For top Nigerian singer, Tiwa Savage, the reality of giving birth to a baby boy made her feel like her career was destroyed and not that excited over the gender as she preferred a female child.
Speaking in an interview with YouTuber Korty EO, Tiwa Savage said that she had always wanted a girl, which made it tough to bond with her son for two years.
She recalled being dropped by a brand due to how childbirth affected her looks and feeling like her son had destroyed her career.
She said in hindsight that she is now grateful because her son has become her best friend.
“Honestly, I didn’t bond with my son for the first year or two. I always wanted a girl. They told me it was a boy, and I started crying.
“So, when he came he was always crying and my body didn’t snap back. I looked horrible. I was supposed to do a campaign with Pepsi at the time and they turned me away. And I just thought this boy has destroyed me. But now, he is my best friend,” Savage said.
The singer said she always advised her son to treat women right because of how she suffered in wrong relationships.
“I always tell him, you mum suffered oo, make sure you treat any girl like a queen. It is very important for me to raise him as a good man. He is going to make mistakes, he is not perfect. But at the core of him, I want him to be kind,” she added.
Tiwa Savage gave birth to her son, Jamil Balogun, in July 2015 with then-husband Tunji Balogun, and he turned 10 in July 2025.
