Rabiu and Hannatu Musawa: When Divorce Ends Marriage But Not Friendship

By Olumide Bajulaiye

Some relationships teach us that even when a marriage comes to an end, respect, affection and friendship do not necessarily have to end with it.

The story of Abdul Samad Isyaku Rabiu, founder of BUA Group, and Nigeria’s Minister of Art, Culture, Tourism and Creative Economy, Hannatu Musa Musawa, offers a beautiful reminder that life can take different turns without erasing the respect two people have built over the years.

Their marriage may belong to the past, but their continued cordial relationship suggests that separation does not always have to lead to bitterness, hostility or a permanent breakdown in communication.

What makes their relationship particularly admirable is the apparent ease with which they continue to maintain a bond of friendship. From Hannatu’s presence at BUA Group’s Night of Excellence and Long Service Awards to her birthday tribute to Rabiu earlier this year, their public interactions have offered glimpses of a relationship that appears to have moved beyond the boundaries of marriage.

Now, with Hannatu paying a surprise visit to Rabiu at his Abuja office, the billionaire’s response has added another touching dimension to the story.

“Times change, but friendship and respect remain,” he wrote, describing her visit as a lovely surprise and wishing her continued success in her work for Nigeria’s culture and creative economy.

Those words carry a message that goes beyond two prominent Nigerians. They speak to the possibility of handling personal transitions with maturity, grace and mutual respect.

In a society where failed marriages are sometimes followed by public disagreements, bitter exchanges and unnecessary drama, maintaining a cordial relationship with a former spouse can be a refreshing example of emotional maturity. It reminds us that the end of a marriage does not automatically erase shared memories, mutual understanding or the value of a person who once occupied an important place in our lives.

Of course, every relationship has its private history, and only the people involved truly understand what it took to reach this point. What is visible, however, is the importance of treating one another with dignity, even when life no longer follows the path originally imagined.

Their daughter, Khadija, also known as Cookie Rabiu, remains a meaningful part of their shared story. For parents who have gone their separate ways, preserving a respectful relationship can help create a healthier environment in which family bonds continue to matter.

There is also a broader lesson here: friendship after marriage is not necessarily a sign that a couple should reunite, nor does it mean that their separation was without its challenges. Sometimes, it simply means that two people have chosen not to allow a chapter that has closed to destroy every good thing that came before it.

Perhaps that is the most beautiful part of this story.

Love can take different forms. Sometimes it is romantic love; at other times, it becomes friendship, respect, goodwill and a sincere desire to see another person succeed.

Abdul Samad Rabiu and Hannatu Musawa may no longer share the title of husband and wife, but their public display of cordiality offers a reminder that two people can move in different directions without becoming enemies.

In the end, not every relationship that ends in marriage has to end in bitterness. Some stories are not defined by how long two people remain together, but by how gracefully they treat each other when their paths change.

And perhaps, in a world that too often celebrates drama and conflict, there is something genuinely beautiful about two former partners choosing respect over resentment and friendship over hostility.

Olumide Bajulaiye is the Publisher Daily Dispatch Newspaper