Timaya Speaks Bluntly on Marriage: “Just Have a Child Together — This Marriage Thing Doesn’t Work”
Timaya has gone viral after suggesting that couples should just have children instead of getting married, saying "this marriage thing no dey work." Read the full story and public reactions.
Veteran Nigerian dancehall artist and Dem Mama Records boss Timaya has once again proven that he is not one to mince words when it comes to matters of love, relationships, and marriage — this time dropping a controversial opinion that has set Nigerian social media firmly ablaze.
In a video that has rapidly circulated across X, Instagram, and WhatsApp, the Port Harcourt-born entertainer offered his candid and characteristically unfiltered take on the institution of marriage, suggesting that couples are better off simply having children together rather than formalising their union through wedlock. “Just born pikin, the pikin go grow, this marriage thing no dey work,” he stated bluntly, delivering the line with the kind of calm conviction that made it clear he was not speaking carelessly but sharing a position he has seemingly arrived at through lived experience.
The comment, while brief, landed like a thunderclap across Nigerian online communities, where marriage remains a deeply cultural, religious, and social cornerstone. Within hours of the clip circulating, his name had become one of the most searched and discussed topics on Nigerian Twitter, with users passionately divided between those who found his words deeply offensive and those who nodded along in quiet, knowing agreement.
For Timaya, this is not the first time he has publicly questioned the value of formal marriage. The singer, who is a father and has been open in past interviews about the complications of romantic relationships in his life, has previously spoken about love, loyalty, and commitment in ways that challenge conventional expectations. He has consistently positioned himself as someone who values honesty over social performance — and his latest comment fits squarely within that pattern.
Supporters of his view argued that the statistics speak for themselves. Divorce rates are climbing across Nigeria, they noted, and many couples who marry under religious and social pressure end up in deeply unhappy or even toxic unions for years before eventually separating — often at great emotional and financial cost to everyone involved, including the children. For this camp, Timaya was simply saying out loud what many privately believe: that a piece of paper and a ceremony do not automatically guarantee a healthy, lasting partnership.
Critics, however, pushed back hard. Religious leaders and family-oriented commentators were quick to condemn the statement as irresponsible, particularly given Timaya’s platform and influence over younger Nigerians. Many argued that encouraging people to have children outside of marriage without the legal and emotional framework that matrimony provides does a disservice to both women and children, who often bear the greatest vulnerability in informal unions. “This kind of talk normalises instability for children who deserve better,” one widely shared response read.
Women’s voices in the comment sections were particularly nuanced. While some agreed that bad marriages do more harm than good, others pointed out that in a country where unmarried mothers frequently face social stigma and where co-parenting outside of marriage is rarely straightforward, Timaya’s advice — however well-intentioned — does not reflect the reality most Nigerian women navigate daily.
The conversation also quickly expanded beyond Timaya himself into a broader national reckoning with what marriage means in modern Nigeria. Questions about whether young people are being pressured into matrimony before they are emotionally or financially ready, whether cultural expectations are clashing with changing relationship values, and whether the church and society are doing enough to prepare couples for the realities of life together all found their way into the debate.
Timaya has not issued any follow-up statement clarifying or walking back his remarks. Knowing his history, it is unlikely he will. He has always been the kind of artist who says what he feels, faces the storm, and moves on unbothered.
But the conversation he has sparked this time cuts closer to the bone than most. In a society where marriage is not just a personal decision but a community event, a religious obligation, and a social milestone, telling people to simply “just born pikin” is not just a hot take — it is a direct challenge to some of the most deeply held values in Nigerian life. And whether people agree with him or not, Timaya has done what he has always done best: made sure nobody is talking about anything else.
