Fatshimetrie recently highlighted the thoughts of popular Nigerian comedian Bovi on the restrictive dating culture in Nigeria. In an interview with The Honest Bunch podcast, Bovi shared his thoughts on how the culture impacts adult relationships and marriages.
According to the comedian, many Nigerian parents deny that their children have boyfriends or girlfriends, but once they reach a certain age, they are told to bring a spouse home. Bovi noted, “Where would it come from? Children are not even allowed to date the opposite sex!”
He added, “I said something on TV once and people came at me, saying that young people should be allowed to go out on dates and all that.”
The comedian also discussed how strict upbringing in many Nigerian homes discourages young people from experiencing normal dating stages. He explained, “Our parents didn’t encourage this kind of behavior, so we would hide our boyfriends and girlfriends to avoid retaliation. How many steps did we skip? We didn’t go to the cinema and watch a movie innocently; we didn’t go for a walk and write each other letters.”
Bovi humorously illustrated the overreaction of parents to simple signs of romance, saying, “If they saw us with love letters back then, they would yell at us, and you would wonder what you had done to set off the alarm.”
Bovi’s reflection highlights the paradoxes of Nigeria’s dating culture, where young people are often forced to hide their romantic relationships, deprived of experiencing the simple and essential moments of love life. This observation highlights the importance of rethinking the way relationships are approached in society, thereby promoting healthy and authentic interactions between individuals.