Taiwo Ajai-Lycett accomplished professional glows at 79

LAGOS, Nigeria – Madam Taiwo Ajai-Lycett is an accomplished professional of no mean repute. She has mentored Nigerians across professional lines, from journalism to drama and communication.

She is the Chief Executive Officer of the Taiwo Ajai-Lycett Academy known for training actors, journalists, drama and use of voice. Taiwo  Ajai-Lycett who turned 79 is also a motivational speaker, speech therapist and communication consultant.

 An actor, writer, producer and director, who is the first editor of Africa Woman Magazine, Taiwo Ajai-Lycett became a mother at the age of 15 and also said in an interview with the Guardian Newspaper that she was raped at age 65. 

She however paid dearly for daring to mother a child at that age. She was ignored, and while her siblings were in school, she  was a maid in her father’s house. 

“Everybody just ignored me. I was the one doing all the cooking and housework. I kept my head down but I enrolled in evening school. There was no way anyone could stop me from learning”, she told the newspaper. 

Married twice, Taiwo Ajai-Lycett was initially married to  David Akinduro, a mutual friend but domestic violence led to divorce.

As she puts it, we used to have these big fights. “He would beat me up and try to prevent me from visiting the library but he failed to stop me”, she said. 

Taiwo later married Thomas Lycett and it was marital bliss. Even in widowhood, she continues to  glow at 79

Relating her ordeal during the rape incident, she said “I was tied. I was beaten. I was brutalised. My health was ruined. I was blindfolded and raped.”

“The man who raped me complained that he couldn’t gain easy entry into me because I wasn’t wet. I told him ‘widows don’t get wet.’ I kept talking to them and asked them repeatedly, ‘Are you doing this to your mother?’ Angrily, they taped my mouth but I remained fearless and prayed all through the attack.”

Born February 03, 1941, Taiwo Ajai-Lycett has won so many awards in films. She is also a national merit award winner.  She was educated at Methodist Girls High School, Yaba, Lagos,  GuildHall School of Music and Drama and Middlesex University London