₦airaland Forum

Made Kuti, Afrobeat singer and grandson of legendary Fela Anikulapo Kuti, has candidly opened up about his stance on activism, declaring that he has no interest in following the exact path carved out by his family’s historic legacy of resistance. Eyes Of Lagos reports,

In a recent sit-down with Pulse Nigeria, the young musician reflected on the emotional and generational toll of activism, pointing to the sacrifices made by his grandfather Fela, father Femi, and uncle Seun Kuti, as well as great-grandmother and iconic nationalist Funmilayo Ransome-Kuti. He noted that while their sacrifices were admirable, the change they fought for has largely remained elusive.

“When you look at Nigeria, you see how many years Fela fought. My Dad fought; Uncle Seun is speaking out now. Funmilayo Ransome-Kuti; they threw her from a storey building. She was a righteous person who was so dedicated to the growth of Africa. She risked her life for everything. They killed her for it.”

Made expressed a deep-seated disillusionment with the results of decades-long resistance. Despite the Kuti name being synonymous with activism and truth-telling, he questioned the return on such selfless sacrifices.

“You might reflect and just say, ‘Well, what’s the point of it if all these people couldn’t bring change? What’s the chance that my song or my performance can really bring change?’”

Yet, despite stepping away from overt activism, Made is not abandoning the idea of change altogether. Rather, he shifts the burden from the individual to the collective.

“I truly believe that it’s not so much in the power of the individual; it’s the power of the collective. I believe that it’s when the right amount of people at the right time do the right thing that can create the spark for change. But whether or not it will be in my lifetime, I don’t know. I’m not an idealist. But I do believe that everybody has to play a part for the country to be better.”

He emphasizes personal responsibility over public activism, stating his focus is on doing his part in a more measured, sustainable way:

“We cannot keep expecting what we didn’t deliver. For me, I play my part. I want to live my life knowing that I do what I have to do. Because I want to have children, and I want to be able to look them in the eyes and say, ‘I did my best.’”

While many might see his stance as a deviation from the legacy of Fela, Made Kuti insists his choice is grounded in realism and self-preservation.

“Selflessness — I’m very careful with that. Giving and getting nothing in return. I’m of the opinion that we have done enough already. And I’ve really no interest in activism. I’m happy to be on the right side of history, but not at the cost of the well-being of my family and the people around me.”

With these words, Made Kuti draws a thoughtful boundary between duty and sacrifice — carving out his own identity in the shadow of a revolutionary family tree.

dalass:
Activism is a dangerous path to follow, before you know it, you may also be toeing that same path you fought against. lawlessness.

Fela fought against government lawlessness but he was lawless in his morals and conducts

eyesoflagos:
I Have No Interest in Activism" – Made Kuti Speaks on the Weight of Legacy and the Limits of Sacrifice


https://eyesoflagos.com/2025/06/28/i-have-no-interest-in-activism-made-kuti-speaks-on-the-weight-of-legacy-and-the-limits-of-sacrifice/

Sirianese:
Because you cannot fit him into your one-man-one-wife colonialist stereotype

dalass:
Activism is a dangerous path to follow, before you know it, you may also be toeing that same path you fought against. lawlessness.

Fela fought against government lawlessness but he was lawless in his morals and conducts

dalass:
Activism is a dangerous path to follow, before you know it, you may also be toeing that same path you fought against. lawlessness.

Fela fought against government lawlessness but he was lawless in his morals and conducts

Moblux:
This guy looks exactly like Rev J.J Ransome Kuti, his great-great grandfather who was also a great singer (church music).

J.J Ransome Kuti > Israel Oladotun > Fela> Femi > Made

irumanle:
See rubbish talk. Upon all the Great Fela Anikulapo Kuti's struggles for a better Nigeria for you, I and unborn generations, it's his hemp smoking and many wives that makes you not to recognise his dogedness. Indeed, illiterates of the 201st century are not those who cannot read and right.

SAMBARRY:
are you minding that illiterate

Ask him how him morality don change nigeria

dalass:
Activism is a dangerous path to follow, before you know it, you may also be toeing that same path you fought against. lawlessness.

Fela fought against government lawlessness but he was lawless in his morals and conducts

Kay17:
But what really did Fela and co do to invite change? Did they merely criticize the government of the days without setting an alternate vision of governance?

Should we model after that brand of activism?

Isn’t there a level of activism where the activist campaigns into public office even at a low level to implement boring and tiny changes? Where civil servants implement their own type of activism by silently whistleblowing, and exposing corruption and being competent with their own little?

Ultimately and ironically, Fela‘s critics leveraged on his inability to govern himself against him as a powerful critique. His rule of his tiny Karakuta commute was utterly dictatorial without zero tolerance for the democratic values he preached and made a fortune out of. His interpretation of A African values was dubious, only picking out negative aspects of it. His disregard of women in a modern age was disrespectful.

This is my mere view.

Giftedhand47:
You no wan kpai
I guess the reason you are ruling out activism

Kay17:
But what really did Fela and co do to invite change? Did they merely criticize the government of the days without setting an alternate vision of governance?

Should we model after that brand of activism?

Isn’t there a level of activism where the activist campaigns into public office even at a low level to implement boring and tiny changes? Where civil servants implement their own type of activism by silently whistleblowing, and exposing corruption and being competent with their own little?

Ultimately and ironically, Fela‘s critics leveraged on his inability to govern himself against him as a powerful critique. His rule of his tiny Karakuta commute was utterly dictatorial without zero tolerance for the democratic values he preached and made a fortune out of. His interpretation of A African values was dubious, only picking out negative aspects of it. His disregard of women in a modern age was disrespectful.

This is my mere view.

eyesoflagos:
I Have No Interest in Activism" – Made Kuti Speaks on the Weight of Legacy and the Limits of Sacrifice


https://eyesoflagos.com/2025/06/28/i-have-no-interest-in-activism-made-kuti-speaks-on-the-weight-of-legacy-and-the-limits-of-sacrifice/

irumanle:
See rubbish talk. Upon all the Great Fela Anikulapo Kuti's struggles for a better Nigeria for you, I and unborn generations, it's his hemp smoking and many wives that makes you not to recognise his dogedness. Indeed, illiterates of the 201st century are not those who cannot read and right.

SAMBARRY:
Omo olomo. I dont blame him knowing that Nigerians don't remember their heroes

Anyway his grandfather paid the ultimate price, him papa sef collect small injury so your parents have made the sacrifice for the soft life you have now

irumanle:
See rubbish talk. Upon all the Great Fela Anikulapo Kuti's struggles for a better Nigeria for you, I and unborn generations, it's his hemp smoking and many wives that makes you not to recognise his dogedness. Indeed, illiterates of the 201st century are not those who cannot read and right.

Mrfeel:
You are just overacting, what he said is true, fela was not perfect, he had his own flaws , you can't call someone illiterate just cause he said fela had flaws , true fela spoke against corruption that doesn't make him perfect

his lifestyle of walking around in public almost naked in pants , smoking weed in public knowing fully well smoking weed is against the law, plus not going through the right process to marry 27 women in one day, then divorcing again in one day etc at the end he got infected with HIV and refused to take drugs, all these were not morally right

Burgerlomo:
Thank you so much for breaking it down, I being dey wonder who's J.J. Ransome Kuti. 👌👍

eyesoflagos:
I Have No Interest in Activism" – Made Kuti Speaks on the Weight of Legacy and the Limits of Sacrifice


https://eyesoflagos.com/2025/06/28/i-have-no-interest-in-activism-made-kuti-speaks-on-the-weight-of-legacy-and-the-limits-of-sacrifice/