Emefiele to Nigerians: Allow naira redesign policy to work

 

–Meets with bank executives, directs them to make old N200 note available

By Johnbosco Agbakwuru, Abuja

Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria, CBN, Mr. Godwin Emefiele, on Thursday, appealed to Nigerians to allow the Naira redesign policy of government to work.

Speaking with State House correspondents after meeting with President Muhammadu Buhari and the House of Representatives Special Ad-Committee on Naira Redesign, Cashless Policy and Currency Swap at the Presidential Villa, Abuja, the CBN Governor said allowing the currency swap to work will go a long way to help the nation’s economy.

Emefiele also stated that he has met with 15 bank executives and directed them to make the N200 notes available immediately.

He said, “The truth is that we are all servants. We are serving Nigerians. As far as we are concerned the Attorney General has spoken on this matter and the President has sealed the whole issue this morning in his broadcast.

“I think I can only just appeal to Nigerians, let’s allow this policy to work. This policy is one policy that goes to reduce the problem of corruption and illicit financial flaws.

“This policy goes to resolve some of the problems in the economy, this policy also goes to reducing the level of insecurity in the country. So these three issues which are the tripod of this administration’s policy are all embedded in this policy. We should just allow it to work.

“We keep saying this, there are some temporary pains, but I can assure Nigerians that the long-run benefit to Nigeria is overwhelming and we should just give it a chance to work.”

On what Nigerians should expect from the CBN following the directive of Mr. President, Emefiele said that the President has given his directives.

“I have met with about fifteen banks this morning and we have given them directive on go to get all the old N200 available effective today. And I can assure Nigerians this will help reduce the pain. We meet with the bankers at least once daily to get feedback and the rest of them and I think we should just allow this to work, the temporary pains are regrettable but I can assure Nigerians that it will be well.”

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I was a manager at Amazon. My boss encouraged me to quit after I defended a high-performing employee who was about to get the lowest performance rating.

Shana Lebowitz

According to a former employee, the company gave senior leaders "unregretted attrition" numbers — the percentage of employees that managers aren't sad to see leave the company, whether voluntarily or otherwise.Mark Lennihan/Associated Press

An ex-Amazon manager said leadership had to rate a certain number of employees as "least effective."

He said he defended an employee who senior leaders placed in this category despite performing well.

Shortly after, the ex-manager learned he was on Pivot, Amazon's performance-improvement program.

This as-told-to essay is based on a conversation with a former Amazon manager. Though the former employee asked to remain anonymous, his identity is known to Insider.

At Amazon, I led a team of program managers.

I used to feel like a kid in a candy shop when I came to work. There were so many problems to solve. There were so many great things you could do for customers. I loved my team. I loved the stuff that we were doing. My manager had urged me to start working toward a promotion.

The part that ended it was politics.

Senior leaders would bump people to the lowest performance bucket so they could meet certain quotas

During the annual-review process, managers would fill out information sheets for each employee. You would go in with the hope of defending the employees who were doing well and supporting the ones who needed it.

But the senior leaders had apparently been given "unregretted attrition," or URA, numbers — how many employees Amazon wants to lose in a given year. They seemed to be tightly tied to those URA goals. You couldn't talk them out of it. And they would quickly try to force things into a stack ranking of who was high-performing, who was middle-performing, and if we could put people into the "least-effective" bucket.

The challenge would arise when you had managers all fighting for their employees and providing substantial evidence that they were performing well, and not enough people fit into the least-effective bucket. That's when you would start seeing people being put there, in a way that seemed arbitrary to me. If we had a URA goal of, say, 6%, and we were only at 4%, then each team would need to pony up one more person to go into the least-effective bucket, whether or not they deserved it.

Senior leaders would start going down a list of people who were the next rung up on the performance measurement. And they would start making cases — without knowing these people personally, by the way — for bumping them down. The manager hadn't had conversations with these people about performance problems.

But as a manager, higher-ups expect you to back up the company by manufacturing reasons and context for their performance ratings.

