Veteran Nollywood actress Patience Ozokwo, popularly known as “Mama G,” has offered a powerful piece of parenting advice: allow your children to struggle. Speaking from her personal journey of hardship and resilience, the iconic actress urged parents to let their children face challenges to build the character necessary for future success.
Ozokwo shared her story in a recent interview, revealing that her own path to stardom was far from easy. She recounted hawking puff-puff and fried chicken at audition venues to make ends meet during her early days in the industry. Her first movie role paid just ₦2,000, a humble beginning for an actress who would become one of Nollywood’s most recognizable faces.
“I really struggled to get to where I am today; it wasn’t flowery,” Ozokwo stated. “My life is full of spirituality, deep prayer. When others are sleeping, I am praying.” She emphasized that these formative struggles, coupled with a period when her husband suffered from a severe combination of diabetes and hypertension, shaped her family’s resilience
The actress explained that even her children were not shielded from these difficulties. During the family’s most trying times, her children grew old enough to contribute to the running of the household.
“They took care of the house. They too went through that. That is why they are doing well now,” she said.
Ozokwo’s advice challenges the modern trend of shielding children from adversity. She explained that her willingness to work hard and fend for herself was a resilience developed from a young age, one that ultimately paved the way for her success.
In her interview, Ozokwo also spoke about her marriage, noting that she never pressured her husband for a lavish lifestyle or compared him to other men. “I buttoned up and tightened my belt, and I struggled,” she recalled, adding that this mutual effort and understanding helped her family navigate their hardships.