Events
7 interesting things that happen during traditional marriages in Nigeria
Different kinds of events make up traditional marriages in Nigeria, some totally hilarious and others interesting. Yemi Alade revealed one of her interesting encounters with a member of the Maasai ethnic group of Kenya.
According to her, the man offered her 20 cows for her hand in marriage, but his friend said she was fat and couldn’t build houses.
Seven interesting activities in Nigerian traditional marriages
Across Nigeria, you’ll find many marriage rites that are similar to Yemi Alade’s encounter with the Maasai man. Hausa, Igbo, Yoruba, and other Nigerian ethnic groups have one or two interesting things about their marriage rites.
The lift test
One of the interesting things during the Yoruba traditional marriage is the carrying of the bride by the groom. It doesn’t matter how slim the groom looks or how weighty the bride is. This sight is always hilarious, especially when the woman ends up proving too much for the man to carry. The lift test is a way for the groom to show that he has the strength to carry the bride.
Wine Carrying
Wine carrying is a rite during an Igbo traditional marriage where the bride carries freshly tapped palm wine in a cup and looks for her husband in the crowd. When she finds him, she goes on her knees and presents the wine to him. On his part, he has to accept the drink because to reject it would be to reject his wife-to-be. After emptying the content of the cup, he puts some money in it.
Catching of the bride
Catching the bride is an interesting rite that takes place during a Hausa traditional wedding. It is organized so that the groom’s family can come and “catch” their beautiful bride. The man and his family are not allowed to see the bride until they have paid the required token. This is the final moment between the bride and her friends, which can be heartbreaking and that is why they ensure that the bride doesn’t go away too easily. During this time, the bride’s face is mostly veiled while her friends haggle with the groom and his family for a price to see the bride’s face.
Hilarious Prayers
The Alaga Iduro is a woman who is the master of ceremonies at Yoruba traditional weddings. Usually, friends and family shower the couple with prayers of prosperity, fertility, and good health. But with the Alaga Iduro, things take a funny twist. The Yoruba people believe that a woman’s buttocks sitting in her husband’s house for long is a blessing. It isn’t uncommon for you to find the Alaga Iduro telling the bride to hold her buttocks for this prayer.
Raining money
This is a longstanding tradition in the Nigerian traditional marriage scene. The bride and groom dance on stage while family and friends spray money on them. The interesting thing here is that the couple have foot soldiers whose job is to collect every last penny in bags or baskets while pretending to dance.
Prostrating
During the Yoruba traditional marriage, the groom and all his friends will come before the bride’s family and prostrate in the dust. It doesn’t matter the colour of the agbada they’re wearing or how dirty the floor is, (though in most cases, mats are laid on the floor). When it comes to respect, no ethnic group in Nigeria comes close to the Yoruba people.
Exchange of vows
In the Hausa culture, it is the representatives from the groom and bride’s family who exchange vows and not the bride and groom. They do this in the presence of an Imam and some wedding guests. They then go on to make prayers for the newly wedded couple and the celebration continues.
Traditional marriages across Nigeria are quite interesting for many reasons. The food, the music, the outfits, and the rites all combine to make the day memorable.
Events
Wizkid performs ‘Troubled Mind’ at British Fashion Awards
Wizkid, the Grammy-winning singer, delivered a breathtaking performance of his new song ‘Troubled Mind’ at the 2024 British Fashion Awards.
This year’s event, held on Monday night at the Royal Albert Hall in London, saw Wizkid perform in the presence of some of the fashion world’s most prominent figures, including British-Nigerian designer Tolu Coker, Dior’s Kim Jones, and Tom Ford.
‘Troubled Mind’, which serves as the opening track of ‘Morayo‘, Wizkid’s newly released sixth studio album, thrilled the audience as the singer poured emotion into the performance.
The night saw Jonathan Anderson, the Irish-born designer, clinch the coveted Designer of the Year award for the second consecutive year.
Celebrities including Rihanna and A$AP Rocky also graced the occasion, with Rocky receiving the Cultural Innovator award.
Born Ayodeji Balogun, Wizkid gained prominence in 2011 when he released his debut album ‘Superstar’.
He has released five additional albums including, ‘Ayo’ in 2014, ‘Sound From The Other Side’ in 2017, ‘Made In Lagos’ in 2020, ‘More Love, Less Ego’ in 2022 and ‘Morayo in 2024.
The singer has also received numerous awards, including a Grammy Award in 2021 for his collaboration with Beyoncé on the hit song ‘Brown Skin Girl’.
In October, ‘Made in Lagos’ was recognised as the most-streamed Nigerian album on Apple Music.
Watch Wizkid’s performance here
Events
SEE FULL LIST: ‘Jagun Jagun’ wins six categories at 2024 BON Awards
Femi Adebayo’s epic ‘Jagun Jagun’ has won six award categories at the 2024 Best of Nollywood (BON) ceremony.
The 16th edition of the BON Awards was held on Sunday night at the Sugar Factory Film Studios in Ilorin, Kwara.
Toyin Abraham Ajeyemi, the actress, hosted the award ceremony.
At the ceremony, Femi Adebayo’s epic film ‘Jagun Jagun’ was a standout entry, winning a total of six award categories.
These include “Best Actor”, Best Costume”, “Best Indigenous Film”, “Best Production Design”, and “Best Special Effect”.
Another significant winner was the film ‘Momiwa’, which took home “Best Editing” and “Best Screenplay”.
‘Jagun Jagun’ was nominated in 12 categories.
The Netflix original Yoruba film, released in August 2023, tells the story of a warlord respected within and outside his community.
