Naija Nuptials

I traveled to Africa for the first time to celebrate my first b-school wedding with a few Kellogg BMAers past and present!  This trip took us to Lagos, Nigeria where we spent most of our time in the Victoria Island area. In Nigerian culture, there is both a traditional and religious ceremony and wedding customs also vary depending on the couples' respective tribes. We attended the traditional wedding, which incorporated customs from both the Yoruba and Efik tribe.

The day of the traditional wedding, we woke up early to get dressed in our aso ebi (wedding attire) and for the ladies to get our gele (headwrap) tied. Then after some pictures and prayer, we were off to see Asuquo get married! The venue was decorated to the nines and the guest list even included the Vice President of the Nigeria! It was an exquisite affair and a special opportunity for the two united families to celebrate together.

The wedding guests were well catered to - food and alcohol was constantly flowing. We were able to sample a lot of traditional dishes including pounded yam, egusi, jolloff rice, puff puff, dodo and more. I learned a lot about the culture through conversations with my Naija tablemates and then we all had the most epic turn up. We went through countless bottles of champagne and sprayed the newlyweds with money all night.  In the words of our Nigerian brethren, "Owo ni koko"!

The next day, we went to a family holiday party where there was more lively conversations, traditional music and wonderful food. After the party, we saw Olamide (Nigerian Hip Hop Artist) in concert at the Eko Convention Centre. What was fascinating about the concert was that although the advertised start time was at 5pm, it was almost expected that most people would make their way there after 12am...The concert was hype though and would go on until the wee hours of the morning.

On our last few days, we visited the historic Lekki Market for souvenirs. Our group collectively took home Ankara fabric, dashiki purses, tiger eye bracelets, art pieces and more. I stocked up on some gifts but my ultimate souvenir was getting my micro braids done at a fraction of the price in the U.S. and in half the time! 

What was really great about this trip was just how comfortable we all felt. Though we were thousands of miles away from the U.S. and separated by the vastness of the Atlantic - we were home. 

Congratulations to my dear friend Asuquo Mfon and his lovely bride Konyin! Thank you for letting us share this wonderful occasion with you.