Dakore Akande on Being A Wife, Mother and Actress

Nollywood actress, Dakore Egbuson-Akande has been married to Olumide Akande for several years and they had their baby two years ago. In a recent interview, she says she feels she's come into her own as a mother, but that it's enough of a job that she had to take time off from acting to really give her daughter the best at the early stages. Now back at work, Dakore shares some snippets from how it has been so far;


Now that Dakore has a baby girl, how many more kids is she planning to have?

I don’t know. I am just enjoying having a baby. She is just two years, so I am not in a hurry. God knows, my baby means the world to me. She inspires me to want to go back to work. I don’t mind if she ends up an actress tomorrow; she can do whatever she wants to do in life. I will only encourage her.

So tell me, what’s your beauty routine like?

Well I exercise, you know I also have to watch my diet as well as try to be happy at all times and my daughter keeps me happy.

Let’s not also ignore the fact that motherhood seems to fit you?

It’s amazing even me I’m in shock, it is like I feel more brighter, more relaxed in my own skin, I think being a mum did that for me.

What has motherhood taught you?

Self sacrifices, thinking about yourself the last because it’s all about my angel, my life.(laughs)

How old is your daughter now?

She is almost 2 and to see this helpless little baby now growing amazingly is so interesting. She has started talking gradually, she calls me mama. Though it`s very difficult, let me tell you it is not easy to be a mother.

But a lot of people who see you will think it is all easy especially because you are married to the son of a billionaire?

No, it is very difficult because I almost had to put Dakore the actor in a separate world, I had to put that on pause so I could focus on being a wife and a mum so now I’m coming back into the whole scene and I thank God for my fans who had been so supportive and patient and I really hope through me they will understand that a woman can have everything, but not at the same time.

Can you tell us one of your most recent movies now that you’re back?

One of my most recent movies is titled “Journey to Self” it was at the cinema, it had Ashionye, Nse Ikpe, Chris Attor, Femi Jacob and so on, unfortunately it didn’t run as long as I would have liked and of course it didn’t come out at the time it should have, there was a little problem with that and I shot another movie in Cameroon and that should come out in September 2013. Then I’m supposed to go on set again in less than two weeks from now God willing.

That means your husband is not telling you not to act anymore?

No! He never did.

A lot of your fans were misinformed, they did say it wasn’t just your husband, but your father in law as well, how true is that?

You know what, I’m hurt because I’m also a journalist, I studied journalism at the University of Lagos (Mass Communications) so I know what I’m supposed to do if you hear a rumour or have a story. All you journalists needed to do was call me and say Dakore please can you clarify this story about you, but nobody reached me, nobody did that , if anyone did, I will gladly answer, but everyone had the idea already, that it’s over for her.


But we heard it was part of the terms your father in-law gave if you must marry his son?

Were they there? (General laughter) Did my father in-law stand here, and they were there when he made the declaration? Can they tell us what we were wearing that day and he told me that if you want to marry my son you must quit acting, I will run the other way if that was the case, so I just kept quiet because there is no way I could reach everybody to explain to them, it`s totally false and has no iota of truth.

When you and your husband heard the rumour what were your reactions?

It was very hurtful because he was even like ‘Dear did you ever say that?’ I said no they just said it so I felt really bad because I thought of how many people am I going to explain to, so I just decided instead of talking the talk, let me work the work and just do the work. The truth is I’m not gone. I’m still acting but can’t be running on set with a little baby as at that time because she was still growing and needed my full attention and care.

Will you still take kissing roles?

I have to consider my husband before taking any role these days. I will not do romantic roles as I used to back in the day. Though, if I get a role that is good and positive, maybe I could act. I am now a new Dakore and not the old Dakore people used to know because I am coming into a new era in my career. I am now a mother and a wife. I just have to be more discerning about them

But between us don’t you feel threatened by the new emergence in Nollywood?

Why should I? The truth I can’t be threatened by any new faces regardless because I am Dakore and unique in my own way so also are they. And we should be happy for them because we need new faces too to grow, it can’t in anyway affect my market value because everyone has gotten their style.

Can we have full insight into your educational background?

I went to Corona School, Gbagada, Lagos one of the best schools in Nigeria which I am very proud of. It was at Corona that I discovered my talents. I always loved to act, dance and sing. I was a member of the choir and was everywhere doing something. I got a lot of time to express myself artistically. After my primary education at Corona, I proceeded to the Federal Government Girls' College, Bauchi. I was very adventurous as a child. I was very independent. I wanted to see the world and it was my first time being away from home on my own. It was a fantastic experience even though I was the youngest in the class and some students used to bully me. But it was fun because it was an eye opening experience. I got to meet a lot of students from all over Nigeria. You know before my sojourn in Bauchi I used to meet students from either Lagos or Ogun. But here were students from Gongola, Kaduna, Bauchi and so on. I had a wonderful experience. I finished from FGGC Bauchi and moved to the University of Lagos for a diploma programme and later went for a degree in Mass Communication.

How is your husband coping now that you are back?
He is doing very well. I must commend him. He understands the nature of my job and he has been very supportive, he is my greatest fan ever. My husband is a very confident man and he understands it’s my job so he is not jealous that I am in the limelight.

Source