Renowned dancer and choreographer, Kaffy has advised parents to establish clear boundaries and educate their children about appropriate physical touch and personal space.
In a video posted on Instagram, Kaffy revealed that she experienced inappropriate behaviour from a trusted family friend when she was younger.
She said: “It happened right in front of people who trusted the person. At that age, I didn’t understand what was going on. But I knew something about it was wrong.”
Kaffy stressed that people who harm children often don’t fit the stereotype of a “monster” and may even be seen as caring or helpful.
“Many of them appear caring. They may be the ones who always want to help or be around the child. That’s why parents need to pay attention and set clear boundaries,” she said.
She warned parents against being overly trusting of familiar figures, such as “favorite uncles” or “favorite aunties,” and urged them to teach their children that it’s okay to say “no” to unwanted touch or interactions, regardless of the adult’s identity.
“Parents need to be cautious of the favorite uncles, the favorite aunties, the favorite nannies, the favorite drivers. There needs to be boundaries. Many children face uncomfortable situations from people who are close to them,” she added.
The dancer also spoke out against making unnecessary comments about children’s bodies or giving physical affection without consent, emphasising that children have the right to their personal space and autonomy.
Kaffy encouraged parents to create safe emotional environments for their children and to recognise early signs of potential harm.
Professional dancer Kaffy has opened up about a traumatic childhood experience where her mother falsely accused her of having an affair with one of her boyfriends.
Kaffy shared the painful memory on the honest bunch podcast, revealing that she was just 13 years old at the time.
According to Kaffy, her mother had been dating various men after her divorce and the children had grown close to them, affectionately referring to them as “daddies.”
However, Kaffy said her mother became increasingly insecure about their relationships, often suspecting the children of having ulterior motives.
She said the traumatic incident occurred when her mother walked in on her trying to help one of her boyfriends clean a cut on his face.
Misinterpreting the situation, she said her mother accused her of infidelity and subjected her to a brutal punishment, stripping her naked and flogging her in front of everyone in the living room.
“I was 13 when my mother started suspecting me with her own men. Because of the divorce she had kinds of people. She will have different men she is dating and we will see those men as daddies because we were also missing that father [figure].
“The closer you are to the men, the more she is insecure. And there was a day that I was stripped naked in front of that man in the livingroom and punished for just trying to help ‘daddy’ clean a blood from his face because he was shaving and cut himself. My mother walked into the room when I was saying, ‘Daddy, see.’ And she misinterpreted what was happening and I was flogged naked in front of everyone.
“That had it own traumatising effect on the mind on its own. But then you are thinking, ‘But that’s my mother, would I do that to my mother? Why would my mother even think of that of me, the daughter?’ Are you seeing that transfer of insecurity from mother to child? It’s done subliminally but it’s going to have its own effect,” she stated.
Renowned dance icon Kaffy has spoken about her divorce, life as a single mother of two, and the stigma surrounding divorced women.
Speaking in an interview on Honest Bunch podcast, she challenged societal norms that suggest only “fresh” unmarried individuals are suitable for marriage, pointing out that over 70% of marriages fail, regardless of past status.
Kaffy emphasised that being divorced does not diminish a woman’s worth or capacity for love, especially after healing and self-improvement.
She opined that a woman who has been divorced can be a better candidate for marriage if she has worked on herself.
“What makes you think that a woman that has been divorced is not even the better candidate if she has worked on herself? What’s the guarantee that two single people today are not going to be divorced tomorrow?
”Why are people feeling like ‘I need to marry him fresh, I need to marry her fresh’, but both of you are going into the same data that the world has completed for you, that over 70 percent of marriages crashed. You’re part of the 70 percent”, she said.
The mother of two also clarifies misconceptions about romance, noting that the “butterflies” often mistaken for love are often trauma responses, while true love brings peace.
“Do you know that a lot of butterfly in the tummy are a lot of trauma response?
Real love brings peace”, she said.
Kaffy exchanged marital vows with Joseph Ameh on June 2, 2012, at an elaborate wedding ceremony in Lagos after having their first child.
Kafayat Oluwatoyin Shafau, popularly known as Kaffy, isn’t just Nigeria’s most prominent dancer and choreographer, she’s a force of reinvention and resilience who has quietly built a thriving ecosystem around her craft.
With a career spanning over two decades, Kaffy has transformed from a misunderstood young woman with a dream to a trailblazer whose name has become synonymous with professionalism, creativity, and structure in the dance industry.
“It was very difficult when I started the journey. When I said I was a dancer, people would look at me and ask, ‘What else do you want to do with your life?’ It didn’t look like a great path,” she recalled.
