The week preceding the New Year, Ayodeji Richard Makun popularly called AY, Richard Mofe-Damijo that is better known as RMD, and Alibaba whose real name is Atunyota Alleluya Akpobome were trending for the right reasons. AY’s movie Christmas In Miami starring himself and RMD was the highest-grossing end-of-year movie. Alibaba’s New Year Comedy show was being promoted online and offline excellently. RMD was also trending for another good reason because of a post celebrating his 21st marriage anniversary with his wife – Jumobi Adegbesan. In this post, RMD acknowledged the sacrifice his wife made by putting her career and fame on hold to build a home. As I was thinking about the successes of these three Warri Boys, I realized that what they have achieved with their calling, aligns with what I consider as a life well-lived. They still have a lot of years ahead of them, but already these three Nigerian icons are iconic in the truest sense of that word.

AY, though the youngest of the three has achieved so much that I doubt if he saw these achievements he has achieved in his wildest imagination. As a moviemaker, he has Nigeria’s A-list actors and actresses in all his movies with some of the movies having Hollywood stars. All his movies, from 30 Days In Atlanta to his present Box Office hit have all been runaway successes even though some Nollywood actors and actresses still see him as just a comedian. Among RMD’s contemporaries, he is arguably the only one waxing stronger like a fine wine. If you come across the videos of the super successful and ground-breaking soap opera Ripples shot in the late 80s and other early movies of RMD, you will come to appreciate his longevity, discipline, and professionalism that is the hallmark of most greats. Alibaba has been rightly credited as the godfather of the Nigerian comedy industry that produced AY and other extremely talented Nigerian comedians like I Go Die, Basketmouth, and Helen Paul to mention a few. One surprising fact about AY is that RMD inspired him to further his education where he honed his skills, and he was mentored by Alibaba.

The most impressive thing about these Nigerian icons is that they are examples of what success truly means. I define success with three metrics – Fortune, Fame, and Family. The three have distinguished themselves as professionals in their respective callings and have made and are still making a lot of money. They have also inspired and continue to inspire the younger generating to be the best they can be in the entertainment industry. Divorce and unsuccessful marriages are like 5 and 6 for Nollywood stars and celebrities these days. But these three, have marriages that have endured decades of love and commitment. As we go into the days, weeks, and months of 2022, I suggest we redefine what success means to us, so that we can recalibrate our targets and expectations in life. If you are successful financially without successors who your fame has inspired, your success is not complete. If while pursuing your career, you neglected your marriage and it resulted in divorce, your success is incomplete. Life demands that we juggle many balls simultaneously. The good news is that we have the wherewithal to joggle the balls of fortune, fame, and family successfully.

Ata Ukuta, Editor – Towncryyers