‘In Her Mother’s Steps’ With Temidayo Abudu and Sonia Irabor

The influence of a mother on her children is beyond calculation- James Faust

Truer words have not been said.

As we celebrated Mother’s day yesterday, we decided to catch up with the daughters of two tremendously successful women who have left and continue to leave their mark in Africa.

On one end of the spectrum is Mosunmola Abudu, fondly referred to as Mo Abudu; she is the first African woman to own a Pan-Africa TV channel that airs in more than 49 countries in Africa as well as in the UK and the Caribbean. In 2015, she made the list of Forbes’ most successful women in Africa and in 2016, she made history yet again, with the production of Nigeria’s highest grossing film ever recorded, The Wedding Party.

On the other end, we have yet another remarkable woman whose giant strides have been made in the world of publishing; honored by the Association of professional women bankers as the most successful woman in publishing, she is the Editor-In-Chief and Chief Executive Officer of Nigeria’s foremost women’s lifestyle magazine,  Genevieve.  Her work is not only spoken of in the world of publishing but she continues to make great social impact through her foundation, Genevieve foundation which focuses on fund-raising for women struggling with breast cancer.

Although we celebrate their achievements; one thing these two women seem to have in common is their ability to have raised two equally powerful women. These women are trail blazers in their own rights who despite seemingly following in their mother’s footsteps are walking in different heels altogether.

I caught up with Sonia Irabor, the quiet yet, assertive writer whose interests vary from painting to surfing; Her love for reading comes through in her way with words and her ability to articulately communicate. A great advantage for her role as Editor of Genevieve Magazine.  In this interview, she represents herself in a way that reads as one who is incredibly mature and fully comfortabe in their own skin. I find that this might perhaps be one of her greatest strengths.

Temidayo Abudu on the other hand, came across as having a zest for life; quite in line with her job as producer on Ebony Life TV.  There were no airs to her and although she hinted at being as tough as nails, in the same breadth, there was something sweet about this young woman. In this interview, she is quick to mention that she and her mother are not as similar as one would think, she mentions that over time, they have grown to embrace their differences and it has made for a solid relationship and a unique leveraging of their strengths.

These millennial young women are a representation of a generation of women who are starting to truly embrace their unique personalities outside of the expectations of society. Their privileged background, a thing of which they don’t pretend to be unaware, has not encouraged them to conform. If anything, it brings their uniqueness furthermore to the forefront.

SONIA IRABOR

1. Describe your style when no one is looking

My style when no one’s looking, is pretty much the same as when people are looking: comfort first. I like to describe my style as “Nepa took light before I could decide what to wear so I just grabbed the closest thing to me and threw it on.”

Peculiar things about my childhood: I used to be a very serious Pokemon card dealer in primary school.

2. What are three things that most people would be surprised to know about you?

• I play the electric and acoustic ukulele
  
• I started to learn how to surf but my irrational fear of the ocean ensured that I only made it to a handful of lessons. I will return to it eventually.
  
• I co-wrote the Red TV comedy series, Inspector K, and did a bit of acting in the first season. The second season is coming out later this year.

3. You’ve always been quite staunch about staying out of the public eye. I see that you’ve dabbled in movies and are gradually coming out of your shell. What changed?

I like to occupy spaces I feel comfortable in. Also work can be very demanding and that takes up a great amount of time and leaves little energy for much else.

4. What inspired your decision to follow in your mother’s footsteps?

Before I became editor of the magazine, I was a PR professional, ghostwriter and actress in England, while contributing to Genevieve as a columnist and UK correspondent . And now, I am all those things as well as the editor of the magazine. The latter was not a specific decision or long-term goal of mine but I am as open and receptive to it, and excited for it, as I have been with my other passions.

What I appreciate is that my mother’s passion is hers, and it has not in any way been forced upon me. So I’m marching to my own beat but there is interestingly and excitingly that crossover on my journey.

     5. Are you ever frightened that you have some big shoes to fill? (If yes, how do you cope? If not, how so?)

I once said that “my mother’s shoes are not mine to fill.” I still maintain that. I am instead carving my own path and working to build my own legacy at my pace. I am therefore not frightened by that prospect. I am excited about my personal journey, it’s looking good so far.

• I’m a cry baby, I could cry at the drop of a hat if I feel attacked.
• I love reality TV. The ghetto ratchet types are my favourites. It’s really about the people!
• Usually hate wearing earrings. Something a lot of women in Nigeria always question.

Well I don’t think I’m frightened, I’m more scared to be in my mother’s shadow. I very much want to be recognised for my own contributions and achievements, not for being Mo Abudu’s daughter.

One thing that remains clear from both ladies is that although they walk a path previously tread upon by their dynamic mothers; they’re looking to define their own status quo. Make no mistakes, they’re equally doing so unapologetically. They are afterall, their mother’s daughters.