I provided evidence for why one of my employees didn't deserve the lowest performance score

I had an employee who was a great performer. And senior leaders seemingly arbitrarily selected them to be in the "least-effective" category.

So, I pushed back. I provided evidence. I shared their progress; I shared their accomplishments and their feedback from their peers. This doesn't happen very often, but I was able to convince senior leadership that they weren't in that category.

Within that month, my skip-level manager suddenly informed me that I was underperforming and that I needed coaching.

As I went through that process, nothing I did passed muster. And I didn't get any feedback on why it wasn't good. At one point I said to my skip-level manager, "What are you looking for? Because it doesn't seem like I'm hitting it." And he really couldn't articulate it.

At one point he got frustrated and said, "You're about to go into Pivot. You have very little chance of being successful. You need to make a decision. Are you going to go through this process and fail or are you going to move on?"

I told HR that I accepted the severance I was offered. Within an hour, my network was turned off. I couldn't even email my team. The next day, I was asked to return my laptop.

Amazon's performance-management system was unfair

URA always felt backward to me. We spent a lot of time on the hiring process attracting the right people and vetting them. Then, once they were hired, we had these numbers that we had to hit. You could have hired all high performers and have everybody performing at a high level, but 6% of them, for example, would need to be shepherded out, often by placing them in the "least-effective" bucket and putting them on a coaching plan.

That's a problem for me, morally. It makes me feel untrustworthy and disingenuous when I haven't spoken to people about these things.

It's also unfair. We hire these people because they're high performers and they're good at what they do and they have a lot of potential. But sometimes they get thrown into this bucket and that's it. You can't really do anything with them at that point.

I've asked HR and I've asked other managers: What is the business benefit to burning people? Nobody has been able to describe to me why we have unregretted attrition.

I'll never know exactly why I was managed out. Amazon has a leadership principle called "disagree and commit," but I think it's often misused and misinterpreted. Leaders don't always appreciate it when you go against them. I have a hunch that I was put under a microscope when I fought against an unfair performance-management system.

An Amazon spokesperson, responding to Insider's request for comment, said via email: "It's impossible for us to verify the details of this essay since it's from an anonymous source and, unfortunately for readers, that makes it very difficult to separate truth from fiction. While we—like most companies—have performance expectations for people on our team, most aspects of what this person describes don't reflect the intent or reality of our evaluation process."

Do you have something to share about what you're seeing in your workplace? Insider would like to hear from you. Email Rebecca Knight at rknight@insider.com with your story or to ask for her Signal number.

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What if Man Utd had signed Lewandowski? 🤔 Tomiyasu has a mare as City make their move Ansu Fati needs a move - but Man Utd wouldn't work ❌ Where's Auba?! Felix's finishing lets Chelsea down 😢 Barca might be back - beating Man Utd would confirm it

No 13th title for Fergie

Upon signing for United, Van Persie took the No.20 jersey. His reason for donning the shirt would prove to be prophetic.

"I took the No.20 shirt because I'm here to win a 20th title with United," he famously declared.

And Van Persie did exactly that, with his Golden Boot-winning haul of 26 goals playing a massive role in the club's 2012-13 championship triumph.

Would Lewandowski have been able to hit the ground running so emphatically? It would have been a seriously big ask.

Not only would he have been joining a new league, the Man Utd centre-forward berth is the most scrutinised position in world football, pressure that may have inhibited the still blossoming Poland international at that stage of his career.

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Moyes' messiah

David Moyes was given the impossible job of replacing Ferguson at the end of the 2012-13 season and only lasted until April, with United languishing down in seventh.

Moyes' issues were plentiful, but one of the most pressing was a lack of firepower. Injuries restricted Van Persie to just 18 Premier League appearances and 12 goals, while Wayne Rooney hit 17.

Would a prime Lewandowski, with a season of English football under his belt, have enabled Moyes to cling onto the hot seat for a while longer?

He certainly would've been a big help, that's for sure.

