CUSTOMARY LAW IN NIGERIA AND PARENTAL PERCEPTION OF RIGHT OF THE CHILD

The present study examined parental perception towards the childrens rights in Nigeria based on the perceived customary law. The studys main objective was to ascertain the influence of belief in customary law and gender on perception towards a childs right. A total of one hundred and sixty participants comprising males and females between the ages of 40 and 65 were randomly selected from rural communities in Benue State for the study. A self-developed instrument was used to measure the level of belief in customary laws and perception towards a childs right. Multiple linear regression was performed on the data. The result revealed a statistically significant predictive association between belief in customary laws and parental perception of the childs rights. Similarly, the result showed that gender as a factor predicts perception towards a childs right. Conclusions and recommendations are discussed. Keywords: Customary Law, Perception, Belief in Customary Law, Gender.