Dating Safety for Nigerian Women: 12 Rules Before You Meet

Ask ten women who date online whether they have ever had a scary moment and nine will say yes. The tenth is lying or hasn't started yet.

That is not a reason to stay home. It is a reason to have rules. These are the twelve we hear most often from women who have been through it, written plainly because nobody needs a lecture.

Before you even reply

1. Use an app that checks people. If anyone can create an account with any photo and no verification, expect fakes. On MyPerson members can verify with a live selfie and National ID, and verified people carry a badge.

2. Treat the badge as a head start. It tells you someone passed a check. It does not tell you he is kind. Keep watching how he behaves.

3. Don't hand out your life story. Not your street, not your office, not your daily routine. He can know your first name and your area. That is enough for a month.

While you're chatting

4. Stay on the app. Scammers love moving you to WhatsApp fast because the app might catch them. A man who is serious will wait a few days.

5. Call him. Voice, then video. Calls on MyPerson are free. If he's always "in a bad network" the picture is already clear.

6. Money is a hard no. Data, hospital, "small business", a gift card, a flight. If he is asking before you've met, close the chat. Our guide to dating scams in Nigeria has the scripts they use.

7. Be careful when he moves too fast. Calling you his wife in the first week isn't romance, it's pressure. Here is how to recognise love bombing.

Before the date

8. Public place, daytime if you can. A busy restaurant or cafe. MyPerson has verified date venues and some give members discounts.

9. Tell somebody. A sister, a friend, your roommate. Send his name, his picture and where you are going. Text her when you get home.

10. Own your transport. Don't ride with him on a first date and don't let him know where you live.

On the date

11. Watch your drink and your phone. Order your own, keep it in sight.

12. Leave when it feels wrong. You don't need a reason he will accept. "I have to go" is a full sentence.

If something does go wrong

Block him, report him, keep screenshots. Reporting takes two taps and the team reviews each one, so the next woman might not meet him. If you are in danger right now, call 112 or walk into the nearest shop or police station and ask for help.

The safety page lists everything MyPerson does behind the scenes, from photo checks to flagging look alike accounts.

Short answers to what women ask us

Should I give him my WhatsApp? After a video call and when you feel comfortable. Sharing numbers in chat is a Premium feature on MyPerson partly so early chats stay protected.

Is it rude to ask for a video call? No. A serious man will be glad you asked.

What if I feel bad for leaving a date early? Don't. Feeling bad is how people stay in rooms they should leave.