The “Good Naija Wife” Guide

From Housekeeping  NaijaWives Monthly, 13 May, 1955 2007.

1. Have dinner ready. Plan ahead, even the night before, to have a delicious meal ready on time for his return. This is a way of letting him know that you have be thinking about him and are concerned about his needs. Most men are hungry when they get home and the prospect of a good meal is part of the warm welcome needed.
2. Prepare yourself. Take 15 minutes to rest so you’ll be refreshed when he arrives. Touch up your make-up, put a ribbon in comb your hair and be fresh-looking. Make sure you don’t smell like Iya Basirat after cooking all day. He has just been with a lot of work-weary people.
3. Be a little gay and a little more interesting for him. His boring day may need a lift and one of your duties is to provide it.
4. Clear away the clutter. Make one last trip through the main part of the house just before your husband arrives. Run a dustcloth over the tables.
5. During the cooler months of the year you should prepare and light a fire for him to unwind by. If it is hot and there is no NEPA, fan him gently to cool him off . Your husband will feel he has reached a haven of rest and order, and it will give you a lift too. After all, catering to his comfort will provide you with immense personal satisfaction.
6. Minimize all noise. At the time of his arrival, eliminate all noise of the washer, dryer or vacuum blender as you are grinding pepper or beans for moinmoin. Encourage the children to be quiet.
7. Be happy to see him.
8. Greet him with a warm smile and show sincerity in your desire to please him.
9. Listen to him. You may have a dozen important things to tell him, but the moment of his arrival is not the time. Let him talk first – remember, his topics of conversation are more important than yours.
10. Don’t greet him with complaints and problems.
11. Don’t complain if he’s late for dinner or even if he stays out all night. Count this as minor compared to what he might have gone through at work or while he was hanging out with the boys or chilling with his girlfriend.
12. Make him comfortable. Have him lean back in a comfortable chair or lie him down in the bedroom. Have a cool or warm drink criminally cold bottle of beer ready for him.
13. Arrange his pillow and offer to take off his shoes. Speak in a low, soothing and pleasant voice.
14. Don’t ask him questions about his actions or question his judgment or integrity. Remember, he is the master of the house and as such will always exercise his will with fairness and truthfulness. You have no right to question him.
15. A good wife always knows her place.

I’m putting out my disclaimer before I get a beat down for this post (LOL!). I did NOT write it o! (The original post is HERE ). I don’t sanction, support or agree with any of the contents. I only “adapted” it for todays “Good Naija Woman” (GNW) wannabe and to support some observations I have made over the years.

As ridiculous as all this sounds, some of us (men and women alike) have been brainwashed into a perception of what/who a “good” Naija woman is. What makes this unfortunate is that some Naija women actually make efforts to follow the “good Naija woman” script. Ask any dude to describe a good Naijawoman and I can bet it won’t be too far from the list of items above.

Even our own Linda responded to my Vice houseboy post with the following comment… “I cook, I clean, do laundry and drive myself. I pass housemaid. The worst part be say, anyday I decide to answer to any man now. I automatically become his maid.”

Like the false prophet (Obejay) said, the greatest lie is the one you tell your self. This behavior is clearly not sustainable and this is why tings dey scatter after two or three years.

Naijamans advice? This is 2008. Just be real. If he really wants you, he’ll accept you for who you are!