Shade Okoya tied the knot with billionaire industrialist Razaq Okoya at the age of 21, while he was reportedly 59 years old.
Now, they are marking 25 years of marriage and reflecting on their enduring love over more than two decades in a recent interview with This Day Style.
Shade shared her thoughts on their significant age-gap relationship and the lessons she’s gained from being married to him.
When discussing what she believes has sustained their marriage over the years, Shade Okoya remarked:
SHADE OKOYA: I give all the glory to Allah the Almighty for the grace to be married to my husband, and I’ve committed my marriage from the very beginning to His will. With God as the foundation, it has been good. The importance of compromise and, above all, patience cannot be understated; every single day, patience must be put into practice. My husband has a broad range of experience, and in respect to this, I have learned not to be in a hurry to respond during any disagreements we have; rather, I listen carefully to be sure I properly understand his point. This way, I find myself learning from him while recognising my own mistakes. A strong determination to succeed in my marriage has always been a priority for me, and patience and humility have seen me through to date. I see my husband not just as my lover but as a friend and role model. I believe his love for me and his protection of me have also really helped our marriage.
Reflecting on marrying him amid significant criticism when he was in his 50s and elucidating what continues to make her cherish him, she stated:
SHADE OKOYA: I have always loved the fact that he is a very intentional, tena- cious, mature, and generous man. Up until now, everyone who knows my husband has said these qualities are true about him, and they are still very much there. This is one of the major things I have loved and still love about him. He has also always been very caring and hardworking, always finding things to do to keep himself occupied.
When discussing her perspective on the cornerstone of a strong marriage and offering advice for those considering marriage, she shared:
SHADE OKOYA: I don’t believe there is a particular formula for a successful marriage. It takes two hands to clap, so two people love each other enough to come together as husband and wife. I know love, trust, and respect are incredibly important as the foundation for any strong marriage. But in my case, I believe, apart from that, I have been able to add not just value to my husband but to the marriage by giving my very best. Being married to a man like him, I need God’s wisdom every day to hold the house and business together firmly.
Put God first in everything you do. Learn to pray together, because a couple that prays together stays together. They must be good friends and be able to sustain their marriage by enjoying being in each other’s company and loving each other sincerely. Consider- ing that I married a much older man, I have had to remember to be respectful and loyal at all times without obviously losing my identity. I have to make sure he is assured that I am fully committed to him the way he is committed to me.
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