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🇳🇬 Nigeria /Culture & Society

My marriage… With Joseph Kolawole Okunato

From The Punch · () English

Summarized and contextualized by DistantNews.

At a glance

Interview Named sources Context piece
  • Joseph Kolawole Okunato, a Nigerian in his 70s, shared his journey of meeting and marrying his wife, celebrating 42 years of marriage.
  • He met his wife during a visit to a friend's house in Ibadan, where he was struck by her beauty and later learned she was training to be a teacher.
  • Okunato, who had experienced two previous failed relationships due to tribal differences and career goals, saw his wife as his ideal future partner and pursued the relationship with the intention of marriage.

Joseph Kolawole Okunato, a Nigerian man in his 70s, reflects on his enduring marriage of 42 years, sharing the story of how he met his wife and the journey that led to their union. Okunato, who hails from Igede-Ekiti, has a diverse professional background, including banking, the capital market, and media, before retiring in 2011 and continuing as a private consultant and company director.

She told me that my friend was not around, so I left. Later that week, when I saw him, I asked about the girl I had seen in his house. He told me that she was his cousin, who was on a short-term holiday, and that she had returned to her school, the College of Education, Ikere-Ekiti.

— Joseph Kolawole OkunatoOkunato describing his first encounter with his future wife and learning about her educational background.

His first encounter with his future wife occurred when he was new to Ibadan and visited a friend's house. Although his friend was absent, he noticed a beautiful young woman who informed him of his friend's unavailability. Later, he learned she was his friend's cousin, who was on holiday from her studies at the College of Education, Ikere-Ekiti. This revelation excited Okunato, as he desired a teacher for a wife, aligning with his future aspirations.

I was excited that she was training to become a teacher, and I asked if she would be willing to be my girlfriend and future partner.

— Joseph Kolawole OkunatoOkunato expressing his immediate interest in his future wife upon learning she was training to be a teacher.

Okunato recalled two prior relationships that ended unsuccessfully. The first dissolved due to tribal differences, and the second failed because of conflicting career ambitions; he wanted a teacher, while his partner aimed to be a banker. Seeing his new acquaintance training to be a teacher solidified his belief that she was his future wife. He focused on nurturing the relationship with the goal of marriage.

Seeing a future teacher who was already in a College of Education was exciting for me because I already saw her as my future wife. All I focused on after our meeting was what I needed to do to keep her as mine.

— Joseph Kolawole OkunatoOkunato explaining his conviction that his future wife was the right partner for him.

He proposed to his wife at Ikogosi Warm Spring during a weekend excursion planned shortly after their meeting. Okunato felt a strong connection and certainty about their future together, despite acknowledging that his wife initially seemed suspicious, recognizing him from Ibadan but not knowing his identity.

My proposal to her was at Ikogosi Warm Spring, as I mentioned earlier. At first, I believed she was suspicious. She remembered seeing me in Ibadan but did not know who I was.

— Joseph Kolawole OkunatoOkunato recounting the location and initial reaction during his proposal to his wife.
DistantNews Editorial

Originally published by The Punch. Summarized and contextualized by our editorial team with added local perspective. Read our editorial standards.

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