Seyi Shay: Why Every Girl Needs a Father Figure

Singer Seyi Shay says girls with father figures are more stable and better equipped for life, criticises agenda downplaying men’s role in families

Award-winning Nigerian singer and songwriter Seyi Shay has opened up about the profound impact a father figure can have on a girl child, describing it as an essential element for emotional stability, personal development, and relationship standards.

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In a candid interview on the Honest Bunch podcast, the mother of one criticised what she called an emerging “anti-men agenda” that seeks to downplay the role of fathers in family life.

“Most women that have a father figure are generally more stable growing up,” Seyi Shay said.

She explained that girls who grow up with a supportive father or male role model often have better access to education, stronger moral values, and higher standards when it comes to choosing romantic partners and friendships.

The singer expressed concern over societal narratives that suggest men are no longer necessary in the home, calling it “an agenda” that causes unnecessary division within families.

“This idea that men are not important… I think it’s bullshit,” she said frankly.

“It’s just an agenda placed to create more disparity and division in a home, so that we churn out more broken souls or more lost females and males.”

Seyi Shay also reflected on her own parenting journey, expressing gratitude for becoming a mother later in life, which she believes has made her a more intentional and equipped parent.

“I’m just so very lucky I didn’t have a child when I was like 20 or 23… My daughter would probably grow up to be a mess,” she admitted.

Now a more experienced adult, she considers herself her daughter’s “cheat code,” able to guide her through life using the wisdom gained from her own struggles.

“I can tell her all about guys, all about certain friends… be real and honest with her, and hopefully she will be 10 million times better than me.”

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While acknowledging the resilience of young mothers and women juggling entrepreneurship with parenting, Seyi Shay highlighted the importance of guidance, experience, and emotional maturity in parenting, especially in raising girls.