INTEGRATING SACRIFICE AND ECO-SPIRITUALITY IN IGBO TRADITIONAL RELIGION INTO THE GLOBAL DEVELOPMENT AGENDA: POINTS OF CONVERGENCE

Abstract

Igbo sacrifice and eco-spirituality offer valuable insights into sustainable development by fostering environmental conservation, ethical resource management, social cohesion, and holistic well-being. Rooted in a deep reverence for nature, Igbo eco-spirituality promotes nature and biodiversity protection, and it importantly aligns with global sustainability development models. Sacrificial practices, including thanksgiving, atonement, and appeasement rites, reinforce the principles of responsible consumption, conflict resolution, and community harmony, which correspond with sustainable development goals. The holistic approach of Igbo sacrifices and eco-spirituality integrates with the goals of the global development agenda, which ranges from environmental, health, and human development. In the course of this research, it is found that this integration or matrix is possible through incorporating diverse indigenous ecological knowledge especially from the Igbo cosmological point of view, into global development discourses. By bridging indigenous wisdom with contemporary sustainability frameworks, Igbo religious practices demonstrate the relevance of cultural diversity in shaping inclusive, ethical, and ecologically responsible global development strategies. Recognizing and integrating these values into modern governance and environmental policies will significantly enhance global sustainability efforts. This study applied the use of both primary and secondary means of data collection for the execution of this research work. The methods of approach include historical and analytical procedures. This study shows that the integration of the global sustainable agenda with sacrificial and eco-spiritual traditions of the Igbo people can provide a unique, culturally grounded approach to sustainable progressive global development.