How did you meet your wife?
Her dad has a house in a particular location, and I rented a house there, too. I met her brother first, who wanted to be an actor. He came to me and shared his intention, and I promised to visit his home.
I went to his house and saw her, and we thank God today. There’s a saying that you’ll know when you meet your future partner. When I met her, it was love at first sight, even though we had to communicate for a while before we finally got married.
What makes you want to come back home every day?
My wife is a good cook. She cooks fantastic meals. My children are also one of the reasons I want to come home. My children are my friends.
What is the most challenging thing for you about being a dad?
The most challenging thing about being a dad is that you have to be a mini-god to your children; you have to be there to provide and care for them. You have to be there for them in all areas of life. It is not easy to be a dad at all, especially in this country. Even if you are on your own, struggling to make ends meet and living your life, the moment you start having kids, you would have no other choice but to double your hustle to be able to meet up with all the responsibilities that come with this new status.
When did you decide to become a father and what was the motivation?
I decided to become a dad when I lost my grandfather and there was no GSM then. I remember my dad came to Lagos then and told me that we had to go for my grandfather’s burial. The day my dad visited me with the news of my grandfather’s demise, my friend, Kunle Ramon Adewuyi, popularly known as Poster, had his first child’s christening. My dad knew about this.
After the funeral, my dad came to Lagos to appreciate those who came with me. He called my friends and asked them why they were not talking to me and also asked them to ‘do something about his life’ (laughs). He left. Then, tragedy struck. Three days later, I was greeted with the news that my dad had passed on. All I thought of was his last words to me, “Afod, do something with your life.” I told myself, “Afod, this man wanted you to be a father, to be more responsible in life.” So, I immediately started planning about how to become a dad.
When did you meet your wife and how long after did you have your first child?
My first child is over 19 years old now. There was nothing to waste time on then. I started planning of having kids immediately. You know when you consciously make a plan, it starts working immediately. When you don’t have a concrete plan, unserious girls will come around to tell you they want to be with you and date you. Once you tell them, ‘What I want is a wife, not a girlfriend,’ some would start giving excuses. But 18 years ago, God decided the time was ripe enough to have my first child.
How do you balance work with family life being a very busy actor?
There used to be a time when most of my work was around my environment. Sometimes, the sets are along my streets or very close to my house, but these days, I go out often. But I make sure we talk on live videos. When I go out for two weeks, I come back and spend like two weeks with them. I have been home for like four days now, but I will be leaving soon for a set. I schedule myself and I don’t compromise my time for anything. Even if the work is going to be bringing in millions, I try to make sure my family does not suffer.