Reported by: Oahimire Omone Precious | Edited by: Gabriel Osa
A Kwara State Area Court sitting at Centre-Igboro in Ilorin has drawn national attention to the growing impact of economic hardship on domestic life after dissolving a marriage on the grounds of persistent financial difficulty. The ruling, delivered by Presiding Judge Hammad Ajumonbi on January 10, 2026, underscores how economic challenges are increasingly influencing family stability and legal outcomes in communities grappling with rising living costs and limited incomes.
The case involved Bashirat Mohammed and her husband, Toyin Ajibola, whose eight-year marriage had been marked, according to court records, by ongoing financial struggles linked to Ajibola’s inability to provide sufficient economic support. Mohammed approached the court seeking dissolution, telling the judge that the hardship had taken a toll on her emotional wellbeing and peace of mind. She argued that continuing the marriage under such conditions had become untenable and that she needed legal relief to pursue a more stable future.
In his ruling, Judge Ajumonbi acknowledged that Ajibola expressed a desire to maintain the marriage despite the financial issues. However, the judge emphasised that a spouse should not be compelled to remain in a union where fundamental needs and mutual support have broken down, particularly when it adversely affects mental and familial wellbeing. The court consequently granted the dissolution, affirming that forcing an unwilling partner to stay would be unjust.
The court granted custody of the couple’s three children to Bashirat, recognising her responsibility for their care and the need to ensure continuity and stability for the children. Ajibola was ordered to remain responsible for their feeding, with the court also directing that he be granted unrestricted access to the children and that the mother should make them available anytime the father requests visitation. In line with customary practice, the ruling also stipulated that Bashirat must observe a three-month iddah waiting period before remarrying, a procedural requirement under Islamic marital law observed in the region.
Legal analysts say the Ilorin decision reflects a subtle but notable shift in how family courts weigh economic hardship alongside other traditional grounds for divorce. While Nigerian courts have historically granted marital dissolution on grounds such as infidelity, desertion or cruelty, this recent case signals broader recognition that sustained financial inability to provide for a family can fundamentally undermine marital cooperation and mutual support.
Nigeria’s broader economic context, marked by inflationary pressures, uneven job growth, and rising cost of living, has put significant strain on household budgets. Many families, particularly in smaller cities and rural areas, struggle with the basic cost of education, healthcare, food and housing. In such an environment, the inability of one partner to contribute meaningfully to household needs — whether due to underemployment, instability of income, or structural economic barriers — increasingly becomes a source of tension and, in some cases, a justifiable reason for legal separation.
Observers note that the Ilorin ruling comes at a time when economic concerns are increasingly woven into public discourse about family wellbeing and social cohesion. Rising divorce rates linked to financial stress — whether in urban centres like Lagos or regional hubs such as Ilorin — highlight the human impact of broader economic challenges. Experts suggest that economic insecurity not only affects marital stability, but also mental health, child welfare and community resilience.
Family law practitioners say that the court’s willingness to grant a divorce on economic grounds reflects a growing awareness that financial hardship can be as destructive to marital harmony as more traditionally recognised issues like abuse or prolonged abandonment. They argue that when a partner genuinely seeks legal dissolution due to unaddressed economic suffering, the judiciary must consider these circumstances with empathy and legal consistency.
Social advocates, meanwhile, point to the case as emblematic of larger societal challenges. In communities where social safety nets are limited and employment prospects are uncertain, families often face prolonged stress that can strain relationships to breaking point. Advocacy groups have called for enhanced government programmes focused on job creation, skills development, and community support mechanisms that can help stabilise household incomes and reduce the incidence of economically motivated marital breakdowns.
For the three children involved in the Ilorin case, the court’s decision has immediate consequences. Social workers stress that children caught in marital dissolutions fuelled by economic distress often require additional emotional and educational support to mitigate potential long-term effects. Advocates argue that legal rulings, while addressing the immediate dissolution, should be accompanied by social services and community support to safeguard children’s development and wellbeing.
Reactions from within Ilorin’s community have been mixed. Neighbours and local observers express sympathy for Bashirat’s difficult choice, acknowledging that unresolved financial hardship can erode the foundation of family life. Others lament that economic strain, rather than more personal or interpersonal issues, has now become a prominent reason for marital breakdowns, reflecting deeper concerns about employment opportunities and financial stability in Nigerian society.
Legal scholars argue that the ruling may set a nuanced precedent in family law proceedings, encouraging courts to give due weight to the socioeconomic realities confronting couples, while simultaneously underscoring the need for broader policy interventions that address the root causes of household financial insecurity.
As families and communities continue to navigate economic uncertainties, decisions such as that of the Ilorin Area Court serve as poignant reminders of how far-reaching the effects of financial hardship can be — touching not just markets and statistics, but the most personal aspects of people’s lives.
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