Middle East & Africa | Nigeria parties on the cheap

A Nigerian’s guide to weddings during the cozzie livs

Even the most lavish of partygoers are adjusting to a cost-of-living crisis

Women, dressed in purple outfits at a wedding party, Lagos, Nigeria
Photograph: Panos Pictures/ Robin Hammond
|LAGOS

Yoruba weddings last months, not days. There is a party when families are introduced. A bigger one follows for traditional marriage rites and the presentation, from the groom’s family to the bride’s, of everything from yams to jewellery. Last comes the religious ceremony and a reception. The betrothed can cycle through over ten bespoke outfits during the celebrations. But as a cost-of-living crisis bites, people across Nigeria are learning how to party on the cheap.

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This article appeared in the Middle East & Africa section of the print edition under the headline “Cut your coat”

From the August 31st 2024 edition

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