SUMMARY
With facts, this study has proven that the age grade system is one of the most significant traditional institutions of Ohafia as it had been an age-long socio-political and cultural institution. It is a system whereby all males in Ohafia are put into various groups according to the time of their birth for the purpose of rendering compulsory services to the community as recognized groups. It is important to note that the essence of the age grade in Abiriba cuts across every sphere of the society. The age grade serves religious, political, social and economic purposes.
The goal of every society is to achieve constant growth and development both in her material and human resources. Thus, the need to have a concerted effort towards achieving this goal becomes sacrosanct. From time immemorial, the African communities through communal living has achieved this goal and one of the most vital institutions established for this purpose was the age grade system. It has also been noted that in the society, involvement in the age grade system starts almost at birth. The child from the ages of six and seven is exposed to certain age related youth training from which he ascends into formal age grades.
The present generations should as a matter of necessity be enlightened on the relevant indigenous traditional practices and culture of the land so as to sustain its existence as an indigenous identity of the Ohafia people and avoid its extinction.
Finally, the age grade system is one of the pillars of Ohafia’s socio-political and cultural beliefs system and as such as far as there are no detrimental, fetish, or demonic implications to them, the church should permit the involvement of her members and enforce moderacy in the mode of operation and ensure the development of the community.
