Why Hausa Societies Don’t Perform Anymore Baiko During Marriages

Updated: Dec 11, 2021
By UmmuSalma Ahmad
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“Baiko” is a Hausa word meaning engagement. This is when a man and woman are betrothed to be married to each other. In the northern part of Nigeria, when a man sees a lady he likes, he approaches her and tells her his intentions. If she likes him too, she will agree to court him so they will see where the relationship will go.

If, after courting each other for some time, they decide they want to be with each other for the rest of their lives, they then make plans towards getting married. In order for them to get married, they must get engaged first.

This is when the girl will inform her parents that she has someone who would like to come and meet them while the man will inform his parents that he has found the one and they will prepare to go and ask for her hand in marriage.

After asking for the girl’s hand in marriage, her parents will inform the man’s family that they need time to make a decision on their proposal. They will then use this time to ask the girl if she loves him and when she answers in the affirmative, they will conduct an investigation on the man to find out who he is, what kind of company he keeps, his job, and any other relevant thing to ensure that they are giving out their daughter to a responsible person.

The Engagement

After the investigation, the girl’s family will invite the man’s family to come for the betrothal as they approve of the man and are willing to give him their daughter out for marriage. The man’s family don’t go for the engagement empty-handed, they take with them cartons of candy, chewing gum, biscuits and kola nut. These items are called “Kayan baiko”.

They are what people will be given to let them know that a girl is betrothed to someone and that a wedding is coming up.

Who Conducts Baiko?

Baiko is strictly a parental affair and it is not accompanied by any celebration. It is simply an agreement between parents to marry their children and create another family. There need not be dancing or any singing while at it, unlike the Kamu ceremony. It is also important to know that most fathers don’t go to ask for the hand of the lady for their sons neither do most fathers accept the offer of marriage made to their daughters themselves. Fathers usually assign their brothers or friends or even older people to perform these roles for them.

The Venue for Baiko

The location for Baiko depends on the people accepting the proposal. The venue will be her father’s house if he is the one accepting the proposal or any of the representatives residence accepting it.

The Death of Baiko and The Rise of “Sa Rana”

People no longer call this tradition by its actual name “Baiko”, it is now called “Sa Rana” but it has the same process as “Baiko”, the only difference is in the “Kayan Baiko” Back then, part of the things the man’s family took to the lady’s family as “Kayan Baiko” included a mattress, a mat, a pillow and a bedsheet. Nowadays, it’s only the candy, gum, biscuits, kola nuts and in some cases, dates, which are then distributed to friends and family.

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