Surprises are the best, which is why everyone loves them, especially Nigerian women. Little bits of surprises tell the person that they are worth a little bit of planning and show that you care. The surprise does not have to mark a holiday or her birthday, it also doesn’t have to be too big or expensive as Nigerian women are not essentially materialistic. It should come from the heart.
If you are in Nigeria or you are currently married to a Nigerian wife, Jovago.com, Africa’s largest hotel booking portal shares a few ideas to help you surprise the love of your life and not break the bank.
Give her a “just because” gift
You live with her, you know what she likes and most of all, you must have heard her expressed a desire for a particular thing that she is unable to get for herself. Get her a gift out of the blues! It could be the thing she wanted or just something you know she needs, like a new pair of sunglasses she has not yet picked up since breaking her last pair, or something you know she will enjoy like ice cream cake from cold stone creamery. Nigerian women like to know that their husband listens to them and think about them when they are apart. Buying her something on your own, for no particular reason proves that.
Bring her Lunch at work
No need to feel alarmed, you do not necessarily have to cook the lunch. You can just stop by her favourite restaurant and buy her best food or get something she has been craving for a while. It all will take very little time to execute and deliver. You can decide to also move you break time so that you can take you lunch break with her. It may be a small surprise, but it would make a difference in her day. She will surely love the opportunity to post a picture of such a romantic deed by her husband on Instagram or upload the story on Snapchat.
Give her public praise
Nigerian women generally like to be acclaimed and appreciated publicly. Just as sending lunch to her workplace will build her self-esteem and help her see you in a softer light. Praising her in public, like getting a radio station to dedicate a song to her or posting a love letter on her Facebook wall will do the same, especially when she hears others commending your actions or repeating your words back to her.
Plan a weekend getaway
You can never go wrong with a weekend get-away. Even if you cannot afford to take her to a 5-star hotel, if you are in Lagos or Abuja, or one of the exotic destinations within the country like Tinapa or Obudu resorts, the mere fact that you thought to spend alone time with her is enough to get her heart flipping. You can book a budget hotel, a low maintenance way to experience the benefits of time away without emptying your bank account. The key thing is to lavish her with a romantic evening and a leisurely breakfast and let someone else do all the chores for those days. If want to add more fun to the getaway, you could decide to camp together on a rock at Ogun state or Jos or go on a long weekend road trip together. She will be thrilled by the prospect.
Buy her a ticket to Nigeria
This surprise only works if you do not live in Nigeria. Every Nigerian wife will not forgo any opportunity to visit her home country if she is living abroad. Nigerian women generally love family and the idea of going “home”, so giving her a ticket to go where her heart is, ensure that she falls in love with you all over again, giving you the all the keys to her heart. Even better is buying a ticket for yourself as well, so that you can accompany her, cutting out any secret fear she might have that the ticket is a trick to push her away from you for a while.
Get her favourite Nigerian celebrity to call her
This will not only surprise her but will thrill her as well. Track down her favourite Nigerian celebrity and make an arrangement for them to either call her or pay her a surprise visit. While some celebrities will require a small fee to take part in the surprise scheme, some would gladly do it as a favour. Ensure the message the celebrity sends to her reveals that the call was your idea, that way she knows that you would go out of your way to put a smile on her face.
Ndem Nkem is a Travel/Tech Writer.
