Tems Speaks Out on Gender Bias in Nigerian Music Industry

• Tems opined that women are often not respected and recalled struggling to be taken seriously at the start of her career simply because of her gender.

• She urged aspiring female musicians to be clear about their goals, define their brand, and set firm boundaries

Grammy-winning singer Temilade Openiyi, popularly known as Tems, has expressed concern over how women are treated in the Nigerian music industry.

She said women are often not respected and recalled struggling to be taken seriously at the start of her