Before the advent of western education, there was nothing like Mr and Mrs in Africa. The idea of a woman answering her husband’s name came from the West. Does that mean that it is not entirely African? NO! those days, a woman was known and called say Ajoke aya Ojo (Ajoke, wife of Ojo) nothing like Mrs. Ojo. That’s why we had Madam Tinubu, Efunsetan Aniwura, Moremi etc answered their maiden names all their lives.
Since Culture is not static, culture is dynamic. The idea of a woman answering her husband name fit into our culture and enhances the dignity of a woman. Those days, it was a pride of a woman to be called Olufunke iyawo Akande as against mere Olufunke.
The Chiamanda’s plea to be called Ms has nothing to do with culture but ego in my opinion. Two things happen if a lady decides to hold on to her maiden name after marriage. The first is if her parent has no male child to continue answering the name after the parent. In this case, either the parent or the bride begs the husband to retain her maiden name or add it to the husband’s name. The second is when the parent of the bride is extremely power and influential like Iyabo Obasanjo-Bello. The third is if the wife has made name for herself before marriage.
Now the question is; would Chiamanda retain her maiden name if she were not the ‘great’ Chiamanda we know today and she’s married to Obama?
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