Traditionally marriages in my home country are usually contracted between Thursdays and Saturdays. That was then, I read in Reuben Abati's "the true meaning of recession" in The Guardian on Friday 9th September that in the new Nigeria it is no longer uncommon to see marriages contracted on Mondays and Tuesdays for various reasons but primarily for crowd management. In the new change mantra, our President has reminded us that the real change starts with us (deep). I watched our Vice President on Channels TV news say recession will soon be over (we pray). Our Finance Minister said "recession is just a word" (for real?). My warm wishes to all intending couples who are about to start the journey from this weekend. Hear me, in an economy running at 17.1% inflation rate (highest in 11 years), the economy of your home is not in the hands of any economic team but in your hands.
The real romance is not the usual fantasies that go with the wedding day but the journey that begins the morning after. Your honeymoon must not necessarily be in the moon if you have to borrow to belong. Romance can be a common feature of your marriage even in the face of recession if you start from the basics. In this information age, it is not a must for you to make common mistakes in marriage. Have a family budget, spend what is left after saving, don't save what is left after spending. Empower your spouse if you earn more, this will guarantee some stability in the event of the unforeseen. Family planning is not about child spacing as radio jingles will sometimes want to suggest, it is about deliberately planning for the future of your children. It is no longer fashionable to leave the upbringing of your children in the hands of teachers and house helps, either Dad or Mum should be on ground to watch the kids grow as it has been proven that more money no longer guarantees happiness in the home. A family vacation at least once in a year will keep the family closely knit together but should be planned within affordable budget and not necessarily in Europe or America. The romance in your marriage can defy recession, maybe 'home economics' can lead us out of a recession that is proving to be more than just a word but defying all known economic theories from the Harvard and Oxford trained economists. Planned and happy family units might just be the solution to the woes of a nation that failed to plan. Nigeria has a great future.