Summary: Media personality Tomike is sparking serious conversation after calling out Nigerian parents who take their children’s nannies to restaurants and social events while keeping them in work uniforms. Here’s why this matters.**
Popular media personality Tomike has stirred up a much-needed conversation online, and honestly? She said what many of us have been thinking but were too comfortable to say out loud.
In a video that has been making the rounds on social media, Tomike called out a habit that has become all too common among Nigerian parents — taking their nannies to restaurants, owambe parties, and social gatherings while the nannies remain dressed in their work uniforms.
So, What Exactly Is the Problem?
Picture this: a family steps out for a nice dinner at a Lagos restaurant or attends a relative’s elaborate naming ceremony. The parents are dressed to the nines — agbada, aso-ebi, the full package. Meanwhile, the nanny who has been trusted to care for their most precious gift — their child — is standing right there beside them, still wearing her work uniform like she just clocked in for a shift.
Tomike’s point is simple but powerful: if you are taking someone out in public, let them dress like a human being.
“She’s Still a Person”
The issue goes beyond fashion. It touches on something deeper — dignity and respect for domestic workers. In Nigeria, we have a complicated relationship with the people who work in our homes. We trust them with our children, our homes, and sometimes our deepest family secrets, yet we can be quick to remind them — sometimes loudly, sometimes silently — of the social gap we believe exists between us.
Making a nanny wear her uniform to a party is one of those silent reminders.
It signals to everyone in the room: “She is the help. She is not one of us.”
This Conversation Is Long Overdue
Nigeria has millions of domestic workers — nannies, housekeepers, cooks — many of whom are young women from less privileged backgrounds who have left their own families to serve others. They deserve basic dignity, and that includes not being paraded in public in a way that screams “second-class.”
If you are concerned about people knowing her role, that is understandable. But there are far more respectful ways to handle that than strapping a uniform on someone and taking her to Mama Tee’s birthday owambe.
The Bigger Picture
Tomike’s call-out is part of a growing conversation in Nigeria about how we treat domestic workers. From fair wages to reasonable working hours to basic human respect — there is a lot of work to be done.
And it starts with small things. Like letting your nanny change her clothes before you take her out.
What do you think? Is Tomike right, or is this being overthought? Drop your thoughts in the comments below.
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