Eniola Ajao opens up about challenges of being a young mother at 20

By Oluwapelumi Oluwayemi

Popular Nollywood actress and filmmaker, Eniola Ajao, has shared the struggles she faced after becoming pregnant at the age of 20.

In an emotional interview on the Talk To B podcast, Ajao spoke about the intense feelings of isolation she experienced, revealing how she kept her pregnancy hidden from the public due to the fear of judgment and societal expectations.

“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,” Ajao confessed. “You might probably want to die at a point, and you wouldn’t be able to get married again because of the stigma.”

She continued, sharing the intense pressure to conceal her pregnancy from her parents and the public: “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.”

At the time, Ajao was studying at Yaba College of Technology (Yabatech) when she found out she was pregnant. The actress revealed that only close friends and family were aware of her situation, as she feared being labeled a “baby mama” and stigmatized for not conforming to societal norms.

Ajao noted, “Omotola got married at 18, a lot of people married at 17, but where I come from, they want you to graduate, and do a couple of things.”