Marriage should be a Union of a Man and a Woman on an accord to build up a family.
In Nigeria, Marriage is a different ball game.
First, you ask a girl out and you finally agree that you would love to spend the rest of your life with her.
That is when the adventure starts.
You have to see the parents(Nigerian Culture) whereby you just go for a visit though before then your girlfriend must have told her Mum about you.
Secondly, You go for visiting again but this time with an elder. It is either your parent or your guardian and you have to buy some alcoholic drinks to give to the Father of your girlfriend and that is when you would be recognised as someone serious that wants to marry their daugher and it does not end there.
Thirdly, you as the man start calling the family of your girlfriend as if they are your family. They start complaining if you dont call or check on them because you are now a potential husband to all of them(so annoying but you just have to do it.lol).
Finally, the wedding preparation, the most annoying part when the girl family wants to rip you off and the girl would want her wedding to be colourful to about a thousand people(1000) you dont even know facially.
That is where you get a marriage rite list like one below:
For Father.
Brideprice 50000
A George Wrapper
A Chieftaincy Shirt
A Hat
A Walking Stick(when he is not lame.lol)
A Big Towel
A Pair of Shoes
A Pair of Scandals
An Umbrella
Labour fee 30000 naira(for what I dont know)
60cm Basin of Cassava Flour
6 Gallons of Upwine
4 Gallons of Downwine
10 cartons of Beer
5 Crates of Soda
2 Bottles of Whisky
2 Bottles of Brandy
50 Kolanuts
Traditional Marriage Certificate 30000
For God sake that is only for the Father.
The mother has similar list buy the quantity is one less than the Father's.
All that is just for the traditional marriage rite and you still have to feed about 500 people You dont know on that day.
Now, to the so called White or Church Wedding(Why must people wed more than once?).
You have to get a hall, go for marriage class and if both of you are not of same faith then there would be issues and the marrige might not hold and not forgetting that you have already prepared to feed a thousand people you dont even know.
Its a pity.
If all I have written is a lie or is wrong and will not slow the pace of a young man getting married. Please I need your comment and your point of view