Eniola Ajao, the actress, has opened up about her journey to motherhood at age 20, revealing the challenges she faced due to societal expectations.
In a recent episode of the Talk To B podcast, the filmmaker recounted how getting pregnant out of wedlock was heavily stigmatised, making her feel isolated and ashamed.
Ajao said she was scared of being labelled a “baby mama,” and even the possibility of never getting married.
“You know things are not what they used to be before now. Ladies at my age, then, their parents were always skeptical about not being exposed to so many things that were going on during that time,” she said.
“Having to get pregnant at 20 was a bit dramatic; you just feel like the whole world is coming against you. You probably want to kill yourself or die at a point, and you would probably not be able to get married again.
“So you want to hide it from your parents and the public. At that time, it was considered a thing of shame. Not that it was a thing of shame for me, but it was considered to be early.”
The actress disclosed that she kept her pregnancy private, confiding only in close family and friends. She emphasised that while early motherhood wasn’t inherently shameful, societal norms in her community made it difficult.
“Omotola got married at 18, a lot of people got married at 17, but where I come from, they want you to finish your school, graduate, and do a couple of things. I was already in Yabatech when it happened,” she added.
“Thinking that probably you may not get married, somebody calling you a baby mama, and you do not want to get stigmatised. Just close friends and family members knew about it.”
It, however, remains to be seen if the 44-year-old film star is married or in a relationship.
Ajao began acting in 2004 with the Yoruba film ‘Igba Aimo’ and has featured in hundreds of movies.
In May 2024, Ajao revealed her reasons for keeping her son off social media.