Disputes between Nigerian couples in America and Europe is no longer news. This is particularly where wives who become nurses are labeled “disrespectful” after beginning to earn more than their husbands.
While the common narrative suggests these women become arrogant after their husbands sponsor them to America and through nursing school, investigations reveal a different reality.
What’s often happening:
– The wife works multiple nursing shifts (sometimes earning $260,000+ annually)
– The husband maintains a lower-paying job (often around $60,000)
– The wife’s earnings go into a joint account controlled by the husband
– She must request permission for personal expenses and sending money to her family
– When she seeks financial independence, she’s reminded of how she was “brought to America”
There are cases where men use their wives’ hard-earned money to build houses in Nigeria or even prepare to marry second wives.
Supporting your spouse through immigration or education doesn’t entitle you to control their earnings or treat them as a “money-making machine.” Just as parents don’t own their children despite raising them, spouses deserve financial dignity and independence regardless of who helped whom initially.
What are your thoughts on this issue? Have you witnessed similar situations?
DPA
About the Author
