Brothers and sisters, I need to pour my heart out because my chest is full and my head is spinning. I have been dating this girl for three solid years. Three years of buying data, sending Uber, paying for her nails, and even helping her younger brother with school fees. Last night, I finally decided to ask the big question: "When are we meeting your parents officially?" Her response nearly made me choke on my swallow. She looked me dead in the eye and said, "Not until you are earning at least ₦500,000 monthly. My parents don't entertain struggling men." Struggling? Me? I earn ₦280,000 as a senior analyst at a fintech company here in Lagos. I pay my rent in a decent estate in Ogudu, I drive a clean 2012 Corolla, and I have zero debt. But according to her, that is "struggling." She said her elder sister married a man who was earning ₦150,000 in 2019, and today they are back in her father's house with two kids because inflation destroyed their marriage. She doesn't want to suffer. On one hand, I understand the fear. The economy is brutal. But on the other hand, love should be about partnership, not auditioning for a job. If she is setting a salary requirement now, what happens if I lose my job after marriage? Will she pack her bags? I have seen men who earned ₦50,000 in 2015 who are multimillionaires today. I have also seen men who earned ₦2 million monthly who are now broke. Nothing is guaranteed. My friends are divided. Some say I should run because she is materialistic. Others say she is being realistic and I should be grateful she is honest. Me, I am confused. Is love supposed to have a minimum wage requirement? Or have we normalized transactional relationships so much that we call it "standards"? If your partner gave you a financial benchmark before taking the next step, would you meet it or leave? Let's talk.