Yet Kaffy stayed the course. Today, she runs a growing organisation that not only trains dancers but also offers a blueprint for creatives struggling with structure and sustainability in their careers.
“One of the problems of the creative industry is structure. We are dishing out, people are consuming, but the average creative—whether a photographer, dancer, or stylist—often lacks a business model that allows them to evolve and scale,” she said.
That realisation pushed Kaffy to begin building a brand that extends beyond the stage. Through personal funding—she notes that over 80% of her journey has been self-sponsored—she has developed the Kaffy Kreative Agency, a platform that now serves as both a service hub and talent incubator.
“Yes, I’m still looking for investors. The vision is so new that people don’t understand it until it becomes something. Even banks don’t believe a dancer can repay a loan because they don’t see the structure. But now, the Kaffy brand is a unicorn model for others to emulate.”
At the heart of her mission is empowerment. According to her, creatives need to become entrepreneurs within the space of their talent—balancing art with business savvy.
“There is life behind everything people see. Photographers become fathers, dancers become mothers. They need to know how to scale and structure their lives. That’s the gap I’ve been able to fill.”
From stage to strategy
Kaffy is acutely aware of the distinction between herself as a performer and her agency as a business. Over the years, she’s been deliberate about building a system that functions with or without her physical presence.
“Every time people hired me, they would say, ‘If you’re not there, we don’t want anybody else.’ But the brand has grown beyond me choreographing. I’ve had to delegate. Whether it’s editing or directing, others can now deliver those services.”
That mindset has not only helped scale her operations but also shifted the industry standard.
“I broke that chain and set a new benchmark. I started collecting ₦500,000 over 15 years ago. Today, that’s a decent starting point for younger talents.”
She also redefined how dancers present themselves.
“When I started doing proper photoshoots, most dancers couldn’t afford it. But once they saw it on my brand, they began to emulate it. That’s the power of setting a standard.”
Value of dance
Far beyond performance, Kaffy sees dance as a tool for development and transformation.
“There’s been massive growth. Dancers are now influencers. Brands now see the value of dance in advertising and film. It’s being used in wellness, education, even therapy.”
She cited an example of a government-approved school program using dance to aid learning and cognitive development. “I have a friend who the government has approved a programme in secondary schools using dance for information and assisting educational materials, dance helps to expand that cognitive reasoning of children and that has been infused in our educational system as well. So that already connects to the economic value because when people can develop themselves, they can empower themselves, and that is where their productivity increases. These are the things that help us nurture people and eventually improve the economic scale of things. Working with organisations and partnering with government parastatals can amplify that when these things are imbibed into institutions, because I go to schools and higher institutions to coach and mentor.
“When people develop themselves through creative expression, their productivity increases. That improves the economic scale. That’s why we must infuse dance into institutions—schools, corporate wellness programmes, and more.”
Two faces of the Kaffy brand
To avoid confusion between her public persona and corporate entity, Kaffy has separated both.
There’s Kaffy the person and then there’s Kaffy the business, and one of the things I’ve struggled with over the years is every time people hire me, they will be like, if I am not there, they don’t want to see anybody else, but I’m like, I can’t… There’s a level at which the brand will grow. I have to let the younger ones do the work, it has expanded beyond just me choreographing.
“Every aspect of service I have rendered has another human being that can also give out that service either by direct training from me or they came already with that talent and we can only absorb them…. For instance, I used to edit myself, and someone who has already trained himself as an editor comes to the company. That means I’m not going to be the one editing any longer – I have to direct the job to the person. All these have helped the industry grow even to the pricing level. When I came, getting paid five hundred was luck, but I broke the chain and increased the value of hire, that is how much you get paid.
“Because I set the standard like fifteen years ago, collecting five hundred thousand for choreography, for a young person now, that amount is a good pay to start with, but if I didn’t start it, it may not be easy for younger generations now. When I started doing photo shoots, no dancer could afford a major photographer to do it, but when they saw it on my branding, my brand space, they started emulating that.
“When you want Kaffy at your event, that’s the personal brand. When you want creative solutions, that’s Kaffy Kreative Agency. Both are strong brands, but they serve different purposes.”
Staying relevant
In an industry where relevance can be fleeting, Kaffy’s secret is service and integrity.
“What has sustained the brand for me is the hunger, the drive to see lives living better. There’s never an end game for that kind of journey because human lives evolve; the only thing constant in human life is change. I keep putting work out there that connects with humanity and I keep serving. The crown is not too big for me to work and do the grind and brand integrity, and also over-deliver. When you hire my brand, you can go to sleep, be assured that the job will be delivered.”
