Veteran actor Ugezu J. Ugezu has criticized the increasing trend of charging guests for food at parties in Nigeria, calling it “disturbing” and “un-African.”
In a recent Instagram post, Ugezu recounted an experience where a friend attended a party where adults had to pay for their food, while children ate for free.
He expressed his dismay, stating that this practice contradicts the cultural values of hospitality and generosity deeply rooted in African traditions.
He said: “There is this thing that I don’t understand. The way we copy things in this country is becoming very disturbing. Something happened to a friend of mine and he called me yesterday to tell me that they went to a party. Can you believe that the person who called for the party insisted that all the adults that came for the party must pay for what they will eat? The only people who could eat free were the children but all the adults had to pay.
“I’ve been hearing that this thing was happening in Lagos gradually, but I wouldn’t know why they would bring it to this area. It is not part of our culture and some of us have to understand that when we do certain things, like calling people to eat, nobody is expected to pay,” he explained.
Ugezu argued: “It has something to do with your spiritual blessings. Suddenly someone would organise a party and say that people would pay.”
He acknowledged that the practice is common in places like America, but stressed that it’s not something that should be adopted in Nigeria and Africa, urging people to be mindful of the cultural values they choose to embrace.
“Fine, it is something that we have been hearing in America,” he acknowledged. “It is not supposed to be something we can learn here; we are not supposed to learn that. When you come for a party in this part of the world, people can gift you when they are leaving. We should know the kinds of things we should be copying. How can someone call a party and ask people to pay? Not in Africa, please,” he concluded.
