Soyinka Taught Me Never to Be Late — RMD
Veteran Nollywood actor Richard Mofe-Damijo, popularly known as RMD, has opened up about the people who shaped his values, revealing that Nobel laureate Wole Soyinka played a major role in teaching him the importance of punctuality and professional discipline.
RMD made the revelation while speaking at a recent event, where he reflected on his upbringing, career and the lessons he learned from influential figures he encountered along the way.
According to RMD, one of the strongest influences on his character was his mother, who constantly reminded him of the responsibility that came with his identity and background.
He recalled that she repeatedly told him, “Don’t forget whose child you are.”
The actor said the statement stayed with him and helped him understand that people often represent more than themselves, whether they are representing their families, organisations or institutions.
RMD explained that the lesson became an important part of how he approaches both his personal and professional life.
RMD also credited literary giants Wole Soyinka and the late playwright J.P. Clark with reinforcing the values of discipline, punctuality and responsibility that he had learned earlier in life.
He recalled encountering J.P. Clark in 1984 while working as a resident actor at the J.K. Randle Centre, while he also had the opportunity to work with Soyinka as a director.
According to the veteran actor, Soyinka’s own commitment to time made a lasting impression on him.
RMD explained that if Soyinka scheduled a meeting or activity for 4pm, arriving at 3:30pm could still mean finding the literary icon already there.
That experience, he said, influenced his own attitude towards time.
For RMD, being punctual means arriving before the agreed time and being prepared rather than simply arriving at the exact appointed hour.
RMD said punctuality remains an important personal principle for him.
He explained that when someone asks him to be somewhere at 8am, he aims to arrive by 7:30am so that he is already prepared before the other person arrives.
The actor said the people he worked with early in his career demonstrated these values through their own conduct, making it easier for him to adopt the same professional culture.
He added that he hopes people who encounter him will also recognise the values they can learn from his own experience.
Beyond his acting career, RMD also reflected on his experience in public service, where he served in government for eight years.
He said the experience showed him that government has the potential to create positive change, but acknowledged that systems can sometimes make it difficult for people to maintain their values.
According to him, deeply rooted personal values matter when navigating institutions because individuals can otherwise be influenced by the system’s weaknesses.
RMD said his experience ultimately taught him that when someone cannot successfully change a system, it may be better to leave and build something new elsewhere.
RMD’s reflection ultimately centred on responsibility and representation.
He said people should constantly ask themselves what they carry within and what they represent at different stages of their lives.
For the veteran actor, the lessons from his mother, Soyinka, J.P. Clark and other mentors have become part of the values that continue to guide his career.
His remarks offer a glimpse into the discipline behind a career that has kept him prominent across Nigerian theatre, film and entertainment for decades.
