
The woman also compared inheritance practices in different communities.
According to her, a former landlady of her sister, whom she identified as a Calabari woman, inherited a building from her father after his death.
“My sister’s former landlady is a Kalabari woman. They give her a whole building when her father died. The brother took some part of the building.
“She took the whole building. How many rooms? A story building. About 12, I think eight rooms.”
Using the example, she argued that inheritance practices differ between communities and said women should consider such differences before investing in family properties.
She criticises alleged sale of family properties
The woman also made claims about what she had observed in Ikwere communities, including allegations that some male heirs sell properties left by their fathers.
She said this was another reason women should consider investing in properties they personally own rather than putting money into family projects where they have no inheritance rights.
She argued that women who contribute to such properties could eventually be left with nothing while male relatives benefit from or dispose of the assets.
She speaks about preference for female children
The woman concluded the discussion by addressing the issue of people’s preference for male or female children.
She said she personally did not want male children and claimed that, if biological sex selection were possible, she would choose to have female children.
“I don’t want male children.”
She added:
“If it is biologically possible for me to select my eggs, and select my husband’s sperm to fertilise my egg, I don’t want no penis child out of my vagina. And that’s on period.”
She ended by telling people who disagreed with her position to express their objections themselves.
“Everybody should go and cry.”
Watch the video here…
“No inheritance, no contribution. Let the male children do the building” Woman says after her father requested N1.5m from her to build their house in village pic.twitter.com/3V3Wcb1i0l
— YabaLeftOnline (@yabaleftonline) September 10, 2026