Balancing motherhood, legacy
Despite her busy schedule, Kaffy remains a hands-on parent to her two children, a boy and a girl.
My kids (male and female) ask questions a lot. I have a professor in the house, Professor Sean. My children are a gift. Even at their age, they don’t even act their age. I wonder where they got that from. They are very sound, and I am a very intentional mom when it comes to my children. I have conversations with my kids a lot, and they are aware based on their level of understanding, but they understand more than you think. One of the things that created a huge bond with my kids and allowed me to do this now was that when they were very little, they went with me everywhere that I went. I hardly left my kids with nannies, so if I had gigs, they went with me.
Kaffy believes that presence matters more than time spent.
I am an advocate of quality time over quantity time. Sometimes a parent is around but not around, you can be with your child and not be with your child. So it’s not about being at home but being present when they need that caregiver energy to be with them. It’s been perfect but it’s the process of being intentional for every present moment that matters with me and the children and that has really helped us and now that they are entering teenage hood this equilibrium comes for me every time that its tilted, it’s always going to be tilt as a parent, there’s never a blueprint that is perfect and there’s a place for God.
I thank God for their cocoon that I am embedded in as a parent to nurture and raise my kids.
Oluwatosin Solaru, who recently completed the Guinness World Record (GWR) for the longest dance marathon by an individual, has traced her inspiration to Kafayat Shefau, also known as Kaffy.
Solaru told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Ibadan on Wednesday that when Kaffy and her team broke the record in 2006, she got inspired to be a record breaker.
“Then, I thought it had to be arranged and organised by an organisation like Silverbird or those who did hers.
“When Hilda Baci did hers last year, I met a friend who had also attempted a wash-a-thon, and I discovered it was something I could apply for; and it’s done,” she said.
Solaru alleged that Nigerians hardly understand talent, let alone embrace talented people.
“I had to do my part of making a clear statement that dance is beyond just a hobby,” she said.
NAN recalls that Solaru commenced her GWR on June 22 and ended it on June 29 at the Nile Cinema, Royal Roots Mall, Ikota, Lagos.
She added that, contrary to popular belief, not all dance categories with the GWR have the same title, explaining she applied for the longest dance marathon by an individual.
“There was very little support prior to the event, but as soon as the second day of the attempt, we started seeing more support from home and online.
“I am a professional actor and writer, a spoken words artist and an entrepreneur.
“In a rough estimate, it costs N3.5 million to put together the GWR performance,” she said.
The 30-year-old said she was considering collaborations with more dancers.
“I’ll be starting with my alma mater; I would love to have a series of workshops and seminars with at least 30 schools in Ogun and 20 in Lagos,” she said.
She said that her father was supportive from the beginning, as he had always shown interest in her career, while her mother was a little sceptical.
NAN reports that the current GWR for the longest dance marathon by an individual is 127 hours, achieved by Srushti Jagtap, from India, in 2023.
Jagtap danced for five days straight at Dayanand College in Latur, Maharashtra, India.
Meanwhile, Solaru recorded 157 hours to beat the existing record, though still awaiting GWR ratification.
Popular dancer Kaffy has shared thoughts on the separation between music legend 2Baba and actress Annie Idibia.
In an Instagram video, Kaffy drew from her close relationship with the couple to provide a thoughtful perspective.
Kaffy emphasised the importance of empathy over judgment, acknowledging 2Baba and Annie Idibia are navigating challenging circumstances.
She highlighted the unique pressures faced by male celebrities and noted that women can sometimes contribute to their struggles.
Kaffy also encouraged women to reassess their relationship expectations and take responsibility for their actions.
She said: “I want to speak on the Annie and 2Face situation. I am not going to speak from a place of judging anybody but from a perspective we all need to have. I am rooting for both of them as they are victims of their circumstances. I know both of them very well, and I’m not going to bash any of them. 2Face and Annie are a petri dish for us to learn not to judge. Let’s give grace and pray for them.
“Let me give you a perspective that could be the issue for male celebrities. They are usually under target, and we women are their biggest enemies when they are at a vulnerable moment in their careers. Did any man plan to have plenty baby mamas?
“Both of them have been through toxicity. An average male celebrity is a victim. Despite all of these problems, some girls are still in 2Baba’s DMs like this. I am not trying to absolve him of his problems—he should get help. Nobody is innocent!
“Let’s ask questions: Why are over 60% of marriages failing? Some of us women have that mindset that we will change him. We should stop! If we want to stop being victims, let’s do better. Because it is also a woman that is confusing the man; we have that much power. The devil is winning; let’s work on ourselves, we serve grace,” she added.
