Laide Bakare
Nollywood actress, Laide Bakare, has encouraged career-driven women to focus on having children early rather than prioritising marriage if they want long-term success.
In an interview with Nollywood On Radio, Laide shared her perspective on balancing family and career, stating that starting a family early can give women the freedom to focus on their careers later in life.
“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,” Bakare said.
However, she clarified that her advice isn’t necessarily about marriage but about starting a family.
“I know getting married early may lead to divorce, but I mean starting a family early. Maybe I should retract that because I do not mean marriage. I never thought of marriage when I had my first child, I just wanted a baby,” Bakare explained, urging young women to consider having children without feeling the pressure to get married first.
Bakare, who has had two marriages, drew from her own life experience. She had her first child, a daughter named Simi, in 2008 with her former husband, Olumide Kunfulire.
In 2013, she married Lagos socialite Tunde Oriowo, with whom she has two sons. Reflecting on her journey, she believes that starting a family early allowed her to focus on her career while still fulfilling her desire for motherhood.