It’s ‘un-African’ to beat your child – Seun Kuti reflects on his childhood

Nigerian Afrobeat musician, Seun Kuti, has said that child battery is not part of the African culture.

The Egypt 80 band leader said this in a video addressing the public on his Instagram page.

The 41-year-old alumnus of the Liverpool Institute for Performing Arts went down memory lane, recollecting how his father, Fela Kuti, would issue a warning letter to his headmistress in primary school and principal in secondary school against him being flogged by any teacher.

He mentioned that he appreciates his father for that singular act.

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He said,

As a product of the Nigerian educational system, I almost experienced being flogged at school.

That’s the one thing I like my father for. So when I was going to school, my father always gave me a letter on the first day of school.

In primary school, the letter was addressed to my headmistress. In secondary school, it was to my principal.

The letter always read, “Nobody should touch my child.” “If he has done anything wrong, report him at home. I will punish him myself.”

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Seun then recalled the day one of the teachers disregarded the warning.

One teacher tried himself one day. I didn’t even like the said teacher. The speed with which I reported him at home, he went through a lot after that day.

He continued,

It’s ‘un-African’ to beat your child. I know that some of us have been indoctrinated to believe that African parents beat their children; no. African people were being beaten; it’s not the other way around.