Nigerian singer, Aituaje Iruobe, popularly known as Waje has opened up about becoming pregnant at the age of 16 and raising her daughter alone after the father denied the responsibility.

Recounting the ordeal in an interview on The Honest Bunch podcast, the singer detailed the emotional and logistical struggles of teenage motherhood and how she kept the pregnancy hidden from her mother until the fifth month.

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According to her, when her mother confronted the boy’s family, he flatly denied involvement.

“I was 16. I didn’t tell my mom until about five months. My mom had gone to his family and said, okay, so your son and my daughter… and he was like, no, it’s not him,” she said.

Years later, Waje said the man resurfaced from Canada, claiming he had been young and wanted to meet his daughter.

Speaking further, Waje said she resisted, citing concerns over his stability and potential to disrupt her child’s life.

“Many times when fathers or mothers are protecting their child, it’s because you already know that this person is not stable. This person can come and destabilise the life of the child,” she said.

“He agreed, and I waited and waited. Nine months passed, then years, and he still didn’t do it,” she said.

By the time her daughter turned 18, it was too late for him to file for her.

“She turned 18 and you can’t file for a child at 18. 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 said.

The singer added her main focus has always been her daughter’s well-being and giving her the best opportunities in life.

Waje said: “I had always said that my daughter would get the best education that I can afford. So I told him, “You are a citizen, file for your child.”