Nigerian singer Waje has opened up about getting pregnant at the age of 16 and how the father of her child denied responsibility for the pregnancy.
Speaking on The Honest Bunch Podcast, the award-winning vocalist shared intimate details about her early life as a teenage mother and the emotional challenges she faced at the time.
According to Waje, she hid the pregnancy from her mother for about five months. When her mother eventually found out, she confronted the young man’s family — but instead of taking responsibility, he denied being the father.
“In Igbo land, when a child is born out of wedlock, the family automatically adopts the child,” Waje recalled. “So my mom just told him, ‘Okay, since it’s not you, the child is mine now.’”
The singer revealed that years later, the man resurfaced, claiming he wanted to reconnect with their daughter. Although she initially refused, Waje said she later agreed on the condition that he would legally fight for his child’s rights as a Canadian citizen to help secure a better education for her.
However, the reunion didn’t go as planned.
“He agreed to a DNA test, and I waited and waited. Nine months passed, then years, and he still didn’t do it,” she said. “By the time my daughter turned 18, it was too late for him to file for her.”
Expressing her frustration, Waje admitted she felt disappointed by his actions.
“I was mad because now she’s in university and I’m paying school fees in dollars. You can’t be calling me to say you want to send $200. We could have avoided all this,” she added.
Despite the challenges, the “I Wish” crooner emphasized that her primary focus has always been her daughter’s happiness and giving her the best life possible.
