Lagos: Nigerian entrepreneur and media personality Bunmi George, known as JBums, has candidly discussed how she and her husband navigated a challenging chapter in their marriage following his job loss as a pilot for nearly a year. JBums shared their story during a recent episode of the Dear Ife Series podcast, detailing the financial adjustments and personal sacrifices made to maintain stability.
According to Ghana Web, JBums' husband was unemployed for 11 months, prompting necessary financial decisions for the family. Bunmi recounted that her husband, who has a deep passion for flying, convened a family meeting shortly after losing his job to propose significant cuts to their household expenses.
"My husband was out of a job for 11 months. Anyone who is married to a pilot would know that a pilot is in love with his job. He loved being in the air," she mentioned. Despite initial resistance, JBums' husband suggested selling one of their two cars and reducing their domestic staff from four to two, emphasizing the importance of these changes due to their single-income situation.
JBums highlighted that her husband not only suggested these measures but also demonstrated leadership by taking on additional household responsibilities. "He had to then take up a lot of responsibilities around the house, and he was willing to do it. He just didn't say what we're going to do. He led by example and he showed me how we were going to do it," she stated.
In an unexpected turn, her husband joined her company as an employee, where he earned a salary and occasionally handled deliveries. JBums expressed admiration for his humility during this period. "One thing that baffled people's brains is that he actually came to work in my company. He used to come to the office, and he was earning a salary. Sometimes, he would have to go and do deliveries. I felt like that was humility," she shared.
Despite becoming the family's primary breadwinner, JBums was intentional about maintaining respect for her husband, emphasizing that leadership in marriage is not income-dependent. She noted that the experience ultimately strengthened their relationship.
"I had to be extra careful, not because he had an issue with working with me, but I wanted to make sure that I still honoured him in that time. I believe that my husband is a leader and leadership is not about how much money you make. I still gave him that respect and, in those times, I was very careful with what I would do and say. We went through that and it drew us even closer," she added.