GENEVIEVE: HOW I MANAGED PREGNANCY AT 17

“While I was still in secondary school, I became pregnant at 17.

In those days, it was not something people talked about openly. I felt ashamed. I felt like everyone was judging me. In our society, being a teenage mother was seen as a big mistake.

When my daughter was born, I knew my life had changed forever. But I also knew I could not give up on myself.

I moved to the East to stay with relatives so I could finish my last two years of school while raising my baby. It was not easy at all. I was just a young girl trying to be strong for another human being.

Some nights I cried. Some days I felt alone. But I kept telling myself, “You must finish what you started.”

After I graduated, I returned to Lagos with my school results and my daughter. I started going for auditions. I entered the film industry quietly, just looking for opportunities.

I got small roles at first, including my early break in the TV series Ripples.

Step by step, I grew. I worked hard. I stayed focused. I was not just chasing fame — I was building a better life for my child.

That young single mother later became the woman people now call the Queen of Nollywood”