Popular Nigerian dancer Kaffy Shafau has revealed that her marriage ended largely due to her limited understanding of what marriage truly entails.
Speaking in an interview with media personality Chude Jideonwo, Kaffy admitted that many individuals, including herself, venture into marriage without adequate preparation or proper guidance.
The dancer, who was married to Joseph Ameh from June 2012 until their divorce in January 2022, emphasised the need for a more structured and intentional approach to marital unions.
According to her, intending couples should undergo comprehensive counselling, mental health evaluations, and a structured programme lasting up to a year, focused on human behavioural sciences, before tying the knot.
Kaffy Shafau, Chude Jideonwo, marriage counselling, divorce, relationships, mental health, Nigerian celebrities, family life, pre-marital training, lifestylealso raised concerns about the ease of obtaining a marriage certificate compared to other regulatory processes, noting that the institution of marriage carries far greater societal implications.
“I was not educated enough for marriage and a lot of us aren’t. Our parents are not preparing us enough—living through their experiences is not sufficient education,” she said.
Describing marriage as a “special course,” she argued that society must prioritise deeper preparation for couples, warning that many societal issues originate within the home.
She further advocated mandatory requirements such as drug testing, mental evaluations, and couples therapy, stressing that these measures could help prevent long-term emotional and psychological harm.
“There’s a lot of mental health situations that need to be addressed. It shouldn’t just be counselling—there should be proper evaluation,” she added.
Kaffy concluded that a more rigorous pre-marital process could help build healthier families and, ultimately, a more stable society.