Some couples stayed out of the drama, while others leaned fully into the spotlight. Still, all of them kept us invested. No two journeys looked the same, and that鈥檚 exactly the point. Here鈥檚 91大神鈥檚 list of celebrity couples who shaped Nigerian romance in 2025, and the categories their love stories earned.

Most Talked About Couple: Priscilla Ojo & Juma (Jux) Mkambala

Priscilla Ojo and Tanzanian singer Juma Jux met by chance on a flight to Rwanda in early 2024, and their dreamy love story moved quickly from there. Within months, Jux met Priscilla鈥檚 family and publicly confirmed their relationship in July, after featuring her as his love interest in the music video for his single 鈥溾��. By September 2024, the couple announced their engagement. 

From February to May 2025, Priscilla and Juma leaned fully into the spotlight with a lavish, four-part wedding rollout across Tanzania and Nigeria. Just when it seemed like the attention around their relationship might finally slow down, the couple announced they were expecting a baby in July and welcomed their son a month later.

Between their elaborate celebrations and strong online presence, Priscilla and Juma were impossible to ignore, easily making them one of Nigeria鈥檚 most talked-about couples of the year.

Most Romantic Couple: Shawn Faqua & Akwa Ugo Sharon

Sharon actor Shawn at a worship event she attended in October 2024 to support friends, and their relationship unfolded naturally from there. Somewhere along the way, Sharon casually mentioned she鈥檇 love to take a train ride one day, and months later, Shawn turned that offhand comment into a grand gesture and proposed after the trip in May 2025. 

As if the proposal alone didn鈥檛 set the bar high enough, they exchanged vows aboard a moving train and made history as Nigeria鈥檚 first-ever train wedding. What gets more romantic than that?

Most Fashionable Couple: Frank Itom & Ifedayo Agoro

After Ife, founder of 鈥溾��, and digital creator Frank went public with their relationship and engagement in February 2025, their shared sense of style quickly became part of what people loved about them. The couple became known for their coordinated outfits and regularly pop up on our feeds looking well put together without trying too hard.

As their wedding plans unfolded, fashion played a significant role in how they told their story. In the lead-up to their wedding, Frank and Ife released a pre-wedding shoot that blended Edo and Yoruba traditional wear, paying homage to both their cultural backgrounds. They won us over completely when they recreated outfits worn by their late parents as a tribute. 

Chronically Online Couple: Veekee James & Femi Atere

Veekee James Femi Atere in 2019 through a mutual friend he worked with as a manager, but their relationship didn鈥檛 turn romantic until 2022. They got engaged in October 2023 and followed up with elaborate traditional and white weddings across Akwa Ibom and Lagos in 2024. From the start, their marriage lived very publicly on Veekee鈥檚 social media.

From their constant PDA to hot takes on money and marriage roles, Nigerians had plenty to say about the couple throughout 2025. While Femi still describes himself as a behind-the-scenes person, he has remained supportive of Veekee鈥檚 fashion career. He has slowly stepped into the spotlight himself, popping up in her content and brand campaigns. Love it or hate it, Veekee and Femi say they feel comfortable sharing their lives online, even as people criticise them for oversharing.

Best Low-key Couple: Temi Otedola & Oluwatosin Ajibade (Mr Eazi)

Mr Eazi and Temi Otedola have quietly done their thing since going public with their relationship in 2017, after at one of DJ Cuppy鈥檚 gigs in London. For eight years, their relationship has stayed drama-free and intentionally private. Even when Mr Eazi proposed to Temi in Venice in 2022 on the set of his 鈥溾�� music video, Nigerians still questioned whether the proposal was real.

True to form, they kept things low-key all the way to the altar. Between May and August 2025, Temi and Eazi held a series of private weddings across different countries, including a legal ceremony in Monaco on Mr Eazi鈥檚 late mother鈥檚 birthday, with just two of them present. Even though speculation swirled for months, the couple only confirmed their union when Vogue shared their official wedding photos in August.

Most Viral Couple: Innocent (2Baba) Idibia and Natasha Osawaru

In January 2025, 2Baba sent the internet into overdrive when he announced his from Annie Idibia and almost immediately went public with a new relationship and proposal to Edo State lawmaker Natasha Osawaru. Videos confirming the romance surfaced while the divorce was still unfolding. 

We barely had time to process one headline before the next dropped. By February, 2Baba鈥檚 mother had made a public asking Natasha to 鈥渇ree her son鈥� from an alleged spell, and later claimed he had gone missing and might have been abducted. 

Despite shutting down the allegations and insisting their relationship was loving, the couple continued to go viral for the opposite reason. By November, they were trending again after 2Baba鈥檚 former management team Natasha was ruining his career. Heated arguments caught on camera soon followed, including one at a London airport and another during an Instagram Live with . One way or another, they managed to keep our 2025 interesting from start to finish.

Best Second Chance Couple: David Adeleke (Davido) & Chioma Rowland

Davido and Chioma attended the same high school, but their paths didn鈥檛 cross until 2013, when they met at university through a mutual friend. Davido announced their relationship in the sweetest way in 2017, convincing Chioma to star in his 鈥溾�� music video. A proposal followed, and in 2019, they welcomed their first child just a month later. The couple announced wedding plans for 2020 but paused them due to the coronavirus pandemic, after which the relationship went quiet.

By 2021, when Davido and Chioma unfollowed each other on Instagram, it confirmed rumours that had been swirling since 2020 that the couple had split. The breakup appeared to be cemented by photos of Davido and Instagram model Yafai on holiday in the Caribbean. 

