Keeping the Sparks Alight: Tips for Dating Nigerian Women
Dating apps have progressed dramatically from their humble beginnings.
Dating apps have progressed dramatically from their humble beginnings. Today, there are many apps suited for various purposes. Some are made for specific demographics. Others are made for casual or serious relationships. No matter the goal, one can’t deny that modern dating apps are now the preferred way of many for romance in Nigeria, making dating Nigerian women so much more common.
Online dating has many benefits, especially in this time of social distancing. It allows individuals to connect with potential dates, no matter the location. With the sheer amount of people using dating apps nowadays, there’s no doubt that you’ll eventually be able to find the love of your life. Just give it a little bit of time and patience.
1. Tips for Making Connections Last
Making a match seems easy, but keeping them interested is different altogether. If you’re looking for ways to make a match last, worry no longer—this guide will help you do that and more.
2. Stay true to yourself
As you start becoming experienced with online dating, it’ll get easier to figure out your match’s type of partner. It might occur to you to try to fit said type to increase your appeal. However, it’s extremely inadvisable.
It might keep your matches longer, sure, but it won’t lead to a long-term relationship in the future. No one likes being lied to, even if the liar did it with good intentions. Once your match finds out that you weren’t yourself — and they will for sure — you can consider that match good as gone.
“But I seem so boring,” you might think. It all depends on your frame of mind. If you do your best to be genuine online, someone will definitely find you attractive. You have unique and interesting qualities of your own, so take a little time to think about it. Besides, it’s more comfortable to do things your way instead of forcing yourself to act otherwise.
3. Take it easy
There are always days where you seem to get in a slump in online dating. Matches are few and far between, while the ones you do make don’t seem to feel right. Those days tend to wear down on one’s hope and patience while trying to find love online.
With that in mind, if you’ve been in the dating scene for a while, you might get desperate trying to stay connected with your matches. That doesn’t mean that you should pressure your match to reciprocate your feelings, though. The most you should do is convey your interest without obligating them to do so in return.
Let’s be real — not all of your matches find you attractive enough to go out with you. Sometimes they’re just looking for people to talk to. However, if you stay patient and true to your feelings, you’re sure to find a match that is truly interested in you.
4. Show your attraction
It seems like common sense, but many online daters actually forget to express their interest in their match once they’ve gotten more comfortable with each other. Try not to make the same mistake they always do. The sparks of attraction will fade away if you don’t make an effort to keep it alive.
Showing your match that you’re attracted to them is actually easier than you think. To start, try to compliment your partner often without being over the top. You don’t always have to point out the most noticeable things. Sometimes appreciating the little details about them will go a long way.
If your feelings are deep enough, you should also talk about meeting each other personally. That’s the best way to show your match that you’re interested enough in them to make a bigger commitment.
5. Recommended reading: Mature Dating In South Africa for Singles Over 40
6. Disconnecting online and reconnecting offline
Once you get more comfortable talking to your online partner, it might be time to make plans to meet face-to-face. This is an important step towards progressing your relationship. It shows that you’re both interested enough in your match to see one another personally.
While there’s no set time for you to meet your partner, you should still try to do it as soon as possible. That’s because as couples continue to get to know each other online, they start to form preconceived notions about each other. That’s not a bad thing in itself, but unreasonable expectations can end up ruining the first offline meeting more often than not.
7. Everything You Need to Know About Dating Nigerian Women
Online dating isn’t the end of one’s romantic journey—it’s only the beginning. Once you and your date have decided to meet offline, your dating experience is sure to change. Fortunately, that doesn’t mean that you can’t be prepared. Here’s what you need to know about Nigerian women.
8. A refreshing presence
Nigerians are boisterous people. Dating a Nigerian woman can be one of the most tiring yet enjoyable experiences, thanks to their lively energy. There will never be a dull moment with them.
Singles that are shy and soft-spoken might find that having a Nigerian partner tends to wear one out. It takes getting used to. As long as you do things at your own pace and stay within your comfort zone, you’ll eventually be able to keep up with their energy.
9. Physically affectionate
If you value your personal space, be prepared—Nigerians are often touchy-feely. However, that’s only between Nigerians of the same gender. Physical contact between opposite genders isn’t common, especially for Nigerians who practice Islam.
