Dear Nigerian Parents

Can I have your attention please. From my observation, many of you spent a reasonable amount of time before your TV set yesterday, watching Princess Diana's last son break such age long barriers by taking a biracial American divorcee to the altar. I want to ask you this rhetorical question and be honest to yourself "Wouldn't you have been so honoured to have your daughter hold the world from spinning with all that majesty in one wedding?".

I watched the video of one of you parents praying for the newly wedded Duke and Duchess before the TV set, but I wondered if you prayed for your daughters and sons, to defy stereotypes and biracial barriers like Meghan and Harry did?

I hope your intense admiration for the beauty of their love, made you realize how badly you must have offended and frustrated your own children and that of your friends and family, each time they made known their intentions of marrying a man or a woman from another tribe or race, or one who is probably older or younger (depending on the sex). Some of you would not even bear the thought of your children marrying a widow or widower, yet you are all grinning cheek to cheek about Harry marrying a divorcee. Who is deceiving who?

I have always maintained that parental tribal/racial bias and other stereotypes only surface when the union will not serve some of their selfish and personal interest and many of you proved me right yesterday. You tell your daughters not to marry an hausa man, and warn your sons not to bring an igbo woman home, but you are all over the place gushing about Harry and Meghan. So good thing dey sweet una like this? But an Anambra lady would be given a thousand and one reason why she should not bring home an Enugu man, reasons can be as petty as that Enugu and Anambra link-roads are bad.

With the way you all and the rest of world are giving a standing ovation to the Duke and his Duchess, I am simply wondering if race/tribe and the rest of the stereotypes fade away in the face of fame, wealth, power and royalty. I am just wondering.

Dear young woman/man, do not let anyone discourage you from following your heart because of tribal bias and the other stereotypes. So long as the union you seek is within the acceptable boundaries of God's Word, wait if you have to wait, fight for it if you would have to do so, but whatever you do, do not be dissuaded from following after your heart.