Still, they found their way back to each other. In early 2022, a video of Chioma leaving with Davido after his concert confirmed they were giving it another shot. Through the devastating loss of their son later in 2022, the couple stayed together. They welcomed twins in 2023 and officially tied the knot with a traditional wedding in Lagos in 2024 and a white wedding in Miami in May 2025. Their love story was really worth a second chapter.

Best Musical Couple: Simi Ogunleye & Adekunle (Gold) Kosoko

People often say mixing love and work is a bad idea, but Simi and Adekunle Gold proved otherwise. The pair dated for five years, mostly out of the public eye, before quietly getting married in January 2019. Many fans first saw glimpses of both their relationship and wedding through the music video for their duet 鈥溾��.

Their careers have remained closely intertwined ever since. Over the years, they鈥檝e collaborated on some of our favourite love songs while also supporting each other鈥檚 solo projects behind the scenes. Speaking about his latest album, 鈥淔uji鈥�, Adekunle Gold explained, 鈥淢y partnership with Simi is very seamless. She has mixed most of my albums, and I trust her with my work even when I鈥檓 not in the room.鈥�

Most Enduring Couple: Afeez Owo & Mide Martins

Afeez Owo and Mide Martins鈥� love story is as Nollywood as it gets. They met through Mide鈥檚 late mother, veteran actress Funmi Martins, with Afeez initially living with the family as her manager. Their relationship deepened when Mide supported Afeez through a difficult heartbreak from a previous relationship. By 2003, they married and have stayed together for over two decades.

Of course, the marriage hasn鈥檛 been without its rough patches. In 2016, the couple weathered a very public separation. Still, they chose to stay together. Years later, Afeez that social media amplified much of the crisis. In August 2025, the couple marked their 22nd wedding anniversary, with Afeez openly stating keeping their marriage intact required a lot of work.

Best Fictional Couple: Omasilu & Zion

Though newly married in 鈥溾�� by 91大神 Life, Omasilu and Zion鈥檚 relationship is tested almost immediately when they struggle to consummate their union due to a fear tied to Omasilu鈥檚 prolonged virginity. Instead of pulling away, Zion chooses patience as they work through the issue together.

Yes, Omasilu and Zion are fictional, but the grip this short film had on us made rooting for them feel very real. Their chemistry felt tender and intentional, and Zion鈥檚 tenderness made it impossible not to hope things work out for them. The film may have ended, but we鈥檙e still rooting for Omasilu and Zion to stay together forever (at least in our heads).

Read Next: Love Life Wrapped: 15 Nigerians Look Back on Their 2025 Love Stories

But have you ever wondered if some couples regret certain things from their big day, though? We asked these eight Nigerians, and here鈥檚 what they shared with us:

鈥淗aving a big wedding鈥�

鈥� Ola*, 25

I鈥檝e wanted a small destination wedding for as long as I can remember, but I had no choice but to settle for a full-on Yoruba owambe-style wedding because of my husband and our families.

The whole wedding felt like a chore, and it鈥檚 still painful that no one listened to me, and I never got the excitement most people get before/during their wedding. It felt more like I was just there because I had to be the bride.

RELATED: If You Have a Yoruba Mother, Here鈥檚 Why She鈥檚 an Absolute Babe

鈥淣ot sleeping the night before鈥�

鈥� Ife*, 26

It wasn鈥檛 like I didn鈥檛 want to sleep 鈥� I just couldn鈥檛 because I was too excited. By the time Saturday rolled around, I was extremely tired. I couldn鈥檛 enjoy the reception because I just wanted to find somewhere to sleep. And it didn鈥檛 help that everyone expected us to spend more time on the dance floor.

RELATED: Five Nigerian Women Talk About Their Wedding Day

鈥淭he invitation cards鈥�

鈥� Kenny, 34

I still berate myself for printing invitation cards since most people just got the information from our wedding website. We printed about 200 cards and still had about 100 cards after the wedding. Such waste in this Buhari government.

鈥淚 worried about everything鈥�

鈥� Chioma*, 24

I must have been a bridezilla because I was everywhere in the days leading up to the wedding, trying to make sure that everything was perfect. On my wedding day, I kept fussing about different things: the bridesmaid鈥檚 dress that needed to be fixed, the makeup artist that came in late, the traffic on the way to the church, etc.

Looking back, I wish I鈥檇 just let things sort themselves out and just enjoyed my day. Worse, the pictures bear witness to how stressed I let myself be. Brides-to-be, take note, abeg.

鈥淣ot booking backup photographers鈥�

鈥� Demi*, 30

The painful part is that my wife and I promised each other that we wouldn鈥檛 be the couple complaining about wedding picture disappointments because we鈥檇 get like two backups. LMAO.

Expenses really took a toll on our budget during wedding preparations, and we constantly postponed reaching out to backup photographers until we eventually forgot. We had just one photographer at our wedding, and the pictures weren鈥檛 great. The photographer even took forever to share them.

鈥淭he decorations鈥�

鈥� Edna*, 29

I let a family friend handle the hall decorations because I was trying to 鈥渆ncourage鈥� growing businesses 鈥� big mistake. My heart dropped into my stomach when I stepped into the hall the evening before my wedding to check out what was happening. 

The designs were tacky, and they definitely weren’t what I asked for. I had to let my maid of honour tactfully remove some items and arrange for another decorator to assist because if I had said anything, I would鈥檝e beaten somebody up.

鈥淗aving a traditional wedding鈥�

鈥� Chi*, 27

Don鈥檛 get me wrong; I鈥檓 all for honouring traditions. But my traditional wedding (which took place in my hometown in the East) felt like a waste of money. I wish I had been more vocal in pleading with my family to reduce the items on the bridal list.

