by THE RISE OF HOUSE-HUSBANDS IN NIGERIA
BY DOMINIC KIDZU
Interestingly, more husbands in Nigeria are now at home, while their wives are either at work or in the shop. No thanks to the voodoo economy that has put them out of work and denied the avatar his conceit. My son taught me how to bake chicken pie in the oven yesterday, and I was excited to accomplish the task myself. But sour grapes came upon me as I munched the stuff because I realized that I was actually eating humble pie in the hot afternoon..
Daddy wasn’t the man to be found at home during the day because he was always either at work or on a business trip and everyone came to him for their needs like chicken go home to roost at sunset. Now he is almost always at home with the TV remote control in his hand flipping from one news channel to sports and back again. While the children try very hard to be of good behavior while he is home, even though the very act annoys them quite a bit.
He no longer goes out in the evenings regularly, and could be heard murmuring to himself from time to time. Something about the price of fuel, garri, or beer, or indeed all of them. He now complains about the volume of music from the children’s room and the number of unwashed plates in the kitchen. His unhappiness is spreading all over the floor like spilled kerosene. “Honey, please help me iron my blouses if light comes in the afternoon” madam cooed, giggling. He grunted as she departs for work.
The rise of House Husbands is really not a sweet story to tell, because the very telling of it dries saliva in the mouth and leaves the furrowed brow drenched in sweat. About two decades ago, I and my cousin, Prof. John Small went to visit our now late uncle, J. B. C. Atteh Abang in Kuje one hot afternoon. He had just retired as a Director of Forestry. We met him ironing his wife’s clothes, madam was of course at work. He told us that there had been a role reversal in his home, since he had no where to go to, he was now quite happy to do the house chores.
The big issue with contemporary Nigerian house husbands is that they are neither retired nor tired. Young and energetic men are being confined in their homesteads by unemployment. The ones who are politically exposed are the worse for it. They believe they have worked for the now “elected”, (whatever that means) and should justly be appointed. But the appointment has failed to arrive, keeping them still at home in the afternoon and ultimately adding hermlock to their temperament. Say a little prayer for husbands. They are going through a lot
