Greeks

It runs in a crescent through Mali, Niger, on the border with Benin and then through Nigeria, discharging through a massive delta, known as the Niger Delta (or the Oil Rivers), into the Gulf of Guinea in the Atlantic Ocean….Niger River.

Gulf of GuineaAtlantic Ocean

The Niger River is the principal river of western Africa, extending over 2500 miles (about 4000 km). It runs in a crescent through Guinea, Mali, Niger, on the border with Benin and then through Nigeria, discharging through a massive delta, known as the Oil Rivers, into the Gulf of Guinea.

River Ethiope

Obio Akpor

In Nigeria today, Igboland is roughly made up of Abia, Anambra, Ebonyi, Enugu, Imo, Northern Delta and Rivers states, and small parts of Akwa Ibom. Altogether Igboland has an area of some 40,900 to 41,400 km2 (15,800 to 16,000 sq mi).

This is because bride price is an official recognition that a woman is married in Igbo culture for everyone to attest. The bride price also varies from family to family, some collect bride price as small as N5,000 while some collect as much as N100,000.

These ten ethnic groups/tribes have the most outrageous, expensive bride prices in Nigeria, as of 2021:

• Ibibio (Akwa Ibom)
• Mbaise (Imo)
• Bororo (Adamawa)
• Ikwerre (Rivers)
• Efik (Cross River)
• Nkpa (Abia State)
• Ogoja (Cross River)
• Annang (Akwa Ibom)

Edo state

Getting married in Africa’s most populous country is big business and said to be worth millions of dollars, according to market research group, TNS Global. Nigerian wedding can cost up to $9,460-$13,515 with guest lists matching the super-sized budgets. Some weddings in the country cater for an average of 1000 guests.

Bride Price is when the family of the groom pay their future in-laws at the start of their marriage. The payment can be made up of money, presents, or a mixture of both. It’s sometimes paid in one go, but instalments aren’t uncommon. It’s also practised widely in Thailand, China, and Papua New Guinea.

There is no fixed rule or guideline, and the answer varies from culture to culture and from family to family. The parents cover the cost of most Nigerian weddings but we are beginning to see more financially stable couples choose to pay for their wedding themselves.

The average cost of the 5 small Nigerian weddings we showcased in the examples is N1,022,280.00 – in case you wanted to know. Note that this may not be the typical average cost of Nigerian weddings, but at least you get an idea to start preparing for how much to plan to spend in your own wedding.

Marriage in Igboland is not just an affair between the future husband and wife but also involves the parents, the extended family and villages. First the groom asks his potential partner to marry him. The bride’s father welcomes the guests, invites his daughter to come and asks her if she knows the groom.