First impressions

• There are more than 300 tribes in Nigeria,but we will focus

on 3 most popular and their traditions.
As with many cultures, couples observe tradition long before the
wedding day arrives. When it comes to Nigerian wedding
traditions, this kicks off with the Introduction Ceremony, where
both families come together for perhaps the first time. They
exchange gifts with one another and the bride’s family will
present the potential groom with a list for what he will need to
give to the family in order for them to accept an engagement
Traditions
• In Igbo tribes, the bride’s family present the potential groom
with a dowry list that he must fulfill in order to get their
blessing to marry. The list often includes, but is not limited
to, clothes, food, white goods, and huge items like a new car.
Some families also require hard-to-find items like an alligator
tooth. A bride’s dowry will become more expensive if she
has gone to university and holds a degree or doctorate. This
has resulted in many potential marriages failing at the first
hurdle as the groom was unable to afford the family’s
requirements.
 Seniority matters
If you have an older sibling, you have to cross your fingers that
your brother or sister doesn’t want to live the life of a bachelor
indefinitely.
Nigerian wedding tradition says that men, in particular, are not
allowed to be married until their older brothers are.
In Igbo families, all marriages should follow in order of seniority.
Younger siblings have to postpone their weddings with the one
they love until their older siblings have married, or choose to
proceed without the blessing of their family.
If it is a woman who has to wait for an older sister to marry, a
potential groom could simply choose to move on rather than
wait.
FUN FACT
In the Hausa tribe, men who wish to get married have to prove
their love for their bride in the most painful way possible – by
enduring 100 lashes.
The tradition dictates that is the man winces, cries, or shows in
any way that he is in pain, the wedding cannot go ahead.

Matchy-matchy
“Aso-Ebi” translates to “Family Clothes” in the language of Yoruba and this is exactly what you
will find when attending a Nigerian wedding.

The couple will decide which colours and fabrics they would like their guests to wear on their
wedding day and the respective families will go all out to create outfits that meet the
requirements.

This makes it easy to distinguish who belongs to the each of the couple’s families at a glance, and
long-time friends who are not on the bridal party often choose to join in with the aso-ebi as well.