Veteran Nollywood actress, Bimbo Akintola, has declared her support for polygamy, saying Nigerians should accept it as part of tradition.
The 55-year-old actress spoke during a recent interview on Talk To B. She explained that in the past, many families in Yoruba land were built on polygamy, as it was normal for men to have more than one wife.
According to her, the shortage of men in society today also makes it reasonable for two women to share one husband. She noted that in some cases, women themselves even welcome the idea of another wife joining their home.
Akintola shared the story of a woman she knows personally, who got a second wife for her husband because of sexual differences. She explained that the man’s libido was higher than the woman’s, and to avoid constant pressure, the wife decided to bring another woman to share the responsibility.
“With the way the world is going, people should embrace polygamy,” Akintola said. “You say marriage is everything, so if we don’t have enough men according to statistics, does that not mean two women to one man?
“I also believe it is part of our tradition. Most of Generation X, Yorubas, and even our parents had two to three wives. It was something we saw while growing up. Maybe we also noticed the disadvantages, but some people say there are advantages too.
“I know some women who would rather have a second wife. I even know someone who married a second wife for her husband so that she could have peace. They didn’t have the same libido. His was higher than hers, so she thought, ‘this man will kill me, let me find support,’ and she married a wife for him.”
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The actress also used the opportunity to advise parents who prefer monogamy. She stressed that the only way to achieve a faithful one-man, one-woman society is to raise boys with the same discipline taught to girls.
Akintola explained that many men who cheat or become polygamous were raised without proper values. She said mothers especially have a big role to play in training their sons the right way.
“With polygamy, if you are really particular about having a man to yourself, then have a man with principles. Raise that man,” she added. “Raise your son to be that kind of man so that future women, your daughters, will have men like that to marry. That is how you contribute to the world.
“All these men we are talking about, who are polygamous and cheat, were raised by someone. They were given those values by someone. So if you want a different world where it’s one man, one woman, no cheating, then raise your sons properly.
“Teach your sons that their body is the temple of God, the same way you teach your daughters. If you tell your daughters to cross their legs, tell your sons to keep their hands to themselves. People don’t teach their sons how to be men—they simply watch the example of their fathers.
“Nobody tells them that the girls they meet are like their sisters or mothers, and that they must treat them with respect. If mothers had said that to their sons, there would be better treatment of girls generally.”