The arrival of a young man reveals his insecurities, as he fears that his authority may soon be displaced.
See the full list of winners below.
Best Cinematography
- ADIRE
Director of the Year
- BAYO TIJANI & TOPE ADEBAYO (Jagun Jagun)
Best Social Message
- UNLEASHED
Best Short Film
- OUT OF MANY
Best Actor
- FEMI ADEBAYO (JAGUN JAGUN)
Best Actress
- WUNMI DADA (UNKNOWN SOJA)
Best Supporting Actress
- MERCY AIGBE (ADA OMO DADDY)
Best Supporting Actor
- KEPPY EKPENYONG (THE WEEKEND)
Best Editing
- MOMIWA
Best Costume
- JAGUN JAGUN
Best Sound
- OFFSHOOT
Best Soundtrack
- OLOKU ADA
BEST USE OF FOOD
- NWANYI ABACHA
Best Indigenous Film
- JAGUN JAGUN
Best Child Actor
- NIFEMI LAWAL
Best Child Actress
- DARASIMI NADI (UNKNOWN SOJA)
Most Promising Actor
- OZECHI FRANKLIN IZUCHUCHUKWU
Most Promising Actress
- CHIOMA OKAFOR
Best Production Design
- JAGUN JAGUN
Best Screenplay
- MOMIWA
Best Use of Food
- ORISA
Best Kiss
- HALIMA GANIYU & DAVID AKANDE (ETI KETA)
Best Special Effect
- JAGUN JAGUN
Best Documentary
- IS IT YOUR MONEY?
Events
JCI Nigeria Hosts The 4th Edition Of The Global Digital Economy Summit
The Global Digital Economy Summit (GDES) 4.0, held on 12th October 2024, at Park Inn, Abeokuta, Ogun State, Nigeria, accentuates the pivotal role of international trade, foreign direct investment, and technology diffusion in shaping economies worldwide, particularly highlighting the potential for digital inclusion and trade empowerment to achieve shared prosperity in Africa.
The summit, organised by Junior Chamber International (JCI) Nigeria in collaboration with JCI South Africa, JCI Zimbabwe, JCI Niger, JCI Benin Republic, and JCI Malaysia, attracted a diverse audience of entrepreneurs, professionals, undergraduates, and civil servants from across the globe.
Focused on “Digital Inclusion and Trade Empowerment: A Path to Shared Prosperity,” GDES 4.0 brought together leaders, innovators, and experts who shared insights into the vital role of digital technologies, intellectual property, and cross-border collaborations in shaping sustainable economic development, particularly in Africa.
The keynote address by Dr. Oluwatobiloba Moody, Director, World Intellectual Property Organisation (WIPO), captivated the audience with his perspective on the importance of intellectual property rights in promoting innovation and economic growth.
His speech was a deep reflection on the challenges and opportunities presented by technological advancements.
A lively panel discussion featured experts such as Ezekiel Solesi, CEO of LIMBSimple, and Ayo Olajide, JCI South Africa’s Vice President, moderated by Ekezue Anthonia Ezenwa, JCI Nigeria’s 2024 Director of Business Opportunities.
They emphasised the necessity of digital skills for economic relevance and highlighted the importance of partnerships for business growth and sustainability.
Their insights affirmed the need for continual innovation in a progressively digital world, warning that businesses risk falling behind if they neglect emerging technological trends.
A notable highlight of the summit was the International Business Pitch Competition, which featured 10 finalists.
After rigorous training on pitch deck mastery, five finalists competed for top honours. AnyWash App (Omotola Olaifa) emerged as the winner, followed by SundryAgro Ltd. (Eyitayo Onigbinde), and FundCity (Deborah Abayomi), who took second and third place respectively.
These winners were awarded cash prizes, business development and intellectual property support from the World Intellectual Property Organisation and expert sessions with AfriGlocal Venture Capital, an important partner in this initiative.
The summit also featured goodwill messages from key figures like JCI World President Kaveen Kumaravel, and JCI Executive Vice President for Africa and the Middle East, Tetiweh Nzimah who highlighted JCI’s commitment to supporting digital innovation and youth engagement.
JCI Nigeria President, JCI Senator Sandra Ekene Efemuaye, praised the summit’s impact, encouraged participants to leverage the rich learning, networking opportunities and collaboration presented and commended the Directorate of Business Opportunities for successfully implementing a standard event.
National Director of Business Opportunities, Ekezue Anthonia Ezenwa, expressed her gratitude for the support from JCI leadership, recognising the Directorate’s role in the impactful gathering.
The outcomes of the summit were far-reaching. The top five pitch competition participants received vital business development and intellectual property support from WIPO, alongside expert sessions from AfriGlocal Venture Capital.
The partnerships and discussions set the stage for future collaborations aimed at ensuring the continued success of GDES and its initiatives.
The summit concluded with a call for governments across the globe to implement robust policies that protect digital economy assets and ensure digital inclusion for all.
It also highlighted the importance of continuous upskilling and innovation for businesses and entrepreneurs to stay competitive in an ever-evolving technological world.
We sincerely appreciate all our partners and sponsors for their dedication to the success of the summit.
We especially appreciate Bodex Media for promoting the summit’s impact across digital platforms and traditional media.
Attendees left the summit inspired to further integrate digital tools and innovative strategies into their pursuits, with anticipation already growing for the 2025 Global Digital Economy Summit 5.0, promising even greater opportunities and insights with a vision to further solidify the role of technology in creating a more inclusive, equitable, and prosperous future.
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