Fake-Wedding: Renewed Evil Feat on Nigerian Campuses -By Fatimah Idera

Aside from being an academic environment, Campus is another world on its own entirely where its inhabitants venturing into evil acts and considering immoralities as norms. You may think cultism, examination malpractice and indecent dressing as main vices on campus. However, there are more unpopular trends among Nigerian students and one of them is ‘fake wedding’.

While returning back on campus for every new academic session, undergraduates (most particularly those from wealthy backgrounds) always have the mindset of enticing their colleagues with latest goods and initiating new trends, for them to be the talk in everyone’s mouth. And of course, campus ought to be fun with remarkable moments without taunting the emotion of others.

As a girl from a well cultured family, the last time I checked, Marriage ceremony is an event supported with cultural backups and given the highest regards in the society. But now, it seems to me that the one-time ceremony has been devalued by the students in tertiary institutions.

One may perceive that they are Theatre Art students and projecting a group play but they are not. Fake weddings, in recent times, have been a common practice among undergraduate students in different institutions in which students imitate a real lavish wedding ceremony without legal bond.

The ridiculous act by the students is done just for fun and to pressurize their colleagues on social media. And this can be traced to societal influence and the desire to meet societal expectations coupled with peer pressure. The undergraduates participate and stage such high-esteem ceremonies without any commitment. Is this not an abuse to our culture?

Parents sent out their wards together with funds for morals on campuses. Pathetically, the children meticulously gather their monthly allowances to buy Aso-ebi and recreate the most expensive wedding on campus. They would compel societal influence and conform to certain expectations.

The fake wedding by these young fellows may seem harmless but it has more implications. It perpetuated the culture of pretense and taunting the emotions of the individuals on and off campus.

It is important that society as well as institutions put an end to this ugly trend and address the issue which drives young people to resort to such deceptive practice in an institution. Thereby creating an inclusive environment which helps alleviate the societal pressures.

I will suggest a ban on fake weddings by the management of the institutions and to encourage a more compassionate and open-minded society by empowering students to embrace authenticity and integrity.

Many people fake their marriage for certain benefits, it might be for financial gain, or as a way to do it for financial gain, as the way to secure a citizenship in foreign land. However, its derogatory effects on our tradition are irreparable. Wedding is a celebration of love, not a fake life event.