US-based Nigerian actress Tawa Ajisefinni Ali has celebrated a significant family milestone, paying tribute to her mother on her 71st birthday. The Nollywood performer marked the occasion with a touching social media post featuring mother and daughter in coordinated pink traditional attire.
“This is 71 Alhamdulilah. Happy birthday to my dear mother,” wrote Ajisefinni in her Instagram announcement on March 5, 2025. The actress continued with a prayer-filled message that reflected her deep cultural and religious values: “Today, we celebrate one of Allah’s greatest creations. May Allah continue to cover you on your special day and beyond.
Her multilingual tribute incorporated traditional Yoruba blessings, “Emi yin a tunbo gun lola anobi Muhammad S.A.W,” before concluding with “Wishing you a fantastic birthday. HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO YOU GRANDMA ABDUL QAYYUM.” The reference to her mother as “Grandma Abdul Qayyum” highlights her new role as a grandmother to Ajisefinni’s infant son.
The celebration comes during what has proven to be a momentous period in the actress’s personal life. Ajisefinni and her husband welcomed their first child in 2024, marking a significant milestone that transformed the actress’s life after what she has described as a challenging journey to motherhood.
The transnational nature of the family’s connections was previously highlighted when Ajisefinni shared footage of her four-month-old son meeting his grandparents for the first time when they visited Nigeria. Despite residing overseas, the actress maintains strong ties to her Nigerian heritage and family connections, frequently documenting these relationships for her followers.
This latest celebration further illuminates the deep intergenerational bonds within the Ajisefinni family. Cultural observers note that in Nigerian society, such milestone birthdays carry particular significance, often involving extended family gatherings and traditional ceremonies that honor elders’ contributions to family stability and cultural continuity.
The pink matching outfits worn by mother and daughter in the birthday photo represent a common practice in Nigerian celebrations called “aso-ebi,” where family members wear coordinated fabrics to symbolize unity and solidarity during important occasions. This visual display of family cohesion resonated with Ajisefinni’s followers, many of whom commented with congratulatory messages and prayers for the septuagenarian.
Fellow Nollywood personalities joined fans in extending birthday wishes to Ajisefinni’s mother, demonstrating the interconnected nature of Nigeria’s entertainment community even across international boundaries. These professional connections remain important for diaspora Nigerian performers like Ajisefinni who balance careers between multiple countries.
The celebration takes on added poignancy given Ajisefinni’s previously shared struggles regarding her path to motherhood. In earlier social media posts, the actress revealed the emotional challenges she faced, including being “constantly trolled by many” and taunted with hurtful labels such as “barren woman” before conceiving her son.
Her candor about these difficulties resonated with many Nigerian women who face similar societal pressures regarding motherhood and fertility. In Nigerian culture, where children are highly valued and often considered essential to completed womanhood, Ajisefinni’s openness about her journey has been praised for helping destigmatize fertility challenges.
The actress has also been remarkably forthcoming about her pregnancy difficulties, revealing that “heartburn almost killed her” during her gestation period. Despite these challenges, she noted that she “could humble her pregnancy until a month before her delivery,” suggesting she kept news of her condition relatively private until near term.
This latest family celebration showcases the continuing evolution of Ajisefinni’s public persona from solely an entertainment figure to someone who shares meaningful family milestones with her audience. Media analysts note this transition reflects broader trends among Nigerian celebrities who increasingly share personal moments while maintaining boundaries around their most intimate experiences.
For diaspora Nigerians like Ajisefinni, such birthday celebrations also represent important connections to homeland traditions even while building lives abroad. The multilingual nature of her birthday message—incorporating English, Arabic expressions like “Alhamdulilah” (praise be to God), and Yoruba blessings—demonstrates the linguistic and cultural fluidity that characterizes many transnational Nigerian families.
Sociologists who study Nigerian diaspora communities point out that such celebrations serve multiple purposes beyond marking personal milestones. They reinforce cultural identity, strengthen family bonds across generations and geography, and provide opportunities for transmitting values and traditions to younger family members, including Ajisefinni’s infant son who represents the family’s newest generation.
As Ajisefinni balances her career in the competitive Nollywood industry with her roles as a mother and daughter, such celebrations offer glimpses into the multifaceted lives of Nigerian entertainment figures whose personal journeys often remain partially obscured behind public personas. Her willingness to share these family moments has helped cultivate a particularly loyal following who appreciate her authenticity.
The timing of this celebration, coming shortly after her son’s birth, underscores the significance of intergenerational connections in Nigerian family structures. Now herself a mother, Ajisefinni’s appreciation for her own mother appears heightened, reflecting a common experience among new parents who often develop deeper understanding of their parents after experiencing parenthood themselves.
As Grandma Abdul Qayyum enters her 72nd year surrounded by the love of her daughter and grandson, the celebration serves as a reminder of the enduring importance of family bonds that transcend both geography and generations in Nigerian culture.
