A lawyer and human rights activist, James Ibor, has advocated for an end to payment and collection of bride prices in Nigeria.

The lawyer who made this call at a women’s event in Calabar, capital of Cross River State also said married women should be allowed to retain their family names instead of changing to their husbands’ names.

Speaking on the theme, ‘Amplifying Women’s Representation In Politics With A Special Focus On The Special Seats Bill’, Ibor, the principal counsel at Basic Rights Counsel Initiative said bride price is a sign of slavery.

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The event was organized by the Cross River State Ministry of Women Affairs with support from a civil society organization, Stand To End Rape

He advocated a system where there should be an exchange of gifts between the bride and groom’s families

“Women are not commodities that should be purchased by men. It tells of signs of slavery, denial of women’s rights and domination by men.

“Payment of bride price should stop. I insisted on paying the bride price to the family of my wife. We merely exchanged gifts.

“I will strongly recommend against this odd and slavish practice. We should encourage the exchange of gifts in place of bride price.

“I will also strongly raise my voice to support that women should retain their father’s or mother’s names whilst in marriage instead of altogether changing to husbands’ names.

“Women should be at liberty to bear their chosen names.”

He frowned at the practice in parts of Cross River where women do not have rights to lands and property.