By Shamsudeen Abubakar
The recently premiered Nollywood film ‘Ada Omo Daddy’ has triggered a wave of mixed reactions among students of Usmanu Danfodiyo University Sokoto (UDUS). Touching on the sensitive themes of Paternity, identity, redemption, deception, forgiveness, and the complexities of family ties, the film has stirred both emotional resonance and sharp critique within its audience.
Produced by Mercy Aigbe and co-directed by Ajay Mason and Adebayo Tijani, the 2025 drama showcases a blend of humour and sentiment, layered with social commentary. With a runtime of over two hours, three minutes and four seconds, the film features an ensemble cast including Omowunmi Dada, Sola Sobowale, Charles Okafor, Dele Odule, Chinwetelu Agu, Miriam Peters, Fred Amata, Carol King, Tayo Faniran, and Mercy Aigbe herself, and many more.
The narrative revolves around Perosola, fondly called Ada (played by Omowunmi Dada), an accomplished and refined young woman preparing for her wedding. Just when everything seems perfect, a bombshell is dropped — her biological father, Ifeanyi (Charles Okafor), long presumed absent and irrelevant, resurfaces and demands recognition in her life.
Caught in a whirlmed of emotional turmoil, Ada confronts her mother, Iretiola (Sola Sobowale), and attempts to build a relationship with the man she never knew. Meanwhile, her adoptive father Chief Balogun (Dele Odule), faces the challenge of defending his place in Ada’s heart, creating tension that threatens to derail her wedding.
As the story unfolds, viewers are taken through a touching exploration of loyalty, betrayal, forgiveness, and blurred lines of deadbeat fatherhood. The movie, with its powerful storyline, has generated several reactions among the students of Usmanu Danfodiyo University Sokoto (UDUS).
“Donating Sperm Doesn’t Make You a Parent” — UDUS Student Reacts
Shittu Nafeesah Olatomiwa, a 100-level student of Nursing Science at UDUS, draws a clear line between biological connection and true parental responsibility.
According to her, the film teaches that being a parent is not just about giving birth, but about being present and fulfilling one’s duty
“What one doesn’t work for can never be his. Ada’s dad “Ifeanyi Okafor” never took responsibility as a father, but when she became successful, he came back to claim her, which is so unpleasant.”
Nafeesah named Ada’s mother as her favourite character in the film. “I like the role of the mother because despite all the pain she underwent from Ada’s biological father, she will want the best for her child. We’ve heard of stories of mothers abandoning their child to search for a better life, but she didn’t do that. Instead, she did what she was supposed to do as a mother.”
She also admired the character of Chief Balogun, Ada’s stepfather because he didn’t make a difference between Ada and his biological children. Instead, he loved Ada even more.
“Can irresponsible parents boldly come out to the world and claim a child they never took responsibility for — just because that child became successful?” Nafeesah questions the morality of absentee parenting.
She concluded by marking a critical comment made by Chief Balogun in the movie, where he said, “ Donating sperm doesn’t make you a parent— it is about fulfilling your duties.”
For Odunlami Anuoluwapo Ireoluwa, a final-year student of the Educational Foundations department, the movie is such that teaches morals in Nigerian Society.
She believed that it can be used in schools, places of worship and homes to teach children that disagreement with parents doesn’t mean disrespect. It shows that admitting wrong and seeking forgiveness strengthens family bonds.
“Ada’s example could be used in counseling, youth mentorship, or community progress to teach children that resolving conflicts peacefully and respectfully is not weakness but wisdom,” Anuoluwapo pointed.
Similarly, Raheem Hanifa Títílayọ̀, a 400-level student of the Education English Department expressed her enthusiasm about the movie.
“Ada Omo Daddy is an interesting movie. Ìrètí wants a good life for her daughter. She wouldn’t want her to suffer as she had suffered in her youthful age.
“The suspense of the movie is good. It made me wants to watch the movie more seeing Ìrètí running from the beginning. So, I needed to know why she was running, which made me eager to watch more, “she noted.
She also added that the movie has a lesson to be learnt, as social media is used to get fame and advertise one’s product — as seen in the movie where Ada’s aunt advertised her products. However, the disadvantage was when Ifeanyi discovered Ada was the daughter he had been looking for through social media, as his daughter was Ada’s fan.