One of Nigeria’s successful professional dancers, Kafayat Shafau (aka Kaffy) has explained how she has turned to dancing to enhance her mental well-being.
In a chat on Channels TV, the Guinness World Record holder, said growing up in a single-parent household, she sought comfort and refuge in dancing and over time, she transitioned her dance skills into a fitness initiative at the Lagos State National Stadium with the aim of “giving people life.”
She said: “Before considering dancing as a profession, it was always a tool for maintaining my mental health. Coming of age in a typical Nigerian household with divorced parenting, I navigated through adolescence by finding solace in dancing. It served as an artistic outlet where I could escape to a realm of self-discovery.”
“Connecting with others in the social context, I realised that people were in need of an escape as well. This realisation prompted me to explore further at the national stadium until I eventually ventured into the entertainment space.”
Professional dancer, Kafayat Oluwatoyin Shafau, popularly known as Kaffy, has shared her journey of how dancing played a crucial role in enhancing her mental well-being.
In an interview with Channels TV, Kaffy elaborated on how dancing became an escape for her during her formative years.
According to her, growing up in a single-parent household, she discovered solace and comfort in the art of dancing.
She said she later advanced her dancing skills into a fitness awareness exercise at the Lagos State National Stadium to “give people life.”
According to her: “Before I even thought of dancing as a profession, I always saw it as something to help me with my mental health.
“And growing up in that average Nigerian household, you have divorced parenting. You are trying to navigate through life as a young teenager. Dancing was the art form in which I found solace. I used it as an escape to somewhere I could become something.
“And when I related with others in the social environment, I found out that people needed some escape. I started exploring that at the national stadium until I found the entertainment space.”
The Nigerian Dance Industry has been thriving over the years, overcoming obstacles and challenges that society threw at it.
In the past years, dance and dancers were not so cherished and appreciated in Nigeria and even some dancers end up being called all sorts of names because of their choice of profession.
Thanks to the resilience, consistency, and sheer grit of certain pioneers like Kafayat Oluwatoyin Shafau, popularly known as ‘Kaffy‘.
Nigerian dancers are more respected now, as the value of their craft is no longer deniable. Although the journey to total relevance is still a long climb, Nigerian dancers are gracefully taking the needful strides.
The majority of these dancers, particularly those from the US and UK, began their journeys abroad.
Nevertheless, some people have made the decision to return home and help others in the nations that share their views. While some have strictly stuck to the source that made them.
Here are popular Nigerian dancers who stand out for their unique styles, creativity, and contributions to the art both loccally and internationally:
1. Kaffy:
Kaffy with the full name Kafayat Oluwatoyin Shafau is a Nigerian dancer, choreographer, dance instructor, and fitness coach. She is the founder and owner of the Imagneto Dance Company.
Kaffy became popular when she broke the Guinness World Record for “Longest Dance Party” at the Nokia Silverbird Danceathon in 2006. After this, she worked with various music stars such as P Square, Wizkid, Tiwa Savage, D’Banj, and so on. She is also known for playing a huge role in bringing dance into the 21st century by helping with the start of some first reality dance shows in Nigeria.
Furthermore, it isn’t possible to mention the best dancers in Nigeria and not have Kaffy’s name on the top list. She is one of the great backbones of the Nigerian dance industry. Even some of the dancers who have made it to the list of the best dancers in Nigeria, she was either their mentor or their teacher.
Kaffy is one person that fought and is still fighting for the place for dancers in Nigeria’s entertainment. She uses her voice, innovations, connections, and everything to ensure that dance continually thrives in Nigeria. And all her efforts over the years have yielded great success.
Her Dance Company won’t stop producing great and energetic dancers and we are so proud of her. Kaffy with no doubt is a living dance legend!
2. Poco Lee:
Every time Poco Lee dances, you might find yourself wondering how in the world he manages to time his leg movements to produce the most entertaining footwork dance imaginable. even is one even supposed to be dubbed the creator of legwork.
Lee is a well-known dancer in Nigeria. From performing on the streets, he developed into one of Nigeria’s most well-known dancers. He rose to fame after a video of him at an event executing the well-known contemporary dances Zanku and Legwork went viral. Dance pioneer Zlatan Ibile was drawn to the one-minute film when it went popular online and started showing up on celebrity profiles. He instantly linked up with him and solicited his assistance in the music video for the song Zanku.
3. Don Flexx
Don Flexx is known for his incredible flexibility and unique dance moves. His captivating performances have earned him recognition both in Nigeria and internationally. Don Flexx’s ability to seamlessly blend contemporary and traditional dance styles makes him stand out among his peers.
