then
- Obi, or huts, were constructed with mud walls and thatched roofs. Compounds had an obi for a man and each of his wife (and their children, jointly)
- Lamps and candles were either uncommon or nonexistent. Achebe writes of the fear of the dark in Things Fall Apart, implying that artificial forms of light were not available to the Ibo at the time
- Running water was unavailable, as was a sewer system or indoor plumbing
- Economy dependent on agricultural bases, with yam being the main staple and crop. As such, much importance was placed on one's land and barn
now
- Houses now are also constructed with cement blocks and corrugated iron for roofs
- Electricity and electrical appliances are available
- Television and radio are common
- Clean/running water is nonexistent, meaning there is no indoor plumbing, and thus no toilets in most households
- Telephones are available as well, with over 164 million cell phone line. Cellular subscribership numbers were about 60 to 100 people in 2010
- Internet is somewhat common, with about 39.2% of the population using it (55.9 million people), placing it at 8th in the world as of 2012
- Nigeria places at 6 in the number of countries in the world that do not use indoor restroom facilities, with 33 million people answering "Nature's call" outside. On the upside, over 12 million people have been able to gain access to indoor/more sanitary restrooms