10 Nigerians on finding love, friendship and everything in between at events

For Valentine’s Day, we asked some of our followers to share stories of meeting friends and finding love at events. Here are some of the heartwarming responses. 🧡

1. We met at a New Year’s Eve party. The funny part is that the person who invited me to the party aired me, which is great because I ended up meeting him. My favourite part is how I came outside to call the person who didn’t show up and that’s how I ran into him. We aren’t official yet. We still have a lot to figure out, but if things go well in the next few weeks, possibly. I’m not sure how it’ll end, but I’m glad I decided to go to that party. — Love.
2. I met my ex at a family wedding. She was part of the planning team; we just said hi but didn’t connect. We met again, working on a campaign for a food brand. We had to pick up products from the same location, so we decided to carpool, and that’s how we kicked off. “Aren’t you the one I met at that wedding?” “Oh lol, it’s me”. “You bodied that dress, and you’re bodying this outfit now”. The relationship lasted for 11 months before I messed it up. I only attend events nowadays to get drunk, not to meet people because everyone is temporary. — Olumide.
3. We met at games night. I was supposed to host, and I was late. I said hello to her (and everyone else, lol) because they were all waiting for me. When it was time for games, we started with Truth or Dare. She dared me to kiss someone, and I chose her. I said one or two words to her after that, but that was pretty much it at the party. I found her on Instagram the day after, and I sent a dm. She remembered who I was, and we kicked it off. Saw her every weekend after that. We got into a relationship a month later. We broke up after over a year, nothing too serious. It was mutual. I am always open to meeting people. I always like to meet new people. The finer, the better. 😌 — Richard
4. It was at Piggytech’s party in December last year. She noticed me at the party. I didn’t see her, but she noticed me because of my hair. We met again at another event, and this time, I asked her a question but nothing serious. She responded, and I went on with my business. According to her, she thought I was hitting on her, but in reality, I wasn’t. I was very sad at the time and was just there for the alcohol. We bumped into each other again at South, and this time she said hi. I didn’t recognize her, but she introduced herself again, and I remembered. She said she followed me on Twitter, and I was like, “Oh great! What’s your handle?”. I followed her back and said bye. Later that night, I texted her the next day and every day since then. She told me later that after she saw me the first night, something about me stuck in her head, and she just hoped to meet me again. I guess the universe heard her very clearly and brought my handle to her TL. We’ve texted every day since that night and kept the spark alive in different ways. We’re good good. (you know what I mean? 😉) We are very much into each other, and I think we deeply care for each other. — Lola
5. We met at Element House. A guy was trying to dance with her, and I could sense she was uncomfortable. I moved close to her and started dancing (while still respecting her space). The guy left, and we just kept dancing. We laughed about the situation, and she told me she had just moved back to Nigeria. We exchanged numbers and I called her the following day to confirm she was fine. We’ve been friends since then. She’s my best friend now, lol. We talk every day, go to parties, we do most things together. She says that it was meant to be. Every time we tell people the story, they are always surprised because it feels like we’ve met for years. Now, I’m happy she’s in my life as I am in hers. — Dami
6. We met at a wedding after-party. He looked so good in his white kaftan. We had a small dance-off, and I went home with him. We had sex. I’ve never spoken to him after that. Lmao. — Amaka
7. It was a friend’s grandmother’s burial. He was very shy and looked really awkward. We just said hi, and took pictures with the celebrant. I didn’t mind that he didn’t say much to me. I was pretty clumsy and awkward back then. Some days later, my friend and I went for a photoshoot, and he was there. We started talking, and he became one of my best friends. When he asked me out, I freaked out. I thought it would ruin our friendship, but it’s the best decision I’ve ever made. Now, we’re pretty much talking marriage, meeting each other’s families, planning and saving towards our future as a couple. — Shola
8. I love playing Mortal Kombat and I’ve invested a lot of time learning the game. I thought I was the best in Nigeria since none of my friends could beat me. My friend sent me a flyer for a pay-to-play gaming event, and I decided to go. People were doing things I never thought was possible with gaming! I saw people gisting and geeking out to things that I kept to myself because I thought it was too nerdy. A guy invited me to play with him and we did. We played for hours and he said my skills weren’t so bad and I needed practice. We exchanged numbers and he added me to a community of Mortal Kombat Geeks. We hung out at my place after that and had conversations outside gaming. I found out he was looking to improve his animation skills so I taught him. He learnt really fast and I introduced him to a friend who owned a startup. That’s how he got his first job. — Tochukwu
9. I met all the friends I have now at parties. I had just moved to Abuja from Lagos and didn’t really know anybody. I was bored out of my mind. I went to a couple of parties, and that’s how I met my group of friends. We created a group chat, it wasn’t functional for a while but now that we know a lot more about one another, we discuss personal issues, share information about events we’d like to attend and talk about pretty much everything. It has been so amazing and genuine. I like that they all have the same vibes as I do. All of us have the same goals and interests. We all like to party and we deeply care about each other. — Nicole
10. In December 2020, my friend organized a party for no reason — that was literally the name of the party. I had just broken up with my ex so I was looking to have fun. She came late to the party and entered by dropping one dance move. She danced for like 4 seconds and that was all for the night. She cannot dance, lmaoo. Anyway, that’s how she caught my attention. Later that night, I asked her to go to the pool with me. At first, she was hesitant, but she grabbed another girl, and we went. We talked a lot that night and found out that we were almost birthday mates. I got her number and texted her 2 days after. When I asked her how she was, she said she had a migraine from thinking about me so much. We’ve spoken every day since then. On Valentine’s Day in 2021, we went on a yoga date, and I told her I loved her. She didn’t say it back. In April that year, she went to her parents for the Easter holidays, and I visited her. As I was leaving, she shouted I love you and ran into the house. Unfortunately, I had to japa to England. Leaving was emotional, but we believe it will be if we are meant for each other. I haven’t seen her since August, but damn, I have never been happier. I can’t wait to spend Valentine’s Day with my girl — Debo

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