My mother is everything good, strong, sacrificial, a prayer warrior and tireless cook but I cannot marry someone like her – Nigerian man says as he celebrates his mother on her birthday

Nigerian cinematographer, Joshua Akinkunmi Akinbode, has explained why he would not marry a woman like his mother despite admiring her deeply.

In a birthday tribute on September 29, 2025, Akinbode praised his mother as a phenomenal woman, prayer warrior, and tireless cook, noting her sacrifices and strength.

He clarified, however, that his stance is not out of disrespect but an acknowledgment that marriage today goes beyond cooking and providing food, requiring emotional vulnerability, deep conversations, and true partnership.

“I CANNOT MARRY SOMEONE LIKE MY MOTHER” It is not a statement of disrespect, but of deep reflection. My mother is a phenomenal woman. I can never deny that. She is a prayer warrior whose words shake the heavens. She is a tireless cook, a daily provider of meals that nourished not just the body but the heart,” he wrote.

“A woman whose hands scrubbed clothes with love, whose faith clung to the gathering of saints, and whose voice in prayer became the shield of her children. I remember once threatening my lecturer with nothing but the weight of my mother’s prayers and it was not an empty threat, because I knew what her fire could do. My mother is everything good, everything strong, everything sacrificial. Yet! I cannot marry someone like her.

“Not because she is lacking, but because the world has shifted. Evolution has taken place, and with it, the way we love, communicate, and build homes. Today, marriages are not only held by food on the table or the labour of hands that never rest, but also by deep conversations, emotional vulnerability, and partnerships rooted in shared growth.

“My mother’s sacrifices built me, but my partner’s companionship must shape me; My mother prayed for me, but my partner must reason with me, challenge me, and walk alongside me in dialogue as much as devotion. The love I seek is not a replica of my mother’s strength, but a redefinition of it; a love where two people meet in honesty, evolution, and shared humanity.

“Yet, in all this, one truth remains unshaken: my mother is irreplaceable. She is the root from which my life draws strength, the voice that taught me faith, and the heart that taught me sacrifice.

“So today, as we celebrate her birthday, I lift my heart in gratitude. MUMMY, may your days be filled with the same joy you have poured into ours. May your laughter grow louder, your strength grow deeper, and your prayers continue to light our path. Happy Birthday to the woman who is not just my mother but my forever blessing. HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO YOU MUMMY. LONG MAY YOU LIVE.”