Nigerian housewives coping with the harsh economy of Nigeria

If someone ask you the exact condition of Nigeria in totality….can you really explain it without  being confused about saying certain things that has been evolving day after day  since the new Government came into power?  So many things happening that while Nigerians are still trying to unravel and come to terms with one occurance another one is mesmerizing our intellectual capabilities.  No one can really pin the socio-economic conditions of this country Nigeria to one concrete definition.

The only thing certain to Nigerians apart from  the 2016 budget drama between the President and our law makers,  inconlucive re-run elections, corruption charges and failed court appeals is the economic hardship Nigerians encounter day after day.  Prices of household goods and foodstuffs in the market has gone so high yet most Nigerians have no regular good source of income.

During one of my women business coaching forum in Abuja, I discovered the women that has been coming to the meeting are mostly housewives…educated housewives. Years  back in the Nigeria understanding, when people mention  the word house wife…the first thing that comes to mind is that such a woman is an illiterate that is why she chose to stay at home and not work.  This is not the same as we talk in the present Nigeria. Infact we have more educated housewives than working/career women  from my own observations.   These are women who probably have rich husbands who feel there is no need for their wife to be answering another man ‘’sir..sir…’’ and neglecting taking care of the home and children. Yes, this is the exact perception of how African  men who do not like their wives to work .  At least that is what they tell me each time i probe why they banned their wives from being a 9-5 working woman.

I have discovered that things have changed as i now have more educated housewives still with ‘’rich husbands’’ looking for work/business to do so they can make their own financial contributions at home. Even the rich husbands are strapped and angry with the economy and money is no more flowing freely as it used to be.  Now tell me why an eduacted woman should be facing an angry man who comes home daily treating her as  a ‘’parasite ‘’? Meanwhile the same man was the one that insisted the wife should not work.   Things have changed and everyone is angry.  The angry husband is not even aware that he is angry with the wife and has totally forgotten he banned the wife from working.  Too much stress in trying to  put healthy food on the tabledaily , pay rents and school fees .   One of such husband told me angrily…eeeemm…if i banned her from working..and so?….at least she has a mind of her own…can’t she think of something to convince me so i can allow her to work or do some kind of business?   This man was just talking out of being in a financial fraustration and not  really understanding the implications of what he was saying.  Loving husbands who used to be happy providing money for house and wife upkeep are now grumbling and angry with everyone around them. So if you are a woman living with such a man, I think you will be wise enough to look for something you can do to help out at home.   Most Nigerian men also will not call you and tell you to look for job to do and at the same time angry and pissed with you being idle. Yea…so get that ladies…..the situation in Nigeria is no more the time to seek permission from husband to open a business or look for job.

Do your mathematics, pass the exam and inform him happily after.  Hey, he might even pretend in your presence that he is not in support but if you xray him, he is hailing you seceretly!!! Hmmm…that is how our men are! They hide and suppress their emotions so much in the presence of women so as not to be labeled ‘’weak’’.    Knock -it –off- guys …women of today care less if you are weak or strong ….. they know exactly who you are!

So i keep encountereing more and more educated housewives looking for small business they can do from home.  These are very intelligent women who want to make their own small contribution to keep the family running in this troubled waters economic situation of Nigeria.    Most of these women use to expect their husbands run the house financially but Nigeria economic and politically situation has turned things around making lives rough and ugly for them. Some even add some humor to their bad conditions by telling me that,  the small change they used to ‘steal’’ from the foodstuff money their husband give them has siezed totally. Oh yea…women steal from their husbands but it is allowed….pretty much allowed…do not even debate this one with the house wives because you cannot win.   Some how men know about this but still keep quiet…oh sure they do….don’t you guys?    Men know that women hardly use all the money they give for food stuff to buy foodstuff. The women divert some for their own skin pampering stuff.  Well as long as the woman manages the home effectively and no one goes hungry at home, the man cares less. The women who are not into too much cosmetics stuff, simply save theirs which is a wise idea because it is with such savings that some use to start small business.

These are the kind of women I meet in my business coaching forums. Most of them have some cash but not sure what kind of small business to invest it in.  Some already have some small business running but need more ideas on how to grow their business and make more profits.  Then there are some other single  women( some with children…single mothers) who are having very rough times in this Nigeria and looking for other women they can work for.

Some of these group of women have skills like baking, sewing, hairdressing etc. They come to the fourm  to talk about their skills and some have ended up meeting other women who need people with skills like theirs and they get hired instantly.   As long as you are a woman who want to work and earn a living of your own, there must always be something valuable for you at our business coaching meetings.    We also have easy payment online networking business for women who are good with the internet. You can join these online business any where you are in Nigeria.

If you are housewife and still looking unto your husband every month to drop money for upkeep and when he did not, you curse and swear….you better wake up and create a business for yourself before you destroy the peace in your marriage because your husband cannot meet up financially.

JACLYN IWU