My husband had to spend so much money pleasing relatives I didn鈥檛 even know and buying stuff I didn鈥檛 even see 鈥� all for a one-day event. He didn鈥檛 complain to me, but I think he just didn鈥檛 want to come across as weak. I still wish I鈥檇 done something.

CHECK OUT: Ten Unpopular Marriage Opinions Young Nigerians Are Not Sorry About

鈥淕etting married in my mum鈥檚 church鈥�

鈥� Olanna*, 33

My mum attends MFM while I attend one of these modern pentecostal churches. As much as I tried, my parents kicked hard against getting married at my church. In their words, 鈥淲hat would our church people think?鈥� They even threatened to be absent from the wedding if I didn’t concede to them. 

Of course, I wanted my parents there, so I had to give in. I couldn鈥檛 wear the dress I wanted, and make-up was out of it. This thing about weddings being the 鈥渂ride鈥檚 day鈥� might be true everywhere else, but definitely not in Nigeria.

*Some names have been changed for the sake of anonymity.

ALSO READ: My Wedding Dress Got Delivered With a Burnt Patch

Davina, 28, and Hamza, 28, dated for a year before they got married. This week on Love Life, they talk about dating for three months, dating again three years later and eventually getting married.

What鈥檚 your earliest memory of each other? 

Hamza: In 2005, we attended the same secondary school for one term. I joined in JS1 and left that same year. 

Davina: I remember him running out of the dining hall with glasses on one day. And in my head, I was like, “Where are you running to?” 

Hamza: I don鈥檛 remember that day, but I remember you were a popular kid who loved music and dancing.  

Did you two talk to each other? 

Hamza: No, we never did until 2009 when I found her on Twitter. I don鈥檛 remember a lot of our conversations during that time, but I know I invited her to my prom. 

Davina: I couldn’t go because it was the same day as my prom. Plus, I had a boyfriend at the time. 

Hamza: Aha! Now the truth is coming out. 

LOL. When did you people start talking proper?

Davina: After I came back to the UK for my master’s in 2017, my friend 鈥� who was also his friend from our secondary school 鈥� invited me to her house. She was like, 鈥淏y the way, Hamza is going to be there.鈥� 

When I saw him, I thought he grew up nicely. He was skinny in secondary, but now, he was looking all buff and sweet. 

Hamza: She looked really nice too. We had a good time at our friend鈥檚 house and when she was about to leave, I told her to make sure she comes back. 

Davina: I did and we dated for like three months. 

Hol鈥� up. How did that happen? 

Davina: So I came back to my friend鈥檚 place a few days later, and he was there too. This time, he gave me more attention. We watched a movie, and at the end of it, we kissed. 

Hamza: It felt really nice, and I started to move to her. We exchanged numbers and got talking. I asked her out a few days later, and she said yes. 

Davina: Hamza was very romantic and all, but I was still hung up on my ex in Lagos. Plus, I鈥檇 been used to long-distance relationships and being in such close proximity with him was hard for me. So I broke up with him after three months. I was being stupid.

Hamza: I don’t think it was stupid. I just think you weren’t ready.

Davina: Yeah, I wasn’t ready, and I felt like I needed to be honest about it. Part of me wanted to keep trying, but I just wasn鈥檛 there for it. He didn鈥檛 deserve a half-arsed relationship and I told him that. 

How did you take it? 

Hamza: I was really hurt but I鈥檓 happy she was honest with me. I moved on with my life and had other relationships. 2020 was particularly interesting for me. I was settling into adulthood proper. I鈥檇 let go of a lot of things and people to heal and just go through my emotions. I鈥檇 also been through therapy and was feeling good about myself. Only for this babe to call me one random day in September 2020, three years later. I was playing video games that day, and I remember being very confused. I picked up because I wanted to know if she was okay. 

Davina: I just wanted to say hi to him. I had just come out of a relationship. 

At that point, I prayed to God. I said to Him, I don鈥檛 want to get married, but if it鈥檚 what He wants for me, He should show me the person I should marry and help me pursue him. A few days later, Hamza鈥檚 name began to sit in my spirit. I鈥檇 wake up at 4 a.m. to pray and Hamza would be on my mind, so I decided to call him. I thought there was no animosity so why not reach out? I even talked to one of my closest friends about him, and she said I could shoot my shot if I wanted to. 

Did you want to? 

Davina: Yes, I did, but I also knew I was the one who broke us up in the first place, so I had to be gentle and patient with him. I asked him to hang out with me. 

While we were together, I鈥檇 give him compliments. Tell him I like his hair or his fit. This boy still didn鈥檛 figure out that I was moving to him until December. I even invited him over to my house and cooked for him. Me that I鈥檓 protective of my space. 

Hamza: LOL. After I left your house that night, my best friend called me. I told her I just left your house, and she said, 鈥淎re you sure that babe doesn’t like you?鈥� I asked her if people can鈥檛 just be friends? I even got upset about it. 

Davina: That鈥檚 how clueless he was鈥ntil I kissed him. 

Ou. How did that happen?听

Hamza: She invited me over to eat.  

Davina: I made this boy food again. I’m mostly vegan, but I made him a suya mushroom thing, fried yam and fried plantain with palm oil pepper sauce. I also got him Maltina. For context, I live in a white-dominated area so it’s hard to find Nigerian things, but I went to look for Maltina for him. 

Hamza, and you still didn鈥檛 know?

Hamza: LOL. No idea. I got to her place and there was food. So much to eat in so little time. After eating the food, and drinking the Maltina and wine, I couldn鈥檛 move. I even told her I have to introduce her to my other friends so we can all be friends. I ended up sleeping on her couch. 

