I WAS READY TO MARRY THE WOMAN I LOVED, THEN THE BRIDE PRICE CHANGED EVERYTHING- NIGERIAN MAN SHARES

I met her when I had nothing.

We grew together from struggling to pay transport fare to planning a future. She believed in me before I believed in myself. When I finally got a stable job, I knew it was time to do the right thing.

I told my family I was ready to marry.

They were happy. Her family welcomed us warmly during the first visit. Everything felt right until the list came out.

The bride price wasn’t just money. There were items I had never heard of, quantities that felt unreal, and a timeline that didn’t match my income. I smiled through the meeting, pretending I could handle it

Inside, I was panicking.

I tried. I saved. I cut expenses. I borrowed. Still, it wasn’t enough. Each time I asked for more time, the pressure increased. Some relatives started advising her to “think well.” Others whispered that I wasn’t serious.

She tried to defend me, but I could see the strain.

What broke me wasn’t even the money it was how my value was being measured. Years of love reduced to a list and a deadline. I started feeling small, ashamed, angry at a system I couldn’t fight.

One evening, she called and cried.

Her family had given her an ultimatum.

That was the day I knew I had lost her.

We didn’t fight. We didn’t insult each other. We just ran out of time and resources. Walking away felt like failing an exam I studied for but couldn’t afford to write.

Today, people ask why I’m still single. I just smile.

They don’t know that in Nigeria, love sometimes isn’t enough money decides the ending.