Nigerian singer Aituaje Iruobe, professionally known as Waje, has revealed that she became pregnant at the age of 16 and faced significant challenges raising her child after the man responsible denied paternity.
The artiste made the disclosure during an appearance on the Honest Brunch podcast, in an episode released on Monday.
According to Waje, she concealed her pregnancy from her mother until she was about five months along. “I was 16. I didn’t tell my mom till about five months,” she stated.
She recounted that when her mother eventually approached the family of the man involved, he denied any responsibility. “My mom had gone to his family and said, okay, so your son and my daughter… and he was like, no, it’s not him,” Waje explained.
Her mother subsequently assumed full responsibility for her and the child, in accordance with Igbo customary law, which provides that a child born out of wedlock belongs to the mother’s family.
Waje revealed that years later, the man reappeared, expressing a desire to reconnect with their daughter. “At some point, he came back and he was like, I was young… I want to meet my daughter,” she said, adding that he claimed to be living in Canada at the time.
The singer, however, admitted that she was initially reluctant to allow such contact, citing concerns about the man’s stability and potential negative impact on her daughter’s life. “Many times when fathers or mothers are protecting their child, it’s because you already know that this person is not stable. This person can come and destabilise the life of the child,” she noted.
Waje said she was resolute about her daughter’s welfare, particularly her education. “I had always said that my daughter would get the best education that I can afford. So I told him, you are a citizen, fight for your child,” she recounted.
Discussions about conducting a DNA test eventually arose, but according to Waje, the man failed to follow through. “He asked me to send him her hair. I said no, that is not how it is done. We will choose the place. And I waited and waited and I never heard from him,” she said.
She added that the prolonged inaction affected potential immigration opportunities, explaining that “she turned 18 and you can’t file for a child at 18.”
Despite the difficulties, Waje said she ensured her daughter received a quality education, enrolling her at Middlesex University and personally paying tuition fees in foreign currency to secure the academic future she had always envisioned.#newsafro_