Moyes remaining in charge would've also helped United avoid the managerial upheaval and uncertainty that characterised the club during the 2010s and early 2020s.

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Dortmund continue to battle Bayern

It's hard to imagine now, such has been Bayern's iron grip on top spot in recent years, but there was a time when the Bundesliga was a two-horse race.

Indeed, energised by a bespectacled advocate of "heavy metal football", Dortmund even enjoyed back-to-back German title triumphs between 2010 and 2012. BVB also challenged Bayern in Europe, famously meeting the Bavarians in the 2013 Champions League at Wembley.

Key to Bayern re-establishing domestic dominance was their systematic dismantling of their closest rivals. They snapped up Mario Gotze after that Champions League victory in London and, the following summer, Lewandowski joined his former Dortmund team-mate at the Allianz Arena.

But what if Lewandowski hadn't been available on a free transfer? Would Bayern have really bossed the Bundeslig

After all, if BVB have proven themselves good at one thing, it's recruiting the next generation of superstars. Might they have continued challenging Bayern for the Bundesliga if they had been able to afford a better replacement than Ciro Immobile?

In this alternative reality, where Lewandowski didn't end up in Munich, Dortmund might also have been able to hold on to the likes of Mats Hummels and Ilkay Gundogan for a lot longer, given they would have been challenging for more titles.

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Bayern sign Diego Costa?!

Of course, the above begs the question: Who would Bayern have turned to if they hadn't been able to snap up Lewandowski?

Well, someone who was on the market that summer was Diego Costa...

Fresh off of a 36-goal haul for Atletico Madrid, Chelsea swooped for the notorious frontman after he helped dump the Blues out of the Champions League semi-finals.

If Bayern had entered the race for his signature, though, the Brazil-born Spain international could have ended up in Bavaria instead.

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No need for Falcao

Billed as United's saviour in the summer of 2014 – when signing Colombian players was all the rage after the World Cup in Brazil – Radamel Falcao departed Old Trafford nine months later with just four goals to his name.

Louis van Gaal still managed to sneak into fourth spot and secure Champions League football, but they were comfortably outscored by all three teams above them: Chelsea, Manchester City and Arsenal.

Stuttering league form was compounded by underperformance in both domestic cups, including a horrific 4-0 defeat to MK Dons in the League Cup.

It wasn't good enough, especially considering United's absence from Europe that season, and Falcao's disastrous stint at Old Trafford was a big reason why.

Of course, with Lewandowski in the building, his loan wouldn't have been necessary and Van Gaal might have been able to sign one of his other targets, which, according to theDutchman, included Neymar, James Milner, Thomas Muller and Sergio Ramos.

 

Getty I

mages

Van Gaal's dream striker

 It's also worth pointing out that Van Gaal also wanted to sign Lewandowski as soon as he took over in 2014, so he clearly would have loved to have already had him at the club.

They arguably would have worked well together, as Van Gaal's slightly ponderous style was crying out for a focal-point striker in the mould of Lewandowski.

Van Gaal is certainly a big fan, proclaiming in 2022: "I think Robert Lewandowski is the best forward in the world."

 Oh, what could have been!

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Still no Ballon d'Or

Lewandowski has won it all in his career – except that elusive Ballon d'Or.

He was all set to walk away with the 2020 award, before a global pandemic got in the way. He was well-placed in 2021 too, only for Lionel Messi's Copa America triumph to again rob him of the top individual honour in world football.

Finding other openings where Lewandowski might have taken top spot after his imaginary United move is pretty tough.

His best bet would have likely been in 2017-18, when Jose Mourinho's United finished second to Manchester City's centurions. Luka Modric's World Cup exploits were enough to win it for him that year, but perhaps a ridiculous scoring season to propel the Red Devils into title contention could have swung Lewandowski into consideration.

Then again, maybe not.

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Apple's biggest scandal of 2022 is already happening

Lucas Matney

Hello friends, and welcome back to Week in Review!

