Love in the Time of Limited Options: Nigerians Say “I Do Not” to Mass Orphan Wedding
Forget the doves and the white dress. In a move more bureaucratic blunder than happily ever after, the Niger State government has sparked outrage with its plan to mass-marry off 100 orphans.
Imagine the scene: a conveyor belt of nervous teenagers, shuffled towards a spouse they likely haven’t met, all under the watchful eye of a government official. Not exactly the stuff of rom-coms.
Nigerians are having none of it. A petition is circulating faster than wedding cake gossip, with citizens fuming over what they see as a misuse of public funds and a major violation of “I do” or “I don’t” rights.
The viral petition by the Concerned Nigerian Citizens, quoting Article 18 of the Nigerian constitution, reads, “Every child shall be entitled to free, compulsory, and universal primary education, free from discrimination on any grounds whatsoever. Additionally, Article 15 guarantees the right to the dignity of the human person, which includes protection from any form of degrading treatment.”
The plan, announced by the well-meaning (or perhaps publicity-seeking?) Speaker of the Niger State House of Assembly, was intended as a way to support orphans who lost their parents in bandit attacks. But critics argue it’s a Band-Aid solution to a gaping social wound.
Nigerians are demanding a more sustainable approach. They’re calling for the government to invest in education, proper care facilities, and programs that empower these young women to build their own futures, not walk down an aisle prematurely set for them.
