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 on Friday, said social pressures and cultural expectations made men often seem unromantic.
The 'Alaga Ibile' hitmaker added that Nigerian men are often more focused on meeting their financial obligations than expressing their emotions, noting that these pressures make it difficult for many men to embrace romance.
The singer, who played Makanaki in 'King of Boys: The Return Of The King', said: “Just yesterday I was talking about this (Nigerian men are romantic). I said Nigerian men should not compare themselves to people like us because I am unemployed. Since I turned 40 I don't want to do anything; I just want to be a full-time housewife.
“If I feel like singing, I sing. I don't want to stress. But how many people can afford to live like this? “People wake up at 4 or 6 o'clock to avoid traffic and deal with problems at work, and then women still expect them to come home and be romantic because they want a happy family and they want him to ask them out.” .
Finance
Furthermore, the Ogun-born singer maintained that the rising cost of raw materials and the unstable economic situation in Nigeria have made it difficult for men to be romantic.
He noted that the harsh environment Nigerian men find themselves in does not encourage romance as they mainly focus on overcoming frustration.
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He emphasized that romance naturally takes a backseat when men feel frustrated, overshadowed by feeling primarily focused.
“Someone told me that Nigerian men are not romantic, and I responded by saying, let's consider that the average Nigerian man earns 250,000 naira a month. How much does a flower cost? It costs 175,000 Naira, and once you (the man) buy a flower for 25,000 Naira with fast shipping, it goes up to 50,000 Naira or even 90,000 Naira, just for expressing love. Meanwhile, there is no food at home for the weekend.
“They also mentioned books (novels, etc.) I have a bookshelf; I will buy them and read them, but how much does one cost? They said 20,000 naira and we need to buy four, for a total of 80,000 naira. And that is from the salary of a man who earns N2,500,000 a month; I'm not even talking about children yet; “I’m just talking about boyfriend and girlfriend, and you sat there and said Nigerian men are not romantic,” Reminisce added.
Governance system
Reminisce, however, highlighted the urgent need for transformation in Nigeria's governance system to ensure a better quality of life for its citizens.
He noted that too much attention is paid to “who” has power rather than “how” the country is governed.
He said: “I think if I could change anything I would just say the governance system. That's what I think is the fundamental issue with the system of government in this country, which needs to change.
“The system needs to change where, you know, there is no one anymore, whoever is in the center no longer matters. This will make things easier. It is necessary for each zone to take power. So, the government system would be the first thing I will 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.