Popular singer Tiwa Savage has said that one of the biggest problems female musicians face in Nigeria is being asked for sex in exchange for opportunities.
Speaking at a panel during Entertainment Week Africa, she explained that some people in the industry have asked her to visit powerful male executives before she could be allowed to perform at certain events.
She also shared that she once lost a brand endorsement because she refused to travel to Dubai with one of the company’s owners.
According to Tiwa, these experiences made her realise that some people in the industry care more about a woman’s body than her talent.
She said, “I was told that if I didn’t go and see a certain chairman in person, I wouldn’t be allowed to perform. I also lost an endorsement deal because I refused to go to Dubai with a man who partly owned the company. That was when I understood that they didn’t value my talent — only my body, which I was using as part of my brand. In the end, it hurt me because that was all they were paying attention to.”
