Why Nigerian men aren’t romantic – Rapper Reminisce

‘‘Since I turned 40, I don't want to do anything; I just want to be a full-time house husband. If I feel like singing, I sing. I don't want to stress myself. But how many people can afford to live like that?’’

Rapper Remilekun ‘Reminisce’ Safaru has shed light on the reasons behind the perceived lack of romance among Nigerian men.

The 43-year-old singer, in an interview on ‘Pulse Fun Facts’ with fellow artist Vector, posted on YouTube Friday, said societal pressures and cultural expectations made men often appear unromantic.

The ‘Alaga Ibile’ hitmaker added that Nigerian men are typically more focused on meeting financial obligations than expressing their emotions, noting that these pressures make it difficult for many men to embrace romance.

The singer, who portrayed Makanaki in ‘King of Boys: The Return Of The King,’ said, ‘‘Just yesterday, I was talking about this (Nigerian men being romantic). I said Nigerian men shouldn’t compare themselves to people like us because I’m unemployed. Since I turned 40, I don’t want to do anything; I just want to be a full-time house husband.

“If I feel like singing, I sing. I don’t want to stress myself. But how many people can afford to live like that? People wake up at 4 or 6 o’clock to beat traffic and deal with issues at work, and then women still expect them to come home and be romantic because they want a happy family and want him to take them on dates.”

Finance

Additionally, the Ogun-born singer maintained that the rising cost of commodities and the unstable economic situation in Nigeria has made it difficult for men to be romantic.

He noted that the harsh environment Nigerian men find themselves in doesn’t foster romance, as they primarily focus on overcoming frustration.

He emphasised that romance naturally takes a backseat when men are frustrated, overshadowed by feeling primarily focused.

“Someone told me Nigerian men aren’t romantic, and I responded by saying, let’s consider the average Nigerian man earning N250,000 a month. How much is a flower? It’s N175,000, and once you (the man) buy a flower for N25,000 with dispatch, it goes up to N50,000 or even N90,000—just for expressing love. Meanwhile, there’s no food at home for the weekend.

“They also mentioned books (novels, etc.) I have a bookshelf; I’ll buy and read them, but how much does one cost? They said N20,000, and we need to buy four, totalling N80,000. And that’s from the salary of a man earning N2500,000 per month; I’m not even talking about children yet; I’m just referring to boyfriend and girlfriend, and you sat down and said Nigerian men aren’t romantic,” Reminisce added.

System of governance

Reminisce, however, stressed the urgent need for a transformation in Nigeria’s system of governance to ensure a better quality of life for its citizens.

He pointed out that there is too much focus on ‘who’ holds power rather than on ‘how’ the country is governed.

He said, “I think if I could change something, I would just say system of governance. That’s what I believe is the fundamental issue with this country’s system of governance, which needs to change.

“The system needs to change where, you know, there’s no, whoever is in the centre doesn’t matter anymore. It will ease things off. There’s a need for each zone to snatch power. So, the system of governance would be the first (thing) I’ll change if I have the opportunity.”

Reminisce began his music career in 2006 and gained recognition for his songs, such as Local Rapper, Daddy Mi, and Ever Since.