A Sociological Investigation of Cadaver, Modernity and Agency in Contemporary Nigerian Society

In African societies and beyond, the treatment and significance of dead bodies play an important role in shaping social realities, yet they have received limited sociological attention. In Nigeria, recent developments—driven by modernization and urbanization, such as the exhumation of graves for redevelopment—alongside disturbing reports and images of desecrated corpses in the media, have sparked public concern. This anxiety is particularly prevalent among older generations, who are increasingly worried about the fate and security of their bodies after death. This situation prompts important questions about the cultural and social roles of the dead in both traditional and modern Nigerian societies. What is the sociological significance of corpses in African contexts? How has modernity, particularly through the media, reshaped or eroded traditional views? Do dead bodies continue to influence kinship and community structures, even after life has ceased? Moreover, in what ways do the dead possess agency, and how does this agency contribute to the transformation of social practices? Exploring the materiality of the dead body and its associated structures and spaces offers insight into how the deceased’s personhood continues to impact the living. This paper delves into how the corporeality of dead bodies in Nigeria influences memory, social action, and the reproduction of cultural norms. It challenges the notion that corpses are merely inert objects, instead proposing that they are integral to understanding social continuity and change.