Traditional Rulers and Democracy in Contemporary Africa: A Case Study of Nigeria

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This study explored the role of traditional rulers on state administration in contemporary Africa. A case study was conducted in the Igbo society, one of three major ethnic groups in Nigeria. The Igbo people regard their traditional rulers, Ndi-eze as "the custodians of culture" of their local communities. However, ndi-eze are one sort of administrative chiefs who are recognized by the state government and formalized by its law. By collecting the ethnographic data on the relationship between the state/local government and traditional rulers, the study showed the contemporary role of traditional rulers as mediator and revealed that the governments used traditional rulers in order to get collective support from grass roots.