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“Marriage and children are not life achievements” — Actress Tayo Adeniyi tells women

Yvonne Nyarko Agyemang August 10, 2026 3 min read

Nollywood actress Tayo Adeniyi, has sparked a conversation about society’s expectations of women, urging those who are unmarried or without children not to measure their worth by marriage or motherhood.

In a video shared on social media, Adeniyi challenged women, particularly those approaching their 40s, to stop allowing the pressure to marry or have children to dictate their choices and happiness.

The actress, who has featured in several Yoruba-language productions and has also ventured into film production, said women should not sacrifice their peace or remain in unhealthy situations simply because they fear being unmarried or childless.

“Please, de-centre marriage. You do not have to get married and you do not have to have kids also. If you’re in your 40s and you’ve tried your best to find a man to be married or perhaps you’re married and you haven’t got any kids, please, I beg you, you can be whole without these things. You can be a whole you without having kids, without having a man in your life. Just get your life together. A whole life doesn’t have to be with a man or with kids,” she said.

Adeniyi further cautioned women against tolerating what she described as unacceptable treatment merely to maintain a relationship or secure the status of being married.

“Don’t put up with nonsense because you want to be married or because you want to have children. Don’t. It’s not worth it. Don’t go out of your way to have these things. If it does not come naturally, let it go. Trust me, if it’s going to happen, it will happen and if it is not happening, there’s absolutely nothing you can do to make it happen,” she added.

She maintained that fulfilment can come through several aspects of life and does not depend exclusively on having a spouse or children.

“You can be happy without children. You can be happy without a husband. Life has changed. Seasons have changed,” she said.

In a follow-up Instagram post, Adeniyi clarified that her call to “decentralise” marriage and children was not an attack on either institution, but rather an appeal for women to build identities that extend beyond them.

“Decentralising marriage and children means refusing to make them the center of your worth. They can be beautiful blessings, but they are not the only measure of a meaningful life. Purpose, peace, service, growth, and love also create a life that matters. Please love yourself first, you are enough,” she wrote.

Her remarks have reopened a familiar debate over the pressure placed on women to marry and become mothers, with Adeniyi’s central argument being that neither marriage nor motherhood should become a condition for a woman to consider her life successful.

Watch the video below:

Source: Yvonne Nyarko Agyemang 

Yvonne Nyarko Agyemang