Revisiting African Traditional (Communal) Living Lifestyle in Search for Hope in the Face of Hopelessness

Communal living has traditionally played an important role in Yorùbá social organisation, providing a foundation for family relationships, mutual support, collective responsibility and social harmony. Among the Yorùbá of southwestern Nigeria, this way of life was reflected in the Agbo-Ilé (extended family compound), where relationships extended beyond the nuclear family to include wider kinship networks. However, the growing influence of modernity and individualistic lifestyles has contributed to the weakening of these communal bonds, raising concerns about social cohesion and the continuity of indigenous values. Drawing on interviews with thirty participants aged seventy years and above in Ibadan, Oyo State, Nigeria, the paper explores traditional patterns of communal living and the changes that have occurred over time. The interview responses were analysed using content analysis. The findings highlight the importance of extended family relationships, mutual assistance, and collective responsibility in sustaining communal life. They also point to the weakening of these values in contemporary Yorùbá society. The paper argues for the reconsideration of beneficial aspects of traditional African communal living and their adaptation to contemporary social conditions. It further suggests that modern communication technologies can help maintain family relationships where physical proximity is no longer possible.