Veteran Nollywood actress Lola Idije has cautioned society against placing undue pressure on young women to rush into marriage, asserting that some individuals are simply destined to settle down at 40 or 50.

Speaking during an appearance on the Africanlist Podcast, Idije firmly defended women who shoulder the immense responsibility of raising children without partners, emphasizing that single motherhood is frequently the result of circumstances beyond a person's control.

"Not everybody will have a husband to help them raise their children. So women have to carry their burden alone. Not all of them choose that life," Idije stated.

The veteran film star argued that navigating life without a husband does not make a woman irresponsible. She questioned the cultural obsession with age-based marriage targets, warning that forcing young women into matrimony prematurely increases the risk of choosing the wrong partner.

"If you start pressuring them at 20, how can you be sure that they won’t marry the wrong person?" she queried.

Reflecting on the emotional transformation that accompanies parenthood, Idije concluded that the journey of raising children ultimately softens a woman's outlook.