Exploring the Therapeutic Potential of Igbo Traditional Music in Palliative Care Settings in Enugu State

This study explores the therapeutic potential of Igbo traditional music in palliative care settings in Enugu State, South East Nigeria. Palliative care, aimed at improving the quality of life of patients facing life-limiting illness, increasingly recognises music as a powerful supportive intervention for managing pain, anxiety, and existential distress. However, culturally rooted approaches using indigenous music traditions in Nigerian palliative care remain largely undeveloped. This research investigates whether systematic exposure to Igbo traditional music genres including lullabies, folk songs, and communal chants produces measurable improvements in pain perception, anxiety levels, and emotional wellbeing among palliative care patients at two selected hospitals in Enugu. A mixed-methods design is employed, incorporating a pre-test and post-test intervention with 30 palliative care patients receiving eight weeks of culturally tailored music sessions, alongside qualitative interviews exploring patient, caregiver, and nurse perspectives. Outcome measures include the Visual Analogue Scale for pain, the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale, and qualitative narratives. The study draws on palliative care research, music therapy literature, and Igbo cultural healing scholarship. Findings will demonstrate the cultural relevance and therapeutic utility of indigenous music in Nigerian end-of-life care and recommend models for its systematic integration into palliative practice. Keywords: Music therapy, palliative care, Igbo music, Enugu State, therapeutic intervention.