Nollywood actress Laide Bakare has sparked a conversation by advising career-driven women to prioritize having children over getting married. In a recent interview with Nollywood On Radio, Bakare shared her perspective on how young women can achieve long-term career success while balancing family life.
Bakare emphasized that starting a family early—specifically having children—is crucial for women who aspire to have successful careers in the future. She clarified that marriage is not a prerequisite for starting a family, drawing from her own life experience.
Key Quotes from Laide Bakare:
- “If you are aspiring to be a successful superstar as a young girl, I would advise you to get married and have kids early so that you can have the rest of your years to push your career because the family area is very important.”
- “Maybe I should retract that because I do not mean marriage… I just wanted a baby.”
She acknowledged that early marriages may sometimes end in divorce but maintained that having children early can provide women the time and focus needed to build their careers later.
Bakare’s personal experience mirrors this advice. She had her first child, Simi, in 2008 without prioritizing marriage. Later, in 2013, she married Lagos socialite Tunde Oriowo, with whom she shares two sons.
Background
Laide Bakare’s comments reflect a growing conversation about the balance between family life and career aspirations, particularly for women in industries such as entertainment, where career demands can be intense.
