What a fortunate artist Burna Boy is to have such a remarkable woman as his mother and manager. Few can match the unwavering support and presence she provides in his life. The closest parallel that comes to mind is Fela’s mother, though she was not his manager. Fela Anikulapo- Kuti was the irreverent Afro music exponent – the torn in the flesh of Nigerian dictators and big men. Funmilayo, his mum kept him fiercely under her protective wings, standing by him through his wild years—until tragedy struck. When Kalakuta was set ablaze by the army, she was mortally wounded, a sacrifice born of defiant love for her son.
Mothers possess a rare strength—the capacity to endure, forgive, and stand by their children in ways few can understand. Fela’s upbringing was unconventional, his rebellious streak obvious from an early age. Yet his mother never gave up on him. Which father would tolerate a son who, as a teenager, founded a so-called “Planless Society”? She saw in him a greatness others couldn’t, holding on to a faith in his potential long before it was evident to the world. He was her favorite, not out of indulgence, but from a place of deep belief in who he could become.
I know a family of seven, all highly accomplished in their fields. Yet the one among them who turned out vagrant and footloose was the most loved and protected by their mother. It’s a pattern as old as time—mothers, in their boundless compassion, will leave the flock to search for the lost ones, hoping to bring them home, no matter the cost.
Fathers often don’t share such patience. To them, you either shape in or ship out.
Give it to mothers—they love in ways the world rarely understands.
— Babafemi Ojudu
Madukwe B. Nwabuisi is an accomplished journalist renown for his fearless reporting style and extensive expertise in the field. He is an investigative journalist, who has established himself as a kamikaze reporter.