Nollywood actor Jim Iyke has stated that single mothers are not capable of raising boys into “proper men” without the presence of a male figure.
Speaking in a recent interview on Okay 101.7 FM in Accra, Ghana, the Nigerian film star stated that women, by nature, are not built to instill the kind of discipline and resilience required in raising male children alone.
His words: “A woman can’t raise a man. You can’t, you’re not built for it. A single mother cannot raise a man properly.
“You need a male influence, your brother, your father, or any man you trust. There has to be a male presence in it.”
Jim Iyke argued that while women are naturally nurturing and loving, those qualities alone are not enough to shape boys into strong men, emphasizing the role of male figures in enforcing discipline and building mental toughness.
“What you’re going to raise is a very weak man. He’s going to be everything like the men that left you.
“You need somebody that would discipline him, tell him ‘No’ as often as possible, and put him in the grind,” he added.
To illustrate his point, Iyke recounted a personal story involving his four-year-old son during a family vacation in the south of France.
According to him, the boy, despite being outplayed by other children on the beach, was forced to stand his ground when the others tried to prevent him from taking back his own football.
“My son is a horrible footballer. So they dribbled the hell out of him. He got tired, grabbed his ball, and they didn’t want him to leave. There was a scuffle,” he said.
Iyke said when his son came crying to him, he refused to intervene, even stopping his wife from helping the boy. He insisted that it was an opportunity for his son to learn how to handle conflict on his own.
“That’s the natural propensity of a woman, to go aid him. And I told her, ‘Don’t you dare come near him. This is a conversation between two men,’” he said.
He said the boy eventually returned to confront the children, fought them off, and reclaimed his ball, an action that, according to Iyke, demonstrated strength and independence.
“He went in there, kicked some ass, pushed down the biggest kid, grabbed his ball, and started coming back. I’ve never been more proud of him,” he recalled.
Jim Iyke concluded by reiterating his parenting philosophy, stating that his role as a father is not to offer constant assistance but to guide, protect, and provide, leaving the child to figure out life’s challenges independently.
“I’m not here to help you. I’m here to guide you. I’m here to protect you. I’m here to provide for you. The rest, you figure it out by yourself. That’s what makes tough kids,” he said.
