Nigerian Afrobeat superstar Tiwa Savage has revealed that she lost an endorsement deal after refusing to accompany the owner of a company on a trip to Dubai.
Speaking during a panel organised by Entertainment Week Africa, Tiwa shared her experiences regarding the pressures female artistes often face in exchange for career opportunities in the Nigerian music industry. She identified such advances as one of the major challenges for women in the sector.
Tiwa explained that the incident made her realise that some executives value physical appearance over talent:
“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.”
Her revelation sheds light on the ongoing gender-based challenges in the Nigerian entertainment industry and underscores the need for safer, more equitable working environments for female artistes.