Stephen Ojo, better Known as Papi Ojo is a talented dancer, athlete, and model. He is one of the few African dancers to have led a choreography routine with music royalty, Beyonce. Papi Ojo has been dancing since he was only just a boy, and his passions have led him to great heights including performing with Rihanna at the Grammys and being the lead dancer for Beyonce during the Lion King soundtrack visual rollout.
5. Sayrachips:
Sayrachips, whose real name is Sarah Olaniran, is a Nigerian dancer who currently resides in the US. Before leaving Nigeria, Kaffy taught her how to choreograph and become a fitness teacher. She enrolled in Columbia College’s 4-year Dance Degree Program in Chicago, America.
She then began to make waves with her talent and enthusiasm. She has made dancing her career and is presently touring the world to mentor and inspire new dancers. She has also visited Nigeria to greet her home supporters and experience the affection of that nation once more.
Along with travelling the globe with celebrities like Chris Brown, Tiwa Savage, Mr.Eazi, Wizkid, and others, also teaches dance.
6. Meka Oku:
Meka Oku, sometimes referred to as the Afro’House King, is a dance instructor and choreographer of Nigerian descent. He claimed that seeing Michael Jackson, whom he referred to as his idol, gave him the idea to start dancing when he was a small child.
He then started to self-learn as a result. He is one of the top dancers in Nigeria right now, and he has choreographed for many celebrities over the years, including Psquare and Selebobo.
In New York City, he founded AfroHouse, where he teaches Afro-dance. Additionally, he provides online tutorials and events throughout the whole US.
7. Pinki Debbie:
Dancer, choreographer, exhibitionist, and social media influencer Pinki Debbie is from Nigeria and goes by the full name Odumewu Sunmisola Debbie. She is currently one of Nigeria’s top dancers.
Pinkie Debbie rose to fame in 2017 by shattering the record for the “longest dance marathon by an individual” set by the Guinness Book of World Records. Since then, she has always astounded her followers with her inventiveness and substance. She established Pinkidebbie Choreography.
8. Izzy Odigie:
Izzy Odigie is a Nigerian Afrobeats choreographer who was born in New York. But she was raised in Nigeria’s Edo State. She then went back to the country to finish her schooling at St. John’s University in Queens, New York, where she was studying dance. She was one of the original members of the then-famous Trybe dancers before she departed Nigeria.
Izzy Odigie first gained attention in 2015 while dancing with Ugandan artist and music mogul Eddy Kenzo. Since then, she has collaborated with a number of celebrities, including Tiwa Savage, Mr. Eazi, Yemi Alade, and others. She was included on OkayAfrica’s “100 women list” for 2019. Additionally, she choreographed and acted in one episode of the Fox US drama Empire’s fifth season in 2020.
9. Delacyn:
Delacyn who goes by the full name Nneka Irobunda is a Nigerian professional dancer, choreographer, and influencer based in the United States of America. She holds a degree in Psychology and dance. Decalyn’s curriculum vitae is rich- she has choreographed for artists like Sean Paul, Rema, Cardi B, and Missy Elliot. She is one of the most decorated Nigerian dancers.
Award winning dancer, Kafayat Shafau aka Kaffy has opined that many young people are confused and seek guidance.
The Guinness World Record holder made this known during an empowerment training for young talents in the creative sector tagged ‘Passion and Profit.’
Speaking about her vision for the youths, the mother of two said, “It is about creating solutions for the problems in the society. Young people are confused, needing guidance, mentorship, and are hurting and going to whomever that can listen to them and that is the danger.”
Continuing, she said, “When a young person wants to escape with what is wrong in the head and ends up in the grasp of the wrong nurturer, we would continue to have a cycle of decadence and the way I have seen it 10 years ago and now, it is becoming worse. They say in life there is a balance, we cannot eradicate evil and eradicate good but we can suffocate evil and allow good to breathe. Right now, they are trying to make bad things look good. Even our corporate entities are spending money on frivolous things rather than things that would educate people. Ever since I started this programme, I have gotten girls off the streets, I have taken guys off evil things or even eradicated it in their minds because what they are looking for was self-value. Some people don’t need a billion to be happy but they are telling them they need a billion to be somebody. We need to change that. So, I created the Kaffy Boss Academy as a centre where we get to nurture people’s talent and make them a boss of it.”
The Kaffy Boss Academy has hosted a series of workshops providing practical solutions and thought provoking conversations essential to engage the minds of passionate and ready to do the work individuals.
The ‘Passion and Profit’ event had facilitators like Adaorah Lumina, Akintunde Bada, and Michael MBA ‘Ogbolon’ among others.
