The Tor Tiv, His Royal Majesty Prof. James Ayatse, has announced sweeping cultural reforms aimed at reducing financial pressure on families and promoting discipline within Tiv communities.

The new directives, issued during the Ijir Tamen traditional council meeting, introduce strict guidelines for burials, marriages, inheritance and alcohol use.

Under the updated rules, burials must now be completed within three days and kept quiet and simple. Families are prohibited from requesting contributions from married women, and burial anniversaries have been completely abolished to curb unnecessary spending.

The monarch also ordered significant changes to traditional marriage customs. Wedding items must not exceed a total value of N100,000, and the popular cake-cutting tradition has been banned. Celebrations for new brides are no longer allowed in the father-in-law’s house. He warned couples against domestic violence, saying the rules apply to both men and women.

In a major shift, the Tor Tiv affirmed that women must be granted equal inheritance rights and emphasized that the courts must protect these rights.

He also maintained that kingship titles remain exclusive to men, adding that no one should attempt to alter this cultural law.

The reforms include a kingdom-wide ban on locally distilled alcohol known as ogogoro.

As part of efforts to promote Tiv culture and support women, the monarch announced the launch of Tiv Television, which will begin on Facebook before expanding, and introduced a new empowerment programme, BAM, to provide women with access to loans and financial support.

Security issues were discussed during the council session, but the details were not disclosed.