Beyond green card: Nigerians find true love abroad amid cultural bias

Beyond green card: Nigerians find true love abroad amid cultural bias

In a world where stereotypes and societal pressures challenge interracial marriages, Nigerian individuals who love beyond borders often face scepticism and scrutiny. Accusations of ulterior motives question the authenticity of their unions, BABATUNDE TITILOLA writes

She is Swiss. He is Nigerian

meet, introduce each other, and discuss the proposed marriage. The families might have never met before so this is an important step in the marriage process.

“Typically, it will be held in the bride’s family living room, but some people turn it into a big event as well. You might have a small exchange of gifts, Bible reading, singing, prayer, traditional music, and food and drinks.

“The groom would be escorted to the bride’s family home by his father and uncles to propose his case to the family to marry their daughter. In some cases, he would come with a drum procession.”

“This is what it’s like to attend a Nigerian wedding but the twist is it’s my wedding! Blessed to be marrying my best friend @dara_for_enjoyment_only. The wedding was so amazing and credit goes to my wife for her excellent planning skills,” he said after the ceremony.

‘Our marriages beyond money, green card’

Nigerians who have had relationship experience with foreigners confirmed to our correspondent that they were aware of the perks that could come with legalising the union through marriage.

However, a number of them said it was not about the money or permanent residency.

Udogu’s husband, Ezeanyi Ezenwa, while speaking with our correspondent said he knew what he was getting into when he approached Udogu for a relationship. Despite the lessons from his previous interracial marriage, he was willing to take the chance again. But this time around, he was certain that Udogu would not disrupt his life.

The businessman said, “My current wife was not my first foreign wife so I had some experience with intercultural marriages. I knew what I was getting myself into but this time around I had found a woman that was willing to give me enough room to be myself and did not feel the pressure of having to adapt. I married her because I was convinced that she would always be by my side.”

On the comments that interracial marriages are for the money, Ezenwa said, “I can’t blame them. It is happening every day and it is all over the media. But that is not the full story. There are mixed couples that are happily married for decades, but people do not talk about it. I think that the success of a marriage has absolutely nothing to do with skin colour. It is about two people committing to each other for the right reasons.

He said experiencing mixed cultures in a marriage could be an adventure as there would always be exposure to new things.