People with Nigerian partners should prepare to progress their relationship at a slower pace. You can take this time to get to know each other as the relationship naturally deepens. Stay patient—Nigerian women are more conservative than Western cultures, mostly due to their religious beliefs.
10. Religiously devoted
Nigeria is home to many religions. While most Nigerians are Christians or Muslims, their religious beliefs are mixed with the more unorthodox and indigenous ones. Whatever their religion may be, Nigerians are committed and faithful to it.
If your beliefs don’t align with theirs, you should at least be understanding of their practices. Try to keep an open mind when it comes to their religion. Avoid making jokes about their beliefs, even if you mean well.
The first date is one of the biggest hurdles you’ll encounter when moving from online dating to offline dating. It’s where you find out if you and your match have good chemistry.
11. What You Need to Know About Nigerian Dating Customs
If you’re one of the lucky ones who seem to have found The One, then it’s time to start learning more about Nigerian culture. In doing so, you’ll be able to learn more about dating a Nigerian woman and avoid offending your partner severely in the future. These are some of the things you should remember.
12. Keep right
Always use your right hand when you’re greeting someone, eating, or taking and giving something to someone. Nigerians consider the left hand reserved for personal toiletries, so they consider it dirty.
Left-handed people might have difficulty following this practice constantly. Fortunately, you won’t need to do it for the rest of your life. You might be granted an exemption to that rule once you grow closer to your partner and their family.
13. Family-oriented
Family, both immediate and extended, is important for Nigerians. They rely on each other for help and guidance. Their support system is more reliable than you may think, as each member mutually cares for each other. Families can also influence an individual member’s life decisions.
If you’re dating to marry a Nigerian woman, you’ll need to seek her family’s consent. A daunting task, for sure, but one that’s not impossible. Fortunately, this guide will help you learn how to get their approval with less difficulty.
14. Respect your elders
Nigerians believe that with old age comes wisdom. The oldest person in a group is the one respected the most. Elders are given priority in any social situation.
Their practices involve giving due respect to their elders, whether in greeting or after meals. Etiquette may differ depending on the tribe, but most ethnic groups expect males to bow, squat, or prostrate themselves to those older than them. Meanwhile, females should kneel on the floor or curtsy. Learning them is a must if you want to avoid embarrassing yourself and your partner.
15. Sundays are wheat-ends
Nigerians have a weekly tradition of eating a certain rice meal on Sundays. It’s usually composed of plain white rice and tomato stew, but the former can be cooked in other variations. It’s a time-honored tradition that holds different meanings for different families but brings joy all the same.
If you want to get on a Nigerian partner’s good side, you might want to improve your skills in cooking those dishes. You can also take this as a chance to bond and become closer with your partner and their family.
16. The ball is in your court(ship)
As a relationship progresses, talks of marriage will inevitably happen. If you’ve decided to marry your partner, you’ll have to do a formal introduction ceremony, the Nigerian form of courtships. It’s the first step towards marriage, so to speak.
Courtships are usually conducted in the bride-to-be’s home. The fiance will go to the house with their family to state their intention to marry. Once the proposal is accepted, both families will share food and drinks. In some ethnic groups, a courtship also serves as the wedding ceremony itself.
17. Not one, not two, but three weddings
Nigerian culture expects soon to be wed couples to have three wedding ceremonies. The first is the traditional Nigerian wedding. It can involve various practices, depending on your partner’s ethnic group. Bride price, wine carrying, and mass prostrations are a possible few.
The second is the court wedding, the legal type of wedding. You basically sign papers, and you’re done. Finally, the church or mosque wedding is one that you be familiar with, where the wedding ceremony is conducted in your religion’s place of worship.
Conducting these weddings are quite pricey, especially since attendees expect a feast for each one. Ensure that you are financially ready to accommodate such expenses before you and your partner get married.
Dating a Nigerian woman might seem hard, especially if you don’t know anything about their culture. Hopefully, this guide can help you get started on the right foot. As you learn more about Nigerian culture, you’ll be able to understand your partner better and grow closer to them with less difficulty.