According to news giant CNN, the Nigerian wedding industry is said to be worth millions of dollars with guest lists of up to 1000. It is considered to be one of the fastest growing industries in Africa, generating thousands of jobs.
The wedding industry has developed into one of the driving forces behind this countries economy. The ceremonies have become increasingly lavish and ostentatious from the outfits to the decoration and even the takeaway gifts. At one wedding earlier this year, guests were reportedly given stacks of dollars as a ‘thank you for coming’.
The article states, ‘As the year draws to a close, wedding season in Nigeria begins.
Getting married in Africa’s most populous country is big business and said to be worth millions of dollars, according to market research group, TNS Global. Nigerian weddings can cost up to $9,460-413,515 with guest lists matching the super-sized budgets. Some weddings in the country cater for an average of 1000 guests.
When the son of one of Africa’s richest women, Folorunsho Alakija, got married in June, he had a lavish $6 million wedding at the prestigious Blenheim Palace in the United Kingdom. UK media reported that the ceremony featured one million roses by celebrity florist Jeff Leatham, a 12ft-tall cake and a performance by American artist Robin Thicke in the $43,000 venue.
The wedding industry is considered one of the major contributors to Nigeria’s economy.It is credited for creating entire industries that didn’t exist or were previously unprofitable, such as makeup artists and luxury toilet hire companies.
Fashion designers have also benefited hugely from Nigeria’s wedding boom. In previous years, wealthy brides would travel abroad to buy their wedding gowns but they are now turning to homegrown designers such as Mai Atafo and Ogugua Okonkwo of Style Temple.’
This industry has officially been placed on a global platform and we daresay, we have only just begun.
