I’m not under any pressure to get married –Empress Njamah

In a chat that speaks to many unspoken concerns of female actresses in Nigeria, Empress Njamah, has expressed why marriage may not be  an easy venture for a Nollywood actress after all.

She told Saturday Beats that for popular actresses like herself, their love interests may be someone who is limelight-shy.

Asked how it makes her feel when people ask her why she had not yet married,

she said, “I feel like a woman who is not yet married.”

“I am a realist. I am not the kind of woman who thinks that things just come to you. It will come at some point. It is not easy for people like us in the limelight unlike others. What kills us sometimes, is wanting to be perfect. A lot of people who fancy you probably don’t fancy being in the news.”

She opined that there is a lot of deception about the trend of “Baby Mamas” in the industry.

Empress Njamah said, “Most of them, who pretend that they are happy about being ‘Baby Mamas’ go home and feel sorry for themselves  wishing that have a proper man.

“I have friends who feel that they have got to a certain age and they are not taken. These days, there are 30 women to a man. There is no pressure on me for not being married because I come from an enlightened family.

“Most of the things happening in the industry are not encouraging. This week, you are happy and have a big wedding, the next, you have broken up. What is the essence?”

It is pointing out the obvious to say the actress has been featured in the past in films when she was like a queen of the silver screen.

She said she has not abandoned acting though.

She said, “It will be very unfair for me to abandon what actually gave me the name Empress Njamah. The industry does not have an expiry date no matter what age one gets to. One can still play a role.

“I grew up with legends, I learnt from Olu Jacobs, Joke Silva. My brothers are still in the industry as well. At some point, a lot of things started going on in the industry and one could not just fold hands and let these go on.

“I did not take a break. At some point, I had to concentrate on my House of Empress, boutique and shoe line. The only thing is that we try to get good scripts and do business along with this.  It is not about being all over the place that makes one a good actor. My foundation also takes a lot of my time.”

 by Nonye Ben-Nwankwo, Kunle Falayi and Eric Dumo