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EveryShaadi

Wedding traditions of Niamey

A Niger river city of Hausa, Zarma and Tuareg marriage, and the country with the world's highest child marriage rate.

Niamey brings together Zarma, Hausa, Tuareg and Fulani families. Niger has among the highest rates of child marriage in the world, according to the UN. The Wodaabe, a Fulani people, hold the Gerewol courtship festival in which men dance for the women who choose them.

Niamey: View from the Grande Mosque in Niamey. Across the road are market stalls, an outdoor amphitheatre (complete with lighting rigs), and a view across the city.
Photo: Roland Huziaker, CC BY-SA 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons

A wedding here

Marriage is arranged by families, with a bride price in cash and livestock, and a religious contract. Songs, drums and a communal meal follow. In Tuareg areas the bride's family hosts and the couple lives near them for a time.

Law and change

The legal age for girls is 15 and for boys 18, though customary law is applied and many girls marry younger. This is a serious human-rights concern, and education campaigns work to delay marriage.

Wedding customs of Niamey

Also part of it, and being written: Gerewol (The Wodaabe festival.), Wodaabe (The Fulani group.), Tuareg people (The Tuareg.), Child marriage (The context.).

A wedding trail idea for Niamey

  1. Grand Marche de Niamey The central market.
  2. Niger National Museum A museum with pavilions of the peoples.
  3. Niger River banks A promenade.
About this page

Written by the EveryShaadi desk with AI assistance. Opening hours, venues and wedding-season dates change; check locally before travelling. Customs differ from place to place and family to family. If this is your tradition and we have it wrong, tell us.

KindRiteVowBetrothalGift customAttireAdornmentPerformanceFeast customBlessingPlayFamily roleSettingModern
StageFinding a matchEngagement and betrothalThe weeks beforeThe eveProcession and arrivalThe ceremonyThe wedding feastReception, dance and giftsAfter the wedding
🇳🇪 In-Gall, Niger and 2 moreGuérewol A week-long courtship dance where Wodaabe men display their beauty to win the attention of marriageable women.Rite · The weeks before

Photo credits on this page

The small pictures above come from Wikimedia Commons under free licences. Some are cropped to fit.

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