Many Nigerians assume that romance is a privilege strictly reserved for the rich. Indeed, money can buy a great time, but you don’t need a big budget to make great memories with the one you love. This Valentine, PiggyVest is out to prove that romance is alive and can be quite affordable. So, for this article, we spoke to five Nigerian couples who shared their love stories, as well as their most romantic yet affordable dates.
Kelechi & Bode
Kelechi met Bode as she was rounding up her NYSC in 2018. A friend from her university called to say she had another friend coming into Abuja for work and needed someone to show him around. Their meeting sparked a friendship, and coincidentally, Kelechi’s office requested he stay a whole year — instead of the agreed two weeks. They grew closer, went on dates, and fell in love. They got engaged in 2019 and married in 2020. They had their son in 2021.
“Our most affordable date would be our ice cream dates. We would stop by our favourite ice cream spot, buy two waffle cones and two scoops each, sit in our parked car, and talk. It costs no more than ₦5,000, but it’s really special to me. There are also the bukka dates; he’s Yoruba, and I’m Igbo, so he introduced me to amala this way. It’s always a hit and nothing expensive. To me, what makes a date romantic is spending time with someone you love, not the activities surrounding it. As long as there’s great conversation and banter, every one of our dates will always be special to me.
But my favourite and most memorable date would be the dinner where he proposed. It’s etched in time for me forever. It was such a sweet little moment; just us, we ate, laughed, had wine, and he got down on one knee and asked for my hand. Don’t let Pete Edochie hear this. [Laughs.]”
Dami & Tolu
Dami and Tolu have known each other since their undergraduate days at Babcock University, but finally started a relationship in 2018, during NYSC. After three years of dating, they tied the knot in 2021 and have been blessed with a baby girl.
“Our cheapest date would be the day we went to JJT park in Alausa in 2019. It was an impromptu date, as we were chilling at home and decided to go out and do something else. Before getting to the park, we stopped by a supermarket to buy a pack of juice and cookies for about ₦2,000. Admittance into the park was free, too. So, while it was a really cheap date, it was also a very intimate time. It felt different and calm; it was our first time being at a park together.”
Angel Anosike, on The True Cost of Nollywood Glamour
Happiness & Steve
Happiness had always seen Steve’s profile on Facebook before meeting him in person. Their first meeting was with mutual friends at Ikeja City Mall. After the hangout, they became friends on Facebook and eventually exchanged contacts — this was in 2019. During the lockdown, they started talking daily and began developing feelings for each other. Happiness decided to shoot her shot, which led to a relationship. They’re currently planning their wedding, which will take place this year.
“Our cheapest and most romantic dates are two different occasions. It was our first official date at Dodo Pizza in Yaba. We got a small pizza and probably some chicken for under ₦5,000; that was when the world was still good. This date was quite memorable; we had been anticipating it, and it didn’t disappoint. We talked a lot and laughed even more.
Habib Olawale Is Making Self-Expression Profitable with Smileys
The most romantic one was our six-month anniversary: an indoor picnic. We ordered food from a vendor and got a cake. Then, we put a movie on the laptop and just cuddled up with each other. This date is burned into our memory because we were just coming out of the lockdown in early 2021, and it was a safer and cosier option. It was truly romantic.”
Gabriel & Mercy
Gabriel and Mercy met at church and started out as mutual friends. On one group outing, they started talking and grew closer. One thing led to another, and eventually to a relationship. They’ve been together for five years and plan to get married in the near future.
“Our most romantic and affordable dates have been the same for the past five years. We officially started dating on the 5th of February, 2019, so every 5th of February, we go for our annual ice cream dates, where we just sit, laugh, and analyse how far we’ve come. We share our problems and discuss the past and our future. Sometimes, we buy pizza and BBQ chicken wings; for the ice cream, it’s ₦3,000 per person, pizza costs ₦8,000, and wings cost ₦4,500. Add the cost of Uber, and our total comes to ₦20,000. It’s a small price to pay for a beautiful tradition.”
Lateef Salvador Is Financing His Future With Photography
Aghogho and David
Aghogho and David met for the first time in 2019 at Delta State University. They never got any closer than acquaintances until they met again, four years later, in Lagos camp. Their love blossomed into a five-year relationship, and they got married in 2018. They have been married for six years and have two children together.
“We’ve had many cheap dates, because, at some point, “cheap” was all we could afford. At the time, we would go and buy amala or Indomie and call it a date, or just buy rice in a takeaway pack and hang out on the rooftop of my neighbour’s house, just dreaming about when things would get better.
But there’s one moment that stood out because that’s when I knew she was the one for me. It was after NYSC, and we’d both just started working in Lagos. We planned to go to ICM to see a movie, but the traffic was very bad, and no empty buses were available. When we finally saw one, there was only one seat left. To my surprise, Aghogho told me to enter, and she would sit in my lap. I thought it was a joke, but she was dead serious. I happily obliged. It was an uncomfortable ride, but she kept making light of the situation. I was so happy; I knew I had found my wife. The movie and popcorn did not cost more than ₦6,000, but the feeling in my heart that I found a woman who loved me more than that bad situation was priceless.”
