Nigerian parents are known for being very no-nonsense, that is a given. But there are times when they do show that they are our parents and that they care about us. In this piece, we spoke with 5 Nigerians on moments when their parents helped them out of the craziest situations.
Yes, we know it is not very common, but it is a possibility and the stories below confirm that.
Reyna, 24
About Nigerian parents showing up when it matters, when I was in 300 level, I met a really nice guy. He was God-fearing, caring, and most importantly, he had sense. At first, my relationship with the boy was smooth, and everything was going well, he was the perfect partner until he wasn’t. He started doing drugs and in time, I would occasionally join him. During our final year, I found out he had joined a fraternity. I talked to him about it but by then there was nothing I could do. He started threatening me, getting jealous, he would isolate me from my siblings, and was extremely violent. He even shot one of my male friends at that time. I didn’t know what else to do and at that time I was already giving my mom details of what happened. My mom was my best friend so she practically knew everything about me, I hardly left out any details of the things I told her.
At first, she didn’t know what to do and we couldn’t tell my father as it would get out of hand. But one morning, she showed up with his mom. We had an emergency family meeting. My mom was crying and begging on her knees with his mom, asking him to please leave me alone, that I had a better life ahead of me. And after a long time of that, he agreed to leave me alone, and that was the end of that part of my life.
Tinuke 23
It was in 2019 and I was doing badly in medical school. It affected my mental health and me very suicidal. My Nigerian parents sat me down and I told them I didn’t want to go back there. They agreed and my dad went back to my university to begin the process of my “dropping out” while my mum stayed with me throughout to ensure I didn’t do anything to myself. They had spent a lot of money they didn’t have to get me to that point, but they said they just wanted me alive. That break really helped me and it took a long time before I got my sanity back. It’s still a process, but I hit a benchmark in healing towards the end of 2019 and it has been slow but steady and upward since then.
Lola, 31
I had always been a very rebellious child growing up, but I am changed now, thank God. Thank God. When I was in my second year of university, and I was partying so much that I failed the entire semester. A friend had promised to hook me up with someone that could make change my grades for me and I was deceptively asking my dad for the cash. He kept asking what I needed the money for and after a while, he showed at my school and my dean told him everything. My father didn’t yell at me, he just called me, paid the school fees, bought me enough food, and hugged me goodbye. My G.P went from 2.1 to almost 4.
Akin, 35
In 2002, I was arrested by the police for running a police recruitment racket. I was detained for almost 3 weeks and interrogated to give up the names of the other guys that we were running it together but I refused. They refused to grant me bail and insisted that the matter will be charged to court. Even though my father was a senior police officer, he refused to intervene at first. He had always told us that if we ever got into trouble thinking he would bail us out because he was a police officer, he won’t do such. It was my mother that was running around trying to see all she could do. I spent the Christmas of that year in police detention.
My mother was able to talk to another senior officer that my father respected a lot who spoke to him and together he and the other office alongside my mum were able to get the officer in charge to drop the case against me and I was released and allowed to go home after 3 weeks in the police cell. I saw my father cry for the first time after I was released and I got home. That was the day I made a promise that I was never going to make my Nigerian parents cry because of me again. If they would ever cry, then it will be tears of joy. And that is how it has been since then.
Chidinma, 23
Sometime last year before the pandemic struck, I had just started a business and when the pandemic started, it ruined everything thereby forcing us to stay home. After four months of trying and failing to sell from home, I delved into another line of business but I had no capital to start. I really needed money and I couldn’t figure out how to get it. I was sceptical about telling my parents at first, but later, I told my mother about it (she does business too, so I needed advice and tips from her) and was prepared for the usual discouraging words. Surprisingly she was supportive and was happy about it. So I just opened up even further and told her the genesis of the whole business and the trouble I was facing. Some days later, she surprised me with an alert of 50k and also agreed to buy some of my wears for people so I could use that as a stepping stone(customer reviews) for my new business. That meant a lot to me and saved me from possible debts.