I've taken the last few weeks to unwind and ensure that my 2022 hot takes are as scorching as possible, or at least as prescient as possible. This week, we're talking about what I'm sure could be one of Apple's biggest scandals of the decade thus far: the itty bitty AirTag.

You can get this in your inbox every Saturday morning from the newsletter page, and follow my tweets @lucasmtny.

AirTags are a very useful product from Apple that pretty much function exactly as advertised.

Unfortunately, that's the problem.

There's been a fair bit of controversy lately around how Apple rolled these out and how even though these are great devices to keep track of your keys, they can also easily be abused to stalk someone. This isn't a purely theoretical issue either, it's already happening.

It's not a particularly unique scenario where technology can be used for good and bad purposes -- just think about the decades-long conversation around encryption -- that said I have a feeling that this is a scenario where Apple is going to lose and it's going to be more embarrassing than any misstep in recent memory.

Apple has arranged so much of their wearable product marketing over the last few years on how their devices function in edge use cases. The Apple Watch's last several generations have focused on health tracking features that could help identify rare conditions or help users in a life-threatening situation. TV commercials have documented the individual stories of users who have found the Apple Watch to be a life-saving tool. With AirTags, there's potential for some of that same good, but there's also much more downside. In the next year, we're undoubtedly going to see examples of AirTags being used in nefarious ways that bundled together serve as the antithesis of one of these Apple Watch commercials. It may end up being a product defined by its gross shortcomings.

Apple has made its own post-launch efforts to tighten up how AirTags that don't belong to a certain user can be detected, but these notifications have proven buggy and have often waited far too long to alert users. Add in the fact that Apple has seemed to treat Android integration as an afterthought, not a necessary partnership in order to ship a device like this, and Apple's incompetence looks a bit more severe.

I highly doubt that Apple is going to be able to design their way out of this problem. Regardless of what they ship on iOS to backtrack issues, Android's fractured ecosystem means that safeguards won't reach an awful lot of people who could be targeted.

For a nascent product category with such PR liability potential, it's hard to see how Apple justifies continuing to sell AirTags. It's a unique error from Apple in that the company delivered exactly what they initially promised but failed to consider the full scope of that initial promise's direct consequences.

Here are a few stories this week I think you should take a closer look at:

Elizabeth Holmes convicted on 4 of 11 counts
At long last, the trial of Theranos founder Elizabeth Holmes reached a resolution. Now, we wait for sentencing as well as further guidance on whether Holmes will be retried for several of the counts that the jury could not reach a verdict on. "Holmes was found guilty of conspiring to defraud investors, as well as defrauding investors from the DeVos family, hedge fund manager Brian Grossman and former estate and trust attorney Dan Mosely. She was not found guilty of charges related to defrauding patients," my colleague Amanda reported.

Google infringed on Sonos tech, trade court rules 
Google's smart speakers infringed on key patents held by Sonos, a US regulator ruled this week, and the company will no longer be allowed to import the infringing products which are manufactured in China. Google has already begun rolling out design changes which it hopes will interrupt its ability to sell its smart speaker devices. Sonos has seen its early lead in the smart speaker war dissipate as tech giants have thrown their weight around, but the smaller hardware company isn't shrinking away.

A smaller, quieter CES
The Omicron wave stopped the TechCrunch team from making our way to Las Vegas to check out the latest gadgets at the Consumer Electronics Show, but we were at the show in spirit and watching along with countless livestreams. While it was certainly a more low-key year, there were still plenty of wild gadgets this year. Here are some of the best ones we saw.

Some of my favorite reads from our TechCrunch+subscription service this week:

How startups can prevent tech debt from piling up
"...Favoring a short-term plan to get a faster go-to-market option is not always bad, provided the business has a backup plan to deliver well-designed code that would simplify future iterations and innovations. But for startups, reworking is difficult as deadlines and resource crunch prevent developers from producing clean and perfect code. Startups prioritize short-term plans and focus more on adding functionalities to achieve milestones, sign up marquee customers or raise funding. This roadmap shuffling and disregard for the long-term view trigger tech debt..."