Davina: That was my plan 鈥� to make him so comfortable, he wouldn鈥檛 be able to find a reason to leave my house. 

Hamza: The next morning, we kissed, and I left the house confused. When I got in my car, I called my best friend to tell her we just kissed and she’s like, “Ehen, I knew it.鈥� We texted a lot that day. And I wasn’t doing anything that night so I decided to go back to her house. 

Davina: Please, I’m not a freak, but I told him if he comes back, I’m not letting him go. 

Hamza, it was obvious by now, right? 

Hamza: Yes, but I needed to know what we were doing with each other. I didn鈥檛 want us to be friends who kiss every now and then. So that night, we talked about the possibility of dating. I knew not to get myself into situations I couldn鈥檛 control by not defining them. We didn鈥檛 become a couple that night, but I knew we were getting there. 

Davina: In my head, he was already my boyfriend sha. 

Hamza: It became official for me in January. 

Tell me about that

Hamza: We were spending a lot of time together, and I liked it. In December, I went away with my friends for the holidays. I missed her so much during that time. When I came back, my housemate tested positive for COVID, so we had to isolate for 14 days. Gosh, it was hard not seeing Davina for that long. 

One day, we were talking and the conversation of 鈥渂oyfriend and girlfriend鈥� came up because, as usual, Davina had an agenda. 

She said, “I want to know what I should call you when I’m talking to my friends.鈥�

A smart queen鈥� 

Hamza: LOL. The thing is I wanted to ask her out in person, and I told her that. She said it didn鈥檛 matter so I asked her to be my girlfriend, and she said yes. 

What was the relationship like the second time around? 

Hamza: Initially, it was scary. Here鈥檚 a girl I had chased twice, and now, we were in a relationship. However, like I鈥檝e said, Davina is great company, and at the foundation of our partnership, we had a friendship. This allowed us to navigate seemingly difficult situations because we liked one another, and on top of that, we love each other very much. Without even thinking too much about it, I knew I wanted to be with her for the rest of my life. 

Davina: For me, this is the first relationship I鈥檝e been in that鈥檚 taught me so much about myself. I鈥檝e learnt to be more patient with people and with myself. I鈥檓 more self-reflective. I鈥檝e also learnt to love in languages that are not my primary love language. For context, my primary love languages are physical touch and words of affirmation while Hamza鈥檚 are acts of service and quality time. 

Also, this is the first relationship in which I know my partner would do anything for me. Not just because he says it, but he actually makes an effort to. I love that he is always there for me, ever supportive and ever loving. I wouldn鈥檛 trade us for anything in this world. 

Sweet, do you two fight? Tell me about your biggest fight

Hamza: Davina and I hardly ever fight. We鈥檝e had just two big fights in the course of our relationship. I鈥檒l tell you about the last one. She had an issue with me that questioned my commitment to her. 

Davina: I was struggling to understand the nature of one of Hamza’s friendships. I had been cheated on before in previous relationships so my guard was up. I confronted him about it in a raw and immature way. The approach didn鈥檛 hurt him as much as the fact that I was questioning his commitment to me. 

Hamza: I was annoyed because I had spent months before that day planning my proposal.

It wasn鈥檛 even a fight where we raised our voices at each other. Our sentences were pointed and abrupt. The silence in between was the most deafening sound so I decided to take a stroll to clear my head. As I walked, I prayed because I鈥檇 already planned to propose to her the next day. In this situation, I needed guidance from God. I didn鈥檛 take my phone because I didn鈥檛 need any external influence on my decision. I didn鈥檛 know how much time passed, but I got the confirmation I needed that Davina was the one so I went back to her place. 

Davina: I was so worried. He didn鈥檛 return until just before midnight. In fact, I was on my way to search for him when he walked in. I apologised for what happened and he told me that he had been planning to propose to me so he needed to know if I trusted him and really wanted to be with him. I just started crying. We both did actually. I鈥檇 never been so sure of anything. 

Aww. When is the wedding?

Davina: In four weeks! 

Hamza: We honestly can鈥檛 wait. 

Send us wedding photos, okay? Until then, what attracts you to each other?

Davina: I can鈥檛 pick just one thing. For one, I love Hamza’s physique. His arms, his jawline, his eyes, his smile beautifully framed by his lips. Phew! He鈥檚 also very understanding and patient. He takes his time to listen and is never quick to respond. I love how screwed on his head is. 

Hamza: I actually dislike this question because it鈥檚 complex. I think most people expect either a single poetic line or an essay filled with buzz words. However, I鈥檒l put it simply like this: Davina is my person. She is kind, understanding, patient, loving, caring, strong and intelligent. She corrects me when I鈥檓 wrong, fights for me when needed, and most of all, she loves God. She is and will always be someone I can depend on. With her, I can call anywhere home.

While I wipe my tears, please rate your relationship on a scale of one to ten听

Hamza: 9 because no relationship is perfect, and we鈥檝e had our fair share of troubles. But there鈥檚 no one else I鈥檇 rather do this with. 

Davina: It鈥檚 the same for me. This relationship hasn鈥檛 just been a source of peace for me, but it鈥檚 also caused me to grow a lot, which I鈥檓 super thankful for. 

Check back every Thursday by 9 AM for new Love Life stories here. The stories will also be a part of the Ships newsletter, so sign up

If you want to share your own Love Life story, fill this .

Yes, you are. And yes, you will go through it.

2. What if she doesn鈥檛 show up?

LMAO. This will actually be a sticky situation to deal with. But you should be fine.

