Last year, Nigerian oil mogul Chief Jite Odeworitse Tesigimoje set tongues wagging after marrying his 19th wife in an extravagant ceremony. The 43-year-old CEO of GIM Brown Marine Security Oil and Gas Limited is the new face of modern African polygamy, minus the popular Instagram “feral throuple. “If you know, you know.
In an interview with The Nation, the Delta State billionaire said his marital choices were a form of cultural resistance. Tesigimoje argued that the Western standard of monogamy often hides a reality of lies and cheating. It seems once he likes a woman, he simply marries her. 
“Colonialists told us monogamy is the best way of life, yet those same people are caught daily in scandals,” Tesigimoje said. “Why sneak around? Why live in lies?” For him, polygamy is not just a lifestyle but a more honourable path than “deceiving several women” outside of marriage.
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The Tesigimoje Household
He describes his household as a “microcosm of Nigeria”. His wives are drawn from all of the country’s major ethnic groups, including:
- Igbo
- Yoruba
- Fulani
- Itsekiri (his own ethnic group)
He is truly a man of the people.
The logistics of a mega-household polygamy are not for the broke and poor. The chief warns that it is not for everyone. He maintains that a peaceful polygamous home requires two things: money and intelligence.
To sustain peace among his 19 wives, Tesigimoje adheres to a strict code of provision and absolute fairness:
- Luxury: Each wife in Lagos resides in her own five-bedroom home.
- Allowances: Every wife receives a substantial monthly stipend to maintain her lifestyle.
- Equity: “Once I do something for one wife, all of them must get the same treatment,” he opined.
The Road to Twenty
While polygamy is common in parts of Africa, the scale of Tesigimoje’s family is exceptionally rare in the 21st century. Although he keeps the exact number of his children private for cultural reasons, he has said that a 20th wife may soon join their household. What a lucky woman she would be.
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