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By Dada Ahmed.
(C) Google/ Shutters Stock.
The dialogue between a mother and her daughter did not attract widespread public attention, yet it speaks profoundly to the often-unseen pain and sacrifices parents,especially mothers endure in nurturing children towards responsible adulthood.
After all, the hope of responsible parents is that the children they have laboured tirelessly to train in all ramifications will ultimately make meaningful contributions to the development of every facet of an organised society.
This thought resonated with me recently at Zuba Motor Park, where I boarded a vehicle en route to Lokoja and observed a mother engaged in an intimate dialogue with her daughter.
A woman in her mid-50s personally escorted her daughter, a student of the Federal University, Lokoja, to the Zuba Motor Park to board a commercial vehicle back to Federal University, Lokoja, marking the end of the Christmas and New Year festivities and the return to academic life.
Shortly after securing a vehicle bound for Lokoja and while waiting for the driver to gather the required number of passengers for the over 200-kilometre journey, the mother seized the opportunity to engage her daughter in a heartfelt, instructive conversation.
Initially, the mother began the dialogue with pleasant reflections on the concluded Christmas and New Year festivities, but it gradually snowballed into a deeper, more advisory discussion.
“Let me use this opportunity once again to advise you on how to live a peaceful and purposeful life in the university.
“Focus squarely on your studies so that you can come out with flying colours at the end of your programme. Be mindful of the friends you keep,remember the family you come from and the values you represent. Choose friends who add meaning to your life and whose lives you can also positively influence.
“Do not eat food from or share your secret with people whose background you do not know. Exchange ideas with your trusted friends on how to promote unity in Nigeria and how young people like you can help proffer solutions to the many challenges facing the country. Above all, build friendships around your studies,friends you can read with, grow with, and maintain lasting relationships with and above all,be steadfast in your relationship with God by being prayerful for His protection and blessing,”the mother said softly.
The gentle but firm counsel went on for nearly an hour, punctuated by nods from the daughter.
By the time the driver had gathered the required passengers, the lesson had been fully delivered. At about 2:30 p.m., the vehicle finally pulled out of Zuba Motor Park, heading for Lokoja,carrying not just passengers who arrived their destination safely at 5.30 p.m,but a mother’s hopes and carefully chosen words for her child’s future.
The simple scene at the motor park reflects the role of parents as first teachers in shaping the character and disposition of their children, long before they encounter the wider society, to nurture responsible future leaders capable of making Nigeria great across the social, economic, and political spheres.
It must be stressed that in many societies, the foundations of peace and development are laid not in conference rooms or policy documents, but in quiet, everyday conversations within the family. The bond between a mother and her daughter is one of the most influential of these relationships. Through words, example, and emotional connection, mothers often become the first teachers, counsellors, and moral guides their daughters encounter.
However, this is not to discount the vital role of the father in the overall management of the family.
Suffice to say that these early interactions between mothers and daughters,subtly but powerfully, has the capacity to shape attitudes toward life, relationships, and responsibility to the wider community.
Experts in family management believe that a strong mother,daughter relationship nurtures values such as empathy, discipline, respect, and self-worth. When a mother listens, advises, and guides with patience, she equips her daughter with the emotional intelligence needed to resolve conflicts peacefully and make thoughtful decisions. Such daughters are more likely to approach challenges with calmness rather than aggression, dialogue rather than confrontation. In this way, the seeds of peace are sown early, long before the individual takes her place in the larger society.
Beyond personal conduct, this bond also influences civic consciousness and social responsibility. Mothers who engage their daughters in discussions about education, friendship, national unity, and service to others raise young women who think beyond themselves. These daughters grow up with an understanding that their actions matter, that their voices count, and that they have a role to play in addressing societal challenges. From classrooms to workplaces and communities, they carry forward values that promote cooperation, inclusion, and national cohesion.
Strong mother–daughter bonds also have long-term developmental implications. Educated, confident, and well-guided daughters are more likely to excel academically, participate productively in the economy, and contribute positively to social and political life. As women raise families of their own, they pass on the same values to the next generation, creating a ripple effect of stability, responsibility, and progress of any society. Development, therefore, becomes sustainable because it is rooted in character, not just infrastructure.
Ultimately, building a peaceful and developed society begins at home. When mothers intentionally invest time, wisdom, and love in their daughters, they are not only shaping individual futures but also strengthening the moral fabric of the nation. In recognising and supporting this vital relationship, society acknowledges a simple truth: lasting peace and development are nurtured first in the hearts and homes of families, one mother–daughter conversation at a time.
This is a gap present in many Nigerian homes, and the urgency of addressing it cannot be overemphasized.
It is high time that mothers in Nigeria and elsewhere in the world,reading this article to join this committed woman in her patriotic effort to address youth-related challenges and promote peace and development in the country and globally.
Ahmed publishes The Reporters.