3. Oh my God, she really isn鈥檛 going to show up.

Relax, she’s probably just stuck in traffic.

4. She鈥檚 here. Thank God. 

Of course, she is. Duh!

5. This thing is taking too long. Can we get to the part where I kiss her?

Take it easy, Tiger. You weren’t even sure you wanted to do this a few hours ago.

6. Wait, What will I do if an ex-girlfriend is here?

Bro, you’ve been watching too many movies.

7. Oh, my God. Why am I getting emotional? I think I鈥檓 going to cry now.

Let it all out, big man.

8. No, I鈥檓 a hard guy.

You are not.

9. You know what? Fuck it.

That’s the spirit!

 10. Oh my God, we’re married.

As it should be.

11. But this wedding is kind of expensive sha.

Uhm.

Quiz: How Much Will Your Wedding Cost?

The subject of today’s “A Week In The Life” is These are women who host Yoruba wedding ceremonies, sing songs of praises, double as MC’s and serve a host of other functions. She talks to us about not liking parties even though her job revolves around them, the challenges she faces in day to day life, and what a perfect retirement looks like for her.听

MONDAY:

The first thing on my mind when I wake up today is that I’ve been an Alaga for weddings for close to 22 years. And that feels unreal. It feels like a lifetime ago when I stumbled into this job. Becoming an Alaga for me was by luck/chance because I didn’t go to school to learn neither was I trained; it just happened. 

In those days, as a youth in church, we used to rally round to help members of the church getting married 鈥� planning, declaration, coordination and any other thing. It was during one of these moments my journey started. There was a particular sister we helped out with planning her wedding, and it is wasn’t until the day of the wedding that we knew we were supposed to get an Alaga. The only reason we even knew was because the groom’s family came with theirs. In the midst of all the confusion, all the other sister’s pushed me forward saying: “Sister Bisi, you can do it. You can talk very well.” I mean this was true; I was an interpreter in church, I sang in the choir, and I was also a teacher in the children department, but the fact remained that I had never done something like that before. As if it was ordained by God, I now wore one very fine cloth that day. Grudgingly, I stepped up to represent the bride, and that was the beginning of my journey. It wasn’t perfect and I’m thankful I had help from someone who guided me on what to do and say. I was also lucky that it was a small church event, so we just said opening prayer, praise the Lord, let the bride come in, let the groom come in and we were done. 

However, my second time on the job was intentional. After witnessing my performance, one of the sisters in church said she was not going to pay what the professionals were asking for, and I had to be her own Alaga. Her argument was since I had done it for someone else, I could also do hers. I told her I was scared and that event was impromptu but all she told me was to go and prepare. Because I was unmarried at the time, I spent a lot of hours watching videos from my sister’s wedding to learn the mannerisms, songs, routines etc. Thankfully, I pulled it off. After the success of the second wedding, I officially became the church’s Alaga. Couples would come in for marriage counselling and the church would provide options for them to save money, part of which usually involved my services. 

That’s how I began full time with no prior training or anything. God just showed me that this is a calling, and ever since then, I’ve been able to train at least over 120 people who are doing well. That alone is enough reason for me to get out of bed every morning. 

TUESDAY:

One question people ask me is “What do we do with all the money we collect at weddings?” I try to break it down for them. Firstly, the money is for the family. We share the proceeds into like thirteen envelopes which are then distributed to the family members on the paternal and maternal side. The money is a token to appreciate people who took off time to attend the wedding. It’s not as if the money will change their lives, because some people get as low as 鈧�200 or 鈧�500, but it’s for them to say that during so and so wedding, they went home with something. 

We also collect specific money like money for unveiling the bride, which goes to the bride. There’s money for reading letter which goes to the person who reads the letter the couple writes to each other. We also have “aeroplane” money for people who bring in the wife to the venue. 

I make my own money from being sprayed during the programme. Or after the groomsmen finish prostrating to both families, I ask them to bless me with anything they have. The reason why it seems like some of my colleagues charge a lot of money from the groomsmen and bridesmaid is that they probably collected a cheap amount for their services. Parents usually boast about the calibre of people coming to the wedding to make sure we don’t charge a lot. In cases like that, the Alaga has to make up for the difference in fees. That means that everyone present at that ceremony will pay through their nose. I charge a fixed fee before the wedding, and that’s why I don’t collect money more than once at the venue, and I remit the money for the family to the family. 

There’s a class of people called 鈥渘o bowl show鈥�, where the family instructs us not to collect any money at the venue. In cases like that, we charge them two times the fee.

WEDNESDAY:

Every job has challenges, and my own is not an exception. Sometimes, the other side [bride or groom] might also have their own Alaga, and the person is trying to show off their talents or skills while you’re working on a fixed time, and that can be frustrating. It can cause a lot of issues when both of you are not the same page. You just have to pray to meet someone who is understanding.

Also, Nigerians do not keep to time. Sometimes they know an event won’t start till 2 p.m., but they’ll tell you to come by 8 or 10 a.m. So I end up spending time I could have used on other productive things waiting for the event to start. I went for an event on December 24th that was supposed to start by 8 a.m. In my head, plus Nigerian time, we’d start at 10 a.m. and be done by latest 2 p.m 鈥� I’d still have ample time to get home and make Christmas plans for my family. This event didn’t start until some minutes before 1 p.m. When I wanted to introduce the groom, I was told that he was stuck in traffic. Thank God I went along with one of my colleagues that day because after waiting for a few minutes and no show, I just picked up my car and left the venue. My colleague was the one who anchored the rest of the event. 