5 growth marketing predictions for 2022
"...It's been a crazy year in growth marketing, what with the meteoric rise of TikTok, radical iOS privacy shifts and a staggering $240 billion poured into U.S. startups as of September 30. All of this new money has meant heavier investments in growth marketing throughout 2021. The heavier investments have occurred during uncertain times, with startups scrambling to find ways to measure iOS conversions and unlock TikTok as a new channel..."

3 things founders need to know about M&A
"...M&A is particularly beneficial for startups that struggle to scale operationally because they essentially buy cash flow, revenue and other companies’ traffic, meaning startups grab a bigger share of their markets. They’re also a good way for startups to find, consolidate and experiment with their value proposition. The problem though, is that most founders don’t know how to get started with M&A and resign themselves to the shadows of bigger players. But mergers are accessible and advantageous to businesses of all sizes..."

Thanks for reading, and again, you can get this in your inbox every Saturday morning from the newsletter page, and follow my tweets @lucasmtny.

Have a great week!

 

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Africa Cup of Nations players to watch: Joe Aribo, Franck Kessie, Karl Toko Ekambi

AFCON 2021 begins on Sunday January 9 when hosts Cameron face Burkina Faso in Group A at 4pm; all 52 games throughout the competition will be shown live across Sky Sports; tournament concludes with the final on Sunday February 6

The Africa Cup of Nations is live on Sky Sports and ahead of the competition, WhoScored.com have picked out 10 players to keep an eye on...

Karl Toko Ekambi - Cameroon

Lyon have struggled in Ligue 1 this season and head into Sunday's meeting with PSG in the bottom half of the table, but they'd be in a far more perilous position were it not for Karl Toko Ekambi. Only Lucas Paqueta (6) has scored more league goals than Ekambi (5) for Lyon this season, and, as a boost for Cameroon, is the joint-top scorer in the Europa League, netting six in the group stages, proof that he comes alive in cup competition.

The Indomitable Lions will certainly look to the Lyon star to fire them to glory on home turf.

Clermont Foot will miss Mohamed Bayo and then some.

Bayo has scored nine of their 20 league goals and has a better WhoScored.com rating (6.98) than any other player for the promoted side. That their next highest scorer - Elbasan Rashani - has just four league goals to his name is a concern for the Lancers. A conversion rate of 23.1 per cent is the 11th best in Ligue 1 of the 65 players to muster 20 or more shots this season and while his international career is in its infancy, Bayo has the goalscoring touch to help Guinea to the knockout stages of AFCON.

Pape Sarr - Senegal

Tottenham supporters are set to keep a close eye on Pape Sarr when Senegal kick off their AFCON campaign on Monday. The teenager moved to Spurs last summer, but was immediately loaned back to Metz in order to garner regular action to aid his development. The 19-year-old hasn't exactly caught the eye as some Spurs fans may have hoped in Ligue 1, but then nor have 18th-placed Metz. There is ample competition for a starting spot in a packed Senegal midfield, yet Sarr could prove to be Aliou Cisse's ace in the hole when the going gets tough for the Lions of Teranga.

Kamaldeen Sulemana - Ghana

Rennes have a knack for picking up exciting wingers and Kamaldeen Sulemana is no exception. Following in the footsteps of Ousmane Dembele, Ismaila Sarr and Raphinha, Sulemana has proven a revelation in Ligue 1, even if his spot in the Rennes XI came under threat prior to France's winter break.

A dribbling machine, the teenager is completing more dribbles per 90 (4.8) than any other player in France's top tier this term. Ghana do have quality personnel in the final third and Sulemana boasts the trickery to ensure the Black Stars will prove more than a match for any opponent at AFCON.

Sofiane Boufal - Morocco

Following a couple of sub-par seasons, Sofiane Boufal is enjoying a career resurgence in Ligue 1.

