Nigerian actor Ugezu J. Ugezu has spoken out against the common practice in Nigeria of hosts charging their guests for food and drinks at social gatherings, expressing his disapproval of this trend.
On July 8, 2024, veteran Nollywood actor Ugezu J. Ugezu shared his disappointment on Instagram about the growing trend of hosts charging guests for food and drinks at parties.
He shared a personal anecdote about a friend who recently attended an event where they were expected to pay for their own food, which he found unsettling and contrary to the traditional norms of hospitality.
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 for a party. Can you believe that the person who called for the party insisted that all the adults that come 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.”
Ugezu condemned the adoption of this foreign practice, which goes against the long-standing African values of hospitality and generosity, where guests are usually warmly received and provided for without expectation of payment.
He stressed the importance of upholding these cultural traditions, where hosts take pride in treating their guests with kindness and provision, rather than charging them for food and drinks. He believes it goes against the spirit of hospitality and generosity that should characterize social events.
“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.”
Ugezu acknowledged that the practice of charging guests for food and drinks is prevalent in countries like the United States, but he vehemently opposed its adoption in Nigeria and Africa, emphasizing that it goes against the continent’s rich cultural heritage of hospitality and generosity.
He believes that Nigerians and Africans should preserve their unique traditions and not embrace foreign customs that erode their values of warmth and welcoming nature.
“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 be asking people to pay? Not in Africa, please,” he concluded.
Ugezu emphasized, “While it’s common in America, we shouldn’t adopt this practice in Nigeria or Africa. Our culture values generosity and hospitality. When guests leave a party, they’re often given gifts, not asked to pay! We should be mindful of what we adopt from other cultures. It’s unacceptable to invite someone to a party and then ask them to pay; that’s not the African way.
