Nollywood actress and filmmaker Eniola Ajao has shared a deeply personal story about becoming a mother at just 20 years old, revealing how societal expectations forced her into silence during one of the most challenging times of her life.
In a candid chat on the Talk To B podcast, the 44-year-old screen star recounted the emotional turmoil she faced after finding out she was pregnant while still a student at Yaba College of Technology (Yabatech). According to her, the stigma attached to early pregnancy, especially in her environment, made her withdraw and keep her condition a secret from the public.
“You know things aren’t what they used to be at that time. Getting pregnant at the age of 20 was a bit dramatic, because you just feel like the world is coming against you. You might probably want to die at a point, and you wouldn’t be able to get married again because of the stigma,” she said.
Ajao explained that only her close friends and family were aware of the pregnancy, as she was determined to avoid being labeled or shamed.
“You would want to hide it from your parents and the public because it was considered a thing of shame at that time. Not that it was a thing of shame for me, but it was considered to be early,” she added.
Citing examples like fellow actress Omotola Jalade-Ekeinde, who got married at 18, Ajao acknowledged that some women took early steps into family life. However, she said her community had different expectations.
“Omotola got married at 18, lot of people married at 17, but where I come from, they want you to graduate, and do a couple of things. I was already in Yabatech when I got pregnant. I was hiding it. It’s just close friends and family members knew about it. Thinking that you may not get married, somebody calling you a baby mama, and you don’t want to get stigmatised,” she said.
Eniola Ajao reportedly welcomed her son in May 2002, and despite the hurdles, she has gone on to build a successful career in the Nigerian movie industry.