Angers are exceeding expectations in France with Boufal key for Gerald Baticle's side having directly contributed to eight of their 26 goals scored, netting five times. This season is already the 28-year-old's most prolific since rattling in 11 goals for Lille in 2015/16.

His rate of 3.5 successful dribbles in the sixth-best in Ligue 1 this season and Angers' loss is very much Morocco's gain. With Hakim Ziyech overlooked by Vahid Halilhodzic for AFCON, Boufal is the man tasked with prying apart defences, being it through his eye for a defence-splitting pass or by driving forward with the ball at this feet.

Joe Aribo - Nigeria

With the Scottish Premiership on its winter hiatus for at least another week, Joe Aribo's absence for AFCON won't hit too hard for Rangers. Obviously the decision to bring the break forward due to COVID-19 means the key midfielder will miss a handful of games, Rangers have ample depth to cover the Nigerian's absence. Aribo ranks second for league goals (6) and third for assists (3) of all Gers players this season, and Nigeria will be hoping he can transfer that goal threat to the international stage, starting with the blockbuster meeting with Egypt next week.

Youcef Atal - Algeria

With a rating of 7.66, Youcef Atal was the WhoScored.com player of the tournament at AFCON 2019. A raft of injuries means the Algerian hasn't had a real chance of building upon a reputation that saw him take the competition by storm, yet the 25-year-old has been impressive for Nice this season and comes into the tournament in good form. His 2.5 interceptions per 90 ranks among the top 10 players in Ligue 1 and his commendable reading of the game is set to be key as the Fennec Foxes seek to defend their 2019 crown.

Franck Kessie - Ivory Coast

Ivory Coast are one of the favourites to land international glory and with Franck Kessie operating in a midfield that features top-quality stars in the mould of Jean Michael Seri and Ibrahim Sangare, the Elephants will fancy their chances of winning AFCON. Kessie, who has been linked with a move to Tottenham, has been superb for AC Milan this season, netting five times for the Serie A title contenders; only Zlatan Ibrahimovic (7) has scored more. A goal threat from deep, AC Milan will miss the 25-year-old, but Ivory Coast are hopeful this trait sees them crowned AFCON champions for just the third time next month.

Ellyes Skhiri - Tunisia

While he has scored three goals for FC Koln this season, Ellyes Skhiri's primary strength has always been his ball-winning ability. Three tackles per 90 is the sixth-best in the Bundesliga this season, while 2.2 interceptions per 90 ranks among the top 20 players in the division. Anchoring the Tunisia midfield, opponents will find it hard to get the better of the Eagles of Carthage with Skhiri mopping up in front of the defence.

Amadou Haidara - Mali

Manchester United fans will be paying close attention to Mali at AFCON. The Premier League powerhouse have been linked with a move for RB Leipzig's Amadou Haidara in a bid to correct their midfield issues. A commendable ball winner, Haidara chips in with an average of 1.3 tackles per 90 for RB Leipzig this season, while a modest dribble success rate of 72.2 per cent, that the ninth best of the 118 players to attempt 15 or more dribbles in the Bundesliga this season, highlights a strength to drive forward in possession to good effect. As such, Mali are not to be underestimated at the competition.

 

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AFCON 2021: CAF announces new rules on number of players, substitutions

The Executive Committee of the Confederation of African Football (CAF) at the weekend announced new rules on number of players and substitutions.

CAF said teams participating in the 2021 Africa Cup of Nations, AFCON, must play their fixtures if they have at least eleven players who have tested negative for COVID-19.

It also said that in case there are no goalkeepers available in the squad, an outfield player will be required to play in goal.

“A team that does not have a minimum of 11 players available will be considered to have lost the match 0-2,” CAF’s statement read in part.

“In exceptional cases, the organising committee of the Africa Cup of Nations will take the appropriate decision.

“The organisers said teams will be able to make five substitutions per match and an additional substitution if a game goes into extra time.”

Meanwhile, a number of teams preparing for the 2021 AFCON have reported positive COVID-19 cases, including Algeria, Ivory Coast and Morocco.

