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.
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
- Grand Marche de Niamey The central market.
- Niger National Museum A museum with pavilions of the peoples.
- Niger River banks A promenade.
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.
Photo credits on this page
The small pictures above come from Wikimedia Commons under free licences. Some are cropped to fit.
- Guérewol: Dan Lundberg, CC BY-SA 2.0, source