THE CHALLENGES OF CHILD ADOPTION: A SOCIO-RELIGIOUS DISCOURSE ON THE EBONYI CHRISTIAN COUPLES’ EXPERIENCE

BY

CHUKWUMA, EMEKA GODSON 2015097009F

A DISSERTATION SUBMITTED TO THE DEPARTMENT OF RELIGION AND HUMAN RELATIONS IN PARTIAL FULFILLMENT OF THE REQUIREMENTS FOR THE AWARD OF THE DOCTOR OF PHILOSOPHY (Ph. D) DEGREE IN RELIGION AND HUMAN RELATIONS (AFRICAN TRADITIONAL RELIGION).

FACULTY OF ARTS NNAMDI AZIKIWE UNIVERSITY, .

JUNE, 2019.

CERTIFICATION

I, CHUKWUMA, EMEKA GODSON with Registration number 2015097009F hereby certify that this project is original and was written by me. It is a record of my research and has not been submitted before in part or full for any other Diploma or Degree of this University or any other institution or any previous publication.

______Chukwuma, Emeka Godson. Date (STUDENT)

APPROVAL

We ratify that this dissertation carried out under our supervision, has been examined and found to have met the regulations of Nnamdi Azikiwe University, Awka. We therefore approve the work for the award of Ph.D degree in Religion and Human Relations.

______Prof. J.E Madu Date (Supervisor)

______Prof. O. O. C. Uche Date (Head of Department)

______Rev. Fr. Prof. Bonachristus Umeogu Date (Dean, Faculty of Arts)

______Prof. Philomena Igbokwe Date (Dean, School of Post Graduate Studies

------Prof. C. Uchegbue Date

(External Examiner)

DEDICATION

The work is dedicated to The Almighty God, my wife, Mrs. Nkiru Chukwuma and children,

Chidinma and Chiamaka.

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

I owe all the praise, thanks and appreciation to God for keeping me alive and bringing this work to this stage. May His name alone be praised. The role of my teacher, supervisor and mentor cannot be quantified. Prof. Jude Emeka Madu, my supervisor discussed the subject of child adoption to the point that he deemed it fit to be investigated as an academic exercise, thereby motivating me to find out those things, about child adoption among the Igbo, that makes it challenging. I thank him so much. In pursuit of this program, I came into contact with all the academic staff of the Department of Religion and Human Relations. They include the head of department Prof. O. O. C Uche, Rev. Fr. (Prof.) A. B. C. Chiegboka, Rev. Fr. (Prof.) B. A. C. Obiefuna, Prof. L. Ugwueye, Very Rev. (Prof.) P. E. Nmah, Prof. (Mrs.) Ezenweke, Ven. (Dr.) B. O. Udeozo, Rev. Fr. (Dr.) Obielosi, Rev. Fr. (Dr.) C. C. Okpalike, Dr. K. Nwadialo, Dr. S. C. Mgbemena, Dr. I Umeanolue, Dr. (Mrs.) A. Chukwuma-Offor and all the non teaching staff of the department. They have all contributed to seeing this work materialize today. I appreciate all their efforts. Dr. Johnson Obuna, a consultant in FETHA has indeed proven himself to be a man of God by his humility, in gathering data for an ordinary researcher. May God reward him for his labour of love. I appreciate the contributions of the lecturers from other departments who corrected this work, such as Prof. I. Okodo of Department of Igbo, African and Asian Studies and Prof. P. Ogugua of Department of Philosophy. All the authors referenced in this work have also contributed immensely in the making of this work. I take responsibility for any shortcomings that may be detected in this work.

Emeka Godson Chukwuma Reg. No. 2015097009F Dept of Religion & Human Relations Nnamdi Azikiwe University, Awka.

LIST OF ABBREVIATIONS

NAPTIP- National Agency for Prohibition of Trafficking in Persons

UNICEF- United Nations International Children Emergency Fund

ART- Alternative Reproductive Technology

ART- Assisted Reproductive Technology

FETHA - Federal Teaching Hospital

ACC- African Children‟s Charter

NPC- National Population Commission

NSCDC- Security and Civil Defense Corp

CBC- Century Before Christ