“It is not good to post all your personal life on social media. Family issues are to be concealed but Ada and her siblings failed to understand that. People have got to know everything about them in the media as Ada and her step-sister posted it all.”
However, Hanifa explained that Ada’s finance needs to do well in the movie. It doesn’t show Ada was his fiance or wife-to-be. There was no chemistry between both lovers from the beginning of the movie — no emotions, no genuine love — and even the proposal scene was blurred.
Not Just a Script — A Reality Check
Like others, Pelumi A. Jegede from Osun State, known on X as ‘AnikeBeloved__,’ also shared her view on the movie.
“The movie would make you think of deadbeat fathers. It got me angry because it reminded me of ‘Sista,’ a nollywood movie which also portrays a deadbeat father. They reflect what’s happening in our society — irresponsible fathers claiming children they never took responsibility for.
“Donating sperm doesn’t make you a father; responsibility does. Family isn’t just blood, it’s those who are there for you, related or not.” AnikeBeloved exclaimed.
She further praised Chief Balogun’s character, explaining that he deserves an accolade. Unlike most men who mistreat their stepchildren, Chief Balogun never revealed Ada wasn’t his child for a long time. He showed her love from the start, and no one would have suspected — Frankly, no one suspected until Ifeanyi’s calls.
“Chief Balogun is my favourite character. The prison act is my favourite scene. It is where the main message of the movie is passed — Presence trumps impregnation. Even the wedding party scene is unbelievable. How he gives Ada’s hand to her birth father. Chief Balogun is an epitome of maturity and kindness.” she affirms.
Moreso, she emphasized that an important theme of the movie is fatherhood: “Fatherhood is not just impregnating a woman. It’s about responsibility, being present in all wise. That scene where Ifeanyi said, ‘Have you no shame taking care of a child that’s not yours,’ says it all — he’s a deadbeat father. Does a child, in your care, have to be yours before you take care of them?”
On Ìrètí, AnikeBeloved noted that her emotions show how deeply she felt about Ifeanyi’s claim. But one thing she didn’t do well was not telling her daughter the truth earlier. “No one has ever successfully protected anyone else with lies.”
She concluded by criticizing the narrative scene. In her words: “The activities in the traditional wedding party were flippant and unconvincing. And Pero’s role had lapses — going to the biological father that way was frustrating.”
Applause, Flaws, and Final Thoughts
While Ada Omo Daddy has stirred hearts and sparked conversations, not all viewers are clapping from the sidelines. For some, it falls short in character, execution and technical delivery.
An Indian reviewer on the YouTube channel ‘Nolly Good Fellow’ with over 7.73K subscribers praised the movie’s suspense, background music, and theme of forgiveness. However, he criticized Perosola’s role as confusing and lacking impact.
‘Bee’s Watchlist’ with over 1.68K subscribers commended the movie’s production quality but pointed out issues with the sound: “The music was too loud; you could barely hear the actors.”
She found Omowunmi’s character unrealistic — “too independent, boastful, and quick to believe a stranger over her mother.” She also felt some roles, like Victor’s parents and Chinwetelu Agu, were underutilized.
Despite good dialogue, she called the overall execution weak, especially the chaotic and unconvincing wedding scene. Her rating for the movie is 5/10.
Muhibat Sulaiman from ‘The Cable Lifestyle’ criticized the film’s inconsistent storytelling, saying Ifeanyi’s redemption felt unearned due to his lack of remorse. She found scenes unrealistic — like Victor’s calm reaction to bad news and Pero’s sudden loyalty to her absent father. She also noted poor sound design and continuity issues, like modern outfits in flashbacks, which weakened the film’s emotional impact.
Adedamola Adedayo of ‘The Culture Custodian,’ Vivian Nneka Nwajiaku of ‘Afrocritik,’ and several other viewers and critics have also shared their thoughts on the film in blogs, and other platforms, adding to the growing conversation around its strengths and shortcomings.
This report is published as part of the writer’s internship with Nollywire, facilitated by the National Association of Campus Journalists(NACJ), Usmanu Danfodiyo University, Sokoto.