You’ve probably heard love stories from friends or strangers that sound cliché at first, until the details remind you that falling in love is rarely predictable. Sometimes, people meet in the most unexpected ways. 

Curious about how some of these moments happen, we asked five Nigerians to share how they met their partners. Their stories are proof that there’s really no defined way to find love.

“Our introduction was staged” — Doris* 51

For years after their marriage, Doris had no idea that what seemed like a random meet-up with her husband was completely scripted. 

“I was nearing my 30s in the early 2000s, and my family worried about my single status. They tried to matchmake, but I resisted because I didn’t want anyone to pressure me into marriage.

Unknown to me, a friend of my elder sister had seen me during a visit and immediately liked me. He had also seen my photos in her album and kept asking her to introduce us. My sister knew I would likely turn him down if he approached me directly, so they both came up with a plan.

By 2004, I had been out of school for nearly three years and was actively job hunting. My sister told me she had a friend who could help me find work and asked me to take my CV to him. I went to meet him, believing our encounter was purely professional.

He played the part well. He reviewed my documents and assured me he would help. We exchanged numbers, and I even visited his office a few more times to follow up. Soon, he began calling me frequently. At first, I entertained the conversations because I thought they were related to the job, but gradually, we became friends.

One day, he asked if we could go out to eat, and during that outing, we got a little more personal. My feelings grew naturally, and within a year, he proposed. Somewhere along the way, I even forgot about the job I had been chasing.

Nearly two years after my wedding, my sister revealed everything that had happened without my knowledge. She and my husband admitted the job never existed, and it was all a plan to bring us together. At that point, I couldn’t even be upset because I would never have given him a chance otherwise.”

“A prophet said we were destined together” — Ezekiel*, 42

For Ezekiel, a devastating breakup unexpectedly led him to his soulmate.

“I was at the lowest point of my life before I met my wife. I had been with a woman for over three years, and we were already considering marriage when she left me for someone else. That breakup shattered me. I fell into a deep depression and felt like I was losing hope entirely.

During that period, I leaned heavily on my faith. Then in 2016, I started visiting a prophetess for prayers and counselling. I opened up to her about everything I was going through, and for many months, those visits comforted me.

One day, another woman came in for prayers, and after she left, the prophetess told me she had also been jilted by her partner. She said she strongly believed the woman was my future wife.

At first, I laughed it off, but she insisted on arranging a proper introduction so I could decide for myself. Out of respect for her, I agreed. That Christmas, she invited both of us over and introduced us.

What started as a simple introduction quickly grew into a friendship. We bonded, supported each other, and before long, a relationship naturally followed. By 2018, we were married.

Looking back now, I’m grateful I listened. I never imagined that after such heartbreak, I would meet the person I was meant to spend my life with.”

“We fought in my Twitter comments” — Damaris* 28

The last thing Damaris expected was to fall in love with a banger boy she once argued with on Twitter.

“I met my boyfriend during the EndSARS protests in 2020. I’m very politically minded and was especially vocal online at the time. After the government announced SARS had been disbanded, I posted a long, angry tweet saying it felt like a rebrand and that things might only get worse.

A random account replied to my tweet, saying it wasn’t that deep and jokingly asked if I was on my period because I sounded emotional. I was furious and went off on him. He apologised, and when I ignored it, he sent me another DM  saying he realised his comment was insensitive. I left the message on read. Over the next couple of years, he reached out once or twice, but I ignored him.

Then, in 2024, he sent another message saying he was better informed now and asking if I would be willing to talk. I found it funny and decided there was no harm in replying. Once we started talking, the conversations flowed easily, even though they were on and off for a while. We exchanged pictures, had a few video calls, and eventually agreed to meet in person.

I was sceptical at first because I’m very committed to what I believe in, but he turned out to be very open-minded. Over time, I realised we complemented each other well.

We’ve officially been together since last year, and I sometimes wish I had responded to that first apology sooner.”

“We kept running into each other” — Maliq, 38

After years of being distant acquaintances, repeated chance encounters brought Maliq and his wife back into each other’s lives.

“The way I met my wife wasn’t grand. Our story unfolded slowly. We grew up in the same city and attended the same primary and secondary schools, but we were never close. We only exchanged occasional “hellos” and “his.” 

After school in 2011, we lost contact. I eventually relocated to a relatively small city, so I never expected to see her again.

In 2021, we ran into each other at a mall, then exchanged greetings and went our separate ways. But less than two weeks later, we crossed paths again at a hospital where she worked. I was there for an official programme, and seeing her felt almost surreal. We spent some time catching up, and that was when we realised we had also studied the same course at university.

I remember joking about our chance encounters and how it felt like we were somehow tied together. She laughed and suggested we keep in touch, and that was how everything began.

We started talking more, and after a while, my feelings grew deeper until I was moved to tell her how I felt. She also felt the same way, and what I thought were chance encounters led to a lasting marriage.”

“We went from enemies to lovers” — Fatima*, 25

Years after a painful encounter in secondary school, Fatima unexpectedly reunited with someone she once resented.

“I first met my partner in secondary school, and back then, I couldn’t stand him. He was my senior and the dining prefect. One day, he slapped me in front of everyone for talking during a quiet period, and I felt deeply embarrassed. I cried for days and carried that resentment with me for years.

I forgot about him after I left the school, but the universe still had an unwritten chapter for us. I got a new job in 2022, and upon resumption, I discovered he worked there too. He wasn’t on my team, but he was senior to me. He approached me warmly, but I responded coldly. Once I realised who he was, I even considered leaving because I still hadn’t forgotten what happened. I avoided him whenever I could and rolled my eyes whenever coworkers spoke highly of him.

A few months later, he asked to see me privately and apologised. Even though I denied holding a grudge, he admitted his behaviour back then was childish and said he had wanted to apologise for a long time. He asked if we could start over as friends. After that conversation, we started talking more, and gradually, we grew close.

Over time, I realised he was nothing like the boy I remembered. He was kind and self-aware, and I decided to truly let go of the past so we could move forward. In 2024, our friendship turned romantic, and this March, we’ll be celebrating two years together. Sometimes it still surprises me that I ended up with the same person I once swore I’d never forgive.”

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