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

The lawyer also said married women should be allowed to retain their family names instead of changing to their husbands’ names.

Ibor, the principal counsel at Basic Rights Counsel Initiative, spoke at a women’s event in Calabar, capital of Cross River State, with the theme, ‘Amplifying Women’s Representation In Politics With A Special Focus On The Special Seats Bill’.

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

Ibor said that bride price is a sign of slavery.

He advocated a system where there should be exchange of gifts by 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 against paying bride price to the family of my wife. We merely exchanged gifts.

“I will strongly recommend against this odd and slavish practise. We should encourage 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 practise in parts of Cross River where women do not have rights to lands and property.