The tournament begins on Sunday evening, with host nation Cameroon taking on Burkina Faso.

 

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TRADITIONAL YORUBA WEDDING CEREMONY/ATTAIRS

By: NURUDEEN ISMAIL
Date: 30th March, 2017
Time: 07:30pm

The Yoruba Traditional Wedding Ceremony, also known as the Yoruba Engagement ceremony, or Igbeyawo in Yoruba, usually takes place days, weeks or even months before the white wedding ceremony. Some families choose to hold both weddings on the same day. The bride’s family is typically responsible for covering the ceremony costs, but some families choose to split the costs as they please. The entire ceremony is orchestrated by two representatives who are chosen or hired by each side of the family. The groom’s family is represented by the Alaga Iduro/ Olopa Iduro (standing policeman), while the bride’s family is represented by the Alaga Ijoko/Olopa Ijoko (sitting policeman).

Here Comes the Groom

The Yoruba traditional wedding ceremony usually kicks of with the bride’s family seated and waiting for the groom’s family to arrive. Both the groom and bride are absent at this point. Once the groom’s family arrive, the Alaga Ijoko welcomes them at the gate in the company of the the housewives of the bride’s side of the family. The Alaga then asks the groom’s family to state their reasons for coming before collecting an entry fee from them. Finally, she introduces them to the bride’s family before some prayers are said. After the introduction, the groom’s family kneel and prostrate before for the family of the bride. The two families then sit at opposite sides of the room, while the Alagas sit or stand in their midst.
Once seated, the Alaga Iduro presents the proposal letter to the Alaga Ijoko on behalf of the groom’s family. This letter is read out loud by a younger female representative of the bride’s family, such as the younger sister or cousin. An acceptance letter is then presented to the groom’s family before some prayers are said.

After the prayers, the groom dances in with some of his friends, and prostrates a total of four times. On the first two occasions, he prostrates for his new in-laws with his friends, before prostrating before them alone the third time. During this third prostration alone, the two families stretch out their arms to pray for him. Before he takes his seat, he prostrates one final time with his friends, but this time around, before his own family. He then gives out some money before taking a seat while awaiting his bride’s arrival.

Here comes the Bride

  

 

Once the groom is seated, the veiled bride dances in accompanied by her parents and Ore Iyawo, who are usually some close female friends and female family members. She then kneels before her parents, who pray for her and bless her. She does the same thing with her husband’s parents, before taking off her veil and joining her husband. On getting to her husband, she kneels before him while prayers are said for both of them. He then gives her some money, before carrying her up for all to see.  At this point, the yoruba bride puts the groom’s fila (cap) on his head to signify an accepted marriage proposal.

The Engagement Gifts – Eru Iyawo

Engagement gift packaging by wedding solutions company, I do Weddings Nigeria

Once the couple is seated, the Alaga Ijoko then asks the bride to select one of the many engagement gifts (eru iyawo) brought by the groom’s family.  The Eru Iyawo usually contains lots of food, and each item has some significance. At a yoruba traditional wedding ceremony, the bride is expected to select the Bible/Quran from the Eru Iyawo. This religious book will have her engagement ring attached to it. The bride gives her husband the ring, which he places on her finger for her to display happily to everyone.The groom’s family also present the bride price and fees requested to the family of their new wife.

Cutting The Engagement Cake – Akara Oyibo

Wedding Cakes by Panari Cakes

No yoruba traditional wedding ceremony is complete without the Engagement cake (Akara Oyibo). This special cake is crafted to depict some elements of the Yoruba culture, e.g a talking drum, calabash, fruits or a cake topper of the bride and groom in their traditional yoruba attire. The cutting of this cake and sharing of the cake between  the bride and groom is a pretty important step in the wedding . After cutting the cake, the bride’s family formally hand over their daughter to the groom’s father in the presence of everyone. Finally, the groom’s family come out as a group to thank their in-laws for giving out their daughter before the final prayers are said and the celebrations begin.

 www.realafricanews.blogspot.com

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