Veteran Nollywood actor Pete Edochie has underscored the value of African traditions in sustaining long-term marriages, arguing that Nigerians and other Africans have important lessons to teach the Western world about commitment and marital success.
Speaking in an interview on Afia TV, Edochie—who has been married for 56 years—credited the longevity of his marriage to traditional African values. He criticized certain Western customs, particularly the practice of kneeling to propose, describing it as culturally alien and symbolically flawed.
“In church, you kneel before a superior spiritual entity. So if you kneel to a woman, you’re acknowledging her superiority,” he said. “It has destroyed the white people—they don’t know it.”
Edochie further explained that kneeling is not part of African marital tradition, and adopting such customs should not come at the expense of indigenous culture. “Culture is eclectic. In its dynamism, it grows. You adapt and you adopt, but there are aspects you can clip off. Adoption shouldn’t mean abandoning your own identity,” he noted.
He also expressed concern about the decline of marital commitment in Western societies, pointing to rising divorce rates and what he sees as a general lack of regard for the sanctity of marriage.
Edochie’s remarks reignite the ongoing conversation around cultural preservation, modernization, and the importance of understanding the deeper meanings behind the traditions we choose to adopt.
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“I have been married for the past 56 years, there is no actor in Hollywood who has my record, nor in Nollywood. Something that we can teach the white man is how to get married and keep their marriages. They don’t appreciate the sanctity of marriage and it doesn’t mean anything to them, it’s nonsensical”, he said.
However, he highlighted the importance of respecting traditional values and cultural heritage in building strong, lasting marriages.
As a self-proclaimed custodian of Igbo culture, Edochie emphasised the need to preserve and promote African values, even as the culture evolves and adapts to modern influences.
“I am being seen as a custodian, an uncompromising custodian of our culture. When I said you shouldn’t kneel down and give rings to women, it caused a bit of bad backlash. Most of those people raised their voices at me but I wasn’t angry because revolutionaries don’t get appreciated”, he said.
