Timaya Says Marriage Is Overrated: ‘Just Have Kids

According to Ireporter Online, Nigerian singer Timaya has sparked widespread discussion after a video surfaced showing him offering relationship advice to fellow artistes. In the clip, the singer suggested that having children without getting married might be a better approach, arguing that many marriages fail to stand the test of time.

Just born pikin, pikin go grow. This marriage thing no dey work,” Timaya stated, drawing laughter and mixed reactions from those present. Born in Port Harcourt, Rivers State in 1980, Timaya has been candid about his disinterest in formalizing his relationships.

In a 2024 interview on Naija FM, he revealed that he has never felt the need to get married despite having children. While marriage has never appealed to him personally, he noted that his perspective could potentially change in the future.

Rising to fame in the mid-2000s with hits like Dem Mama, Timaya is a father of four children from three different women. His daughters, Emmanuella and Gracey, were born in 2012 and 2015 to interior designer Barbara Fumnaya Nwaokolo. He later welcomed a son, Emmanuel, in 2018 with Tamar, and a fourth child, Maya, in 2020 with businesswoman Dunnie Onasanya.

In previous interviews, Timaya has described fatherhood as one of the most rewarding aspects of his life, emphasizing that while he may not prioritize marriage, he values his role as a parent deeply.