Another issue that is now “normal” is men making advances at me during this work. It’s always annoying when some father of the groom or bride makes advances at me because most times, I get close to the mother of the bride or groom first. Imagine talking to someone for months and planning a wedding with them; there’s a form of friendship that occurs from spending a lot of time together. Then suddenly on the day of the event, her husband is making a move on you. It’s very somehow. I just chalk it up to men’s nature, ignore and face my work. I know my worth, and I know what the men are doing is all noise.  

THURSDAY:

A good Alaga must have a very good dress sense. They must also smell nice, look nice and have a good voice. They should be able to coordinate themselves. If you can’t control your temper you can’t do this work. Mostly because people will step on your toes intentionally or unintentionally. To succeed in this job, you also need to learn time management 鈥� don’t waste people’s time and make sure you finish early enough for the family to entertain their guests. These are the things any exceptional Alaga must know. 

I’m always training people. In fact, I’m starting another training in February. Today, I’m counting the number of students who have enrolled for the class, and ten slots have been filled out the twenty I planned for. I’m glad that people are interested in learning about this job. It’s very lucrative to use your voice and talent to make money. All you have to do is transport yourself to the venue and you’re good. I call my tribe the “Exceptional Alagas” because we train them on how to sing, coordinate events and not be greedy. The beauty is that the training happens over WhatsApp, so it accommodates my busy schedule. After the online class, we have an internship period where people shadow professionals for six months to a year. I’m always excited to pass on knowledge to the younger generation. 

FRIDAY:

Without my husband, I wouldn’t be anything at all and I’m not even joking. If I didn’t marry him, I don’t see any man who could have married me. Because of how demanding my job is, it’s not easy combining it with family duties. But my husband is so understanding. In fact, he’s unique. In addition to my Alaga work, I also run a jewellery and Aso-Oke store, and my office is quite a distance from my house. What this means is that I leave the house from Monday, and I don’t return home until Saturday. My husband holds down the house until I’m back. It helps that I have grown-up children and always make arrangements before leaving the house, but there’s just something about a man who supports your career no matter what you choose. My husband and I both started our careers as teachers until I decided to pursue this work full time. When I told him, he agreed. And ever since then his okay has been okay. I don’t know how many men can do that for a woman. 

SATURDAY:

I have an event today, so I’m up early to prepare. People ask me how I’m always in the mood to perform my duties. Maybe because they think it requires so much energy. I tell them that there’s no dull moment as long as it’s work. The only thing is that I don’t party outside of work. If I’m not with the mic at an event, it’s rare to catch me attending a party. I get fed up and pissed easily at parties. Even when I’m working, once I’m done with my duties, I’m out. I always want to retreat into my shell and go to either my house or the office. 

I know I can’t do this job forever and that’s why I’m planning for retirement. All these other businesses [Aso-Oke] are my retirement plan, God willing. When I look back at my life, I see that God has been able to do what us men can’t do through this job. At least I can say that through this job we’ve gotten houses, we’ve gotten cars, we’ve started a business and we’ve trained our children. I want to retire by the time I turn 60, 65. At least by then, my kids will have given me grandchildren. At that point, all I want to do is focus on my family. 

Check back every Tuesday by 9 am for more 鈥淎 Week In The Life 鈥� goodness, and if you would like to be featured or you know anyone who fits the profile, fill this

[donation]

Planning a wedding in 3 months.

No lives were lost in the process in this story but I was pretty close to murdering someone that morning. I initially wanted to make a dress but the wedding plans were everywhere. My registry marriage was on the 4th of October 2019 and my white wedding was meant to be in June of 2020 but our family wanted it in January so, I had just 3 months to plan the wedding and take care of everything.

Saying 鈥淵es鈥� to a rented wedding dress.

After sorting the drama of whether or not it would be a church wedding and what church, the next question was naturally, what dress would I wear? I went dress shopping with my mom, aunt, maid of honour and mother-in-law.听 They were particular about the dress because my mother-in-law is a bit religious and she had concerns about what people might say. So what this means is my titties won鈥檛 be making an appearance (sorry girls).听

My dress was meant to be custom made but I was feeling very lazy about doing follow up on the designer so I opted for a rented dress. I convinced myself with the lazy mantra of 鈥渨hy spend money making a dress when you can just rent one?鈥澨�

I still stare at wedding dresses in lust.

We went dress shopping and eventually, we decided on a dress. Definitely not my dream dress cause I still catch myself staring at wedding dresses. It was a beautiful dress and everyone loved it but it wasn鈥檛 my favourite. You know when people repeatedly tell you something is beautiful or perfect until you just find yourself agreeing with them. I didn鈥檛 hate the dress, I just didn鈥檛 LOVE it. 

They fucked up the pick-up date.

The dress was agreed on, booked and paid for. It was supposed to be delivered on a certain date but they called to ask us to pick up the dress on an earlier date because they were closing for Christmas. On the agreed date, my mother-in-law and I attended a wedding together before going to pick up the dress. Only for them to tell us it was a wrong date we should come back the following week on Thursday. This was strange because they were the ones who fixed the pick-up date. Plus, It wasn’t doable because Thursday was my traditional wedding.

There was a lot of back and forth until my mother-in-law volunteered to pick up the dress for me when she comes for the trad.

I forgot about my wedding dress.

Fast forward to my traditional wedding and I totally forget about my wedding dress because I鈥檓 busy with trad stuff. My mother-in-law had to remind me about it. My white wedding was meant to be two days after the traditional wedding and the agreement was trad in my state and white wedding in my husband’s state. So on the day after the trad, my mother-in-law came bearing bad news.

The omoest omo don happen.

See, I think she told my mom or something because no one said a word to me, maybe because they didn鈥檛 want to stress me. The bad news is, my wedding dress was delivered with a burnt black patch on my train. WHAT? WHATTTT?

The dress was delivered in a garment bag but my mother-in-law insisted on seeing the dress over. That was when she noticed the big, black, burnt patch.听

WHAT HAPPENED TO MY WEDDING DRESS?

The person who delivered it was just as dumbfounded as we were. The store had closed for Christmas but they had someone deliver the dress to us. She didn鈥檛 even work with them, she was doing a friend a favour. 

Apparently, the last bride before me, the train got caught in a sparkler and that was how it burnt.

The dress was huge and so it had to be fixed, the burnt bit. So, here I was, the day before my wedding waiting for my dress to be redone.听 They fixed the back, got another fabric on it but it was just wrinkled and the colour seemed off. Honestly, it didn鈥檛 look like the dress I tried on in their store anymore.听

I almost wore my reception dress with a veil for my white wedding.听

We almost went dress shopping in the morning but the refund we got wasn鈥檛 enough to rent another dress. I started threatening to wear my reception dress with a veil to the church. They fixed the dress as much as they could and I was just like, fuck it, it鈥檚 fine but inner me knew I was just managing it. The plan was to wear the dress for a few hours and just take it off as soon as I could.听

Word of Advice to Young brides

Get a planner! I had one and she made sure I actually had a good time at the wedding.
Not getting your dream dress is not the end of the world (although I鈥檓 still trying to convince myself to let go of the idea).
Many things will go wrong, don鈥檛 come and kill yourself just have fun or get through the day without hurting anyone.

Recommended: What She Said: What We Hate About Being Married.

To compile this list, I had to go to the bottom of the internet. I hope it inspires your wedding souvenir. Love and light.

1) You know what, I dig it.

They should have added groundnut to complete it.

2) I am still confused about this one.

Why didn’t they just transfer?

3) Sorry, what?

I am so confused right now. Can anyone help?

4) Lmaoooooo.

This is triggering.

5) Huh?

I laughed and I got confused.

6) Energy.

Crying.

7) Jaapa starter pack.

I stan a forward thinking couple.

Nigeria has over 70,000 registered doctors, this #NairaLife is about one of them.

What is your oldest memory of money?

Primary school 鈥� primary one to be specific. I used to get 鈧�2 for school every morning for doughnuts and some sweets. Something else that comes to mind is getting some money from my mum whenever I sold her recharge cards at wholesale 鈥� she used to sell them at retail. I was about 11 or 12. 

What’s the first ‘big’ money you had as a kid?

That will be my allowance in boarding school, around 鈧�1k or so 鈥� end of 2001. First time I got that money, I was thinking of buying a video game with it hahaha. PS One. I didn鈥檛 even know how much they cost o. 

Tell me about boarding school. 

I went to a government-run boarding school. What you quickly learn is that money is mandatory for survival and necessary for respect. If you don鈥檛 have money, you鈥檒l perch up and down and lose your respect. Everyone will know because when they are buying, you can鈥檛. 

For me, money was nothing big really. I had money to get a Palito in JSS2, an MP4 player in SS2, and a Sony Eriksson phone in SS3. 

What was it like post-secondary school? 

I got more money from my pops. I never really did anything outside academics in my 1st degree. I was comfortable but couldn鈥檛 get all I wanted.

What’s something you wanted but couldn’t get?

A place and car of my own. I stayed with my uncle and in hostel in different levels.

Fair enough, what came next?

Graduated with a first-class, then NYSC. I stayed alone for the first time. Also bought a Samsung Galaxy S3 felt like a big boy. During NYSC, I had 3 sources of income:

1. My pops 
2. NYSC allowee 
3. Home lessons I did for secondary school and JAMB students.

How much did you charge for lessons and what year was this?

鈧�7k monthly for each centre 鈥� I taught in 2 places. 2012-2013. 

So, after NYSC?

First, I started Masters and was already halfway then got accepted into medical school. I had to run both programmes simultaneously. Managed to finish Masters while I was in MBBS 3. I used to do some side hustle too, helped compose and print projects for some final year students. 

What year was the toughest year?

2015 was the toughest year. I prayed for my MSc thesis defence dates and MBBS exams not to clash. They were going to take place almost the same time. Why was this important to me? I was studying medicine in Maiduguri and doing an MSc in Ilorin. 

Bruh, how crazy was that route?

First of all, I don’t travel straight. I’ll leave Ilorin and stop for the night in Bauchi, then continue to Maiduguri. Bad roads in Kwara, the ever-scary Lokoja-Abuja road, multiple checkpoints in the Northeast.

It was exhausting, but I think I made the most of the opportunity I had. I finished my Master’s with a PhD grade 鈥� you can call that an excellent grade. In all, my dad was really supportive.

Your dad is clearly a force in your life.

Yeah. I actually won鈥檛 have been where I am today if he wasn鈥檛 there for me then.

That鈥檚 why December 2014 was very tough: I was writing my MBBS 2 exams when my dad died. 

Bruh. I鈥檓 so sorry man That must have been devastating.

Yeah, it was. That鈥檚 why I rarely talk about it, it makes me emotional.

I’m so sorry man. Is it okay if I ask about some aspects of it now, less about him and more about how you had to cope?

Yeah. For starters, I used my inheritance to finish up medical school. My share was 鈧�2 million in cash 鈥� we didn鈥檛 have to sell off properties. I also got his car. What made it better is that one of my uncles was rich enough to take care of my two sisters and my little brother. So, I only had to worry about myself. 

In my final year, I started receiving a monthly medical allowance from Bauchi state – 鈧�26k. This one started coming in January 2018. 

How many years did the inheritance cover for you?

3 years, also my uncle paid for my school fees. I finished medical school in November 2018. 

Congratulations! So the money was just even a backup.

That backup was for my mum and me. She was starting up a business, so I threw some into it. 

Lit. And post-medical school?

I upgraded when I started my House job. My allowance from the state government upgraded to 鈧�110k, I got 鈧�165k from House job, then a side hustle paid 鈧�30k. That鈥檚 305k. When I got my first pay, I gave my mum 80% of that money, almost 鈧�250k for her business. 

Well done, man. What was the side hustle?

I consulted at a clinic. 

What鈥檚 it like these days? 

Now, I earn 鈧�200k working 2 jobs. No more government allowance. 

Ouch. What type of life will this money fetch in Bauchi per month? 

Not bad, considering the cost of living is relatively okay. Plus, I have a car so transportation isn鈥檛 much of a problem. 

Most people in Bauchi generally earn less than 鈧�80k. Entry-level lecturers and bankers earn 鈧�90k and above. 

How do you juggle two jobs? 

I work every day from 9 am to 2 pm. Then 4 pm – 9 pm on Monday鈥檚 through Friday. I get 鈧�100k at each job. Most doctors do this until they get something better. Some entrepreneurial doctors even do it to get capital. But no doctor wants to do it forever. This will soon be over because I鈥檓 about to start my residency. 

What’s the difference between a residency and a house job?

House job is officially called Housemanship, and it鈥檚 the compulsory 1-year internship for doctors immediately after medical school. Residency is our postgraduate. We get paid for both. Depending on the hospital, my residency should pay me from 鈧�250k to 鈧�350k.

Let’s break down how your 200k goes every month.

I give my mum 鈧�15k. I save 鈧�100k. My sisters are both working as nurses 鈥� the younger one is still doing her internship. I pay my little brother鈥檚 fees, 鈧�18k thrice yearly. Then food and other stuff. 

The constant thing is my mum and my savings. 

At this stage in your career, how much do you feel like you should be earning?

鈧�500k. If I get an NGO job with my qualifications 鈥� a BSc, MSc, and a medical degree 鈥� I鈥檒l get paid this amount. If I start a residency, then combine this with the poultry business I intend to start, I鈥檒l earn this amount. 

What’s the next 5 years looking like?

I intend to the Medical licence exams for the UK. I don’t have all the details now, but for that entire process, I’m just going to budget 1.5 million.

Besides this 1.5, what’s something you want right now but can’t afford?

Another car. The one I want will cost me about 鈧�2.5 million, but I鈥檓 preparing for my wedding so no 鈥�

鈥� Ohhhhh. There are a bunch of things. First, I鈥檓 renovating the family house, because we鈥檒l be staying there temporarily. This renovation alone is costing 鈧�1.5 million. I actually got an architect to redesign before it got renovated. 

Mad mad.

Then, the things inside the box for the bride, that鈥檚 costing 鈧�500k.  

Ehn? 

Kayan Lefe: it鈥檚 the boxes that the groom presents to the bride in the north, mostly containing fabrics and clothes. It could be less or more depending on what you can afford sha.

Then my bride will still need some things for the main ceremony 鈥� roughly 鈧�100k. Then I鈥檓 spending another 鈧�200k on myself. The food and other souvenirs will take the rest. If I decided to host a dinner, it would have been more. Postponed it because of coronavirus. 

We postponed everything we thought we couldn鈥檛 postpone.

Yeah. 

What’s an expense you incurred recently that significantly improved the quality of your life?

The renovation. It just feels so good. Fixed a water problem too. POP ceilings. Re-tiled a lot of the house. 

What’s your biggest financial regret in recent memory?

Spending too much on restaurants. Lending people money too. I gave one girl 鈧�50k, and she just japa鈥檇 with my money. 

Hahaha. Sorry man. About the restaurant part…

I spend up to 鈧�30k at restaurants in Bauchi. That鈥檚 a lot for me, especially when the average meal is like 鈧�500. Especially when you think about the fact that we have a cook. 

We? 

Oh, I live with my mum, my two sisters 鈥� the older one is divorced, so she lives with my niece, her daughter. There鈥檚 also my little brother and a cousin. 

Your sister, it鈥檚 a curious thing.  

Oh, she鈥檚 25. When she was in Nursing School, she married this guy. And then suddenly, he wanted her to stop school. She divorced him. So all of us stood with her, and now she鈥檚 done and is a practising nurse. 

Good riddance. 

Hahaha. 

On a scale of 1-10, how would you rate your financial happiness? 

6. To be honest, I know I鈥檓 not doing badly. I get more respect these days, but maybe that鈥檚 because I鈥檓 a doctor. But right now, getting married, starting my residency, and getting my business going will bring me close to 10.

Do you ever imagine what life would look like if things turned out differently? 

To be honest, I think it鈥檇 have been worse. I might have had to drop out of school with my siblings. Maybe I鈥檇 be running a small business. 

Your dad was a force in life and a force from the afterlife.

Haha, I didn鈥檛 even think about it like that. 

Yeah. Sometimes when we talk to people, they give us new perspective to old grief.

True.

Jollof rice

Moin-moin

Fried rice

Coleslaw and/or dodo to go with the rice.

Ofada Rice & Ayamashe Sauce

Amala and ewedu

Pounded yam and efo riro

If you are feeling generous you can add ‘Chinese rice and sauce’ just to give your wedding some international exposure.

Did we leave anything out?