Veteran Nollywood actress, Tina Mba, has cautioned emerging actresses against sacrificing their careers for romantic relationships or marriage, stressing the importance of preserving one’s professional identity after tying the knot.
Speaking during an interview on Lights, Camera – It’s My Turn, Mba emphasized that women in the film industry should not feel compelled to abandon their passion, especially when their partners were aware of their profession from the outset.
She highlighted the importance of recognizing controlling behavior early in relationships and encouraged honest, pre-marital discussions about future career expectations.
“He met you, an actor; he married you, an actor; there was no issue of you are going to leave this job if we were going to get married because I am insecure or because we need to raise our children. No discussion or whatever,” she said. “Then you got married thinking that now you are going to fly, and then the man comes and tells you, ‘No, you’re going to sit.’”
Mba advised women not to ignore red flags and urged them to take proactive steps to protect their ambitions.
“See, the signs are always there. Don’t ignore it. Watch him, watch her. You need to have a discussion with the person. If need be, you need to sign an undertaken that you would not make me leave my career. Because did he leave his job?”
The actress, now in her late 50s, acknowledged the value of marriage but maintained that it should never come at the cost of personal growth or fulfillment. “Marriage is important but nobody put a gun to my head or to your head to do it. There are so many people in this world. If this didn’t work, another may work,” she said. “You will meet a soulmate, someone who will be there for you through it all. Just be true to yourself. Don’t go for the dazzles, be an antique babe like me.”
Tina Mba, born in Delta State and originally from Enugu, is the first of seven siblings. She is a single mother of two — Tania and Joseph.
