Nigerian singer Waje has shared a deeply personal chapter of her life, revealing that she became pregnant at 17 years old and had to navigate the experience largely on her own.
Speaking during an appearance on The Honest Bunch Podcast, the award-winning vocalist recounted the emotional and social challenges she faced as a teenage mother — from hiding her pregnancy for months to being denied by her child’s father.
“I was 17 when I got pregnant and I didn’t tell my mum till I was about five months gone,” Waje said.
“When they approached the father’s family, he denied responsibility, insisting, ‘It’s not him, it’s not him,’ making it his word against mine.”
The singer explained that years later, the man resurfaced, expressing remorse and a desire to reconnect with their daughter.
“At some point, he returned and expressed remorse, saying, ‘I was young, I wasn’t quite mature then but now I would love to meet my daughter. I’m sorry Vivian, but this child needs to know who her dad is,’” Waje said.
According to her, she initially resisted the idea — not out of bitterness, but because she was concerned about stability in her daughter’s life.
“When single parents restrict access to the other parent, it’s often because that person could destabilize the child’s life,” she explained.
Waje said she eventually agreed to allow a reunion but on certain conditions.
“I told him, ‘You are a citizen in Canada, so file for your child,’” she said, adding that her daughter was not interested in obtaining citizenship at the time. The two later agreed to a DNA test, but she said the man delayed the process and eventually stopped communicating around 2015.
