RMD says Wole Soyinka taught him punctuality through example, but the veteran actor’s latest reflection shows that the lesson was part of a wider discipline he developed through the people he encountered during his career.
Richard Mofe-Damijo, popularly known as RMD, spoke about the values that have guided him through life and his career in remarks reported on Friday, October 3, 2026, recalling the influence of his mother, Nobel laureate Wole Soyinka and renowned poet J.P. Clark.
For RMD, punctuality is not simply about arriving at a location on time. It is tied to preparation, responsibility and respect for other people’s time.
RMD recalls Soyinka’s punctuality lesson
RMD explained that he was fortunate to have been trained by people who took discipline, punctuality and responsibility seriously.
He singled out Soyinka as one of the people who left a lasting impression on him.
According to the actor, if Soyinka told someone to arrive at 4 p.m., arriving at 3:30 p.m. would not necessarily mean being early enough to beat him to the venue.
“If he says 4pm and you get there at 3:30pm, he is already there,” RMD recalled.
That experience helped shape RMD’s own attitude towards time.
The actor explained that if someone asks him to be somewhere at 8 a.m., he believes he should aim to arrive around 7:30 a.m. That way, he is already present and prepared when the person who invited him arrives.
It is a simple rule, but RMD’s account shows that the lesson came from watching someone who practised the standard himself.
How Soyinka’s lesson affected RMD’s career
RMD has told a similar story before, giving more detail about how punctuality affected an important moment in his early acting career.
In a 2020 interview, he recalled being told to meet Soyinka in Abeokuta at 4 p.m. for an audition. Rather than arriving close to the agreed time, RMD said he left Lagos around noon and reached Abeokuta at about 2 p.m.
Soyinka eventually came out of his office before the scheduled appointment and saw RMD waiting. When the agreed 4 p.m. time arrived, RMD went into the office for the audition.
According to the actor, Soyinka later told him that the time he showed up had impressed him.
That earlier account gives context to the lesson RMD is now recalling. His punctuality was not merely a personal habit; on that occasion, it became part of how he was perceived professionally.
RMD has also previously stressed the importance of discipline and self-management in the entertainment industry, saying talent alone is not enough if an actor cannot manage himself.
J.P. Clark and other influences on RMD
Soyinka was not the only person RMD credited with shaping his values.
The actor recalled encountering J.P. Clark in 1984 while working as a resident actor at the J.K. Randle Hall. He also referred to the training he received in school and from other people he had the opportunity to work with.
RMD said those experiences taught him the importance of discipline, punctuality and responsibility.
His comments place his early theatre experience in a period when he was being exposed to established figures in Nigeria’s literary and performing arts circles.
His connection with Soyinka also extended beyond the punctuality lesson. RMD worked with the Nobel laureate as a director and was involved in Soyinka’s stage production From Zia, With Love.
The values RMD learned from his mother
RMD also linked his sense of responsibility to lessons from his mother.
He recalled being deeply attached to her while growing up and said she repeatedly reminded him of where he came from and the responsibility that came with it.
That message stayed with him.
RMD explained that people represent different families, institutions and communities at different stages of their lives. For him, that means personal conduct can reflect on something larger than the individual.
The idea connects with the professional discipline he later developed through his experiences with people such as Soyinka and J.P. Clark.
Rather than treating punctuality as an isolated habit, RMD presents it as part of a broader principle of knowing what one represents and behaving accordingly.
RMD reflects on responsibility beyond acting
RMD also reflected on his time in public service, where he served as Delta State Commissioner for Culture and Tourism.
He said the experience showed him that government has significant potential to do good, but also taught him that people need deeply rooted values to maintain their principles within a system.
His comments broadened the message beyond acting.
For RMD, showing up on time is connected to preparation, reliability and responsibility. Those habits may seem ordinary, but over a long career they can become part of a person’s professional reputation.
That is also why his recollection of Soyinka stands out. The lesson was not delivered as a complicated rule. RMD learned it by observing someone whose own conduct matched the standard he expected from others.
A lesson RMD hopes to pass on
After decades in acting and other professional spaces, RMD now sees himself not only as someone who received lessons from older figures but also as someone whose conduct can influence others.
He said he hopes those who encounter him will also be conscious of what they can learn from him.
His reflection ultimately returns to the principle that shaped the story: preparation matters.
For RMD, arriving before the agreed time is about more than avoiding lateness. It signals readiness, respect and an understanding that other people’s time matters.
And in his telling, one of those habits was strengthened by watching Wole Soyinka arrive before the time he had given.
