Nigeria has over 250 ethnic groups. Hence, it should not surprise anyone that among these groups, there will be some strange cultural practices associated with marriage. Most times, these practices are meant to strengthen the bond of marriage and preserve its sanctity. There are the good, the bad and the ugly. In line with this, i share 4 strange Nigerian cultural practices associated with marriage in Nigeria.


Flogging the groom among the Fulanis

This is a festival in which an intending young Fulani groom is flogged to prove that he’s ready to take a wife. The would-be groom will be trashed and he must show no signs of pain. Otherwise, his readiness to take up the huge responsibility of marriage will not be accepted.

Magun (thunderbolt)

Magun is very common among the Yorubas. It is usually placed on wives by their husbands without their knowledge as a deterrent for committing adultery. And if she goes ahead with the act, her lover could end up losing his life or getting stuck while in the act.

Fattening room

This is practiced by people who hail from Calabar. The fattening room is a room where young women are kept and prepared for womanhood and marriage. Being fat is considered as a sign of good living.

Shaving the hair

A woman who just lost her Igbo husband is usually taken through some cultural rituals to prove that she played no role in the death of her husband. One of the rituals, although somewhat humiliating, is that she has to shave her hair.