Tiwa Savage, the popular Nigerian singer, has spoken out about a major challenge women face in the Nigerian music industry: the pressure to exchange s*x for career opportunities.
At a panel organised by Entertainment Week Africa, Savage revealed that she had been told to meet influential male executives before being booked for certain shows. She also shared that she once lost an endorsement deal after refusing to go on holiday to Dubai with the company’s co-owner.
Reflecting on these experiences, Savage said, “I had been told that if I don’t go and see ‘this chairman’ personally, I would not be put on a show. I lost an endorsement because I refused to go to Dubai with a man who is one of the owners of the company. That was when I realised that they don’t value my talent but my body, which I was only flaunting as part of branding. It ended up hurting me because that is all they were seeing.”
See post below:
Tiwa Savage speaking about her struggles as a female artist at the Entertainment Week Africa Music Panel with Waje, Qing Madi & Teni:
— “It got to the point that if I don’t go and see this chairman personally, I won’t be put on a show. I lost endorsements because I refused to… pic.twitter.com/nTOyzQUKxS
— NOTJUSTOK (@NOTJUSTOK) November 19, 2025