Popular Nigerian singer Tiwa Savage has opened up about the challenges female artistes face in the music industry, revealing that some are pressured into exchanging sex for opportunities.

Speaking at a panel organised by Entertainment Week Africa, Savage recounted experiences where she was told to meet influential male executives personally before being booked for shows.

She also disclosed a personal encounter where she lost an endorsement deal for refusing to go on a holiday to Dubai with one of the company’s co-owners.

Reflecting on the incident, Savage said it made her realise that some executives value her body over her talent. She explained:
“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 highlights ongoing concerns about sexual exploitation and gender inequality in the Nigerian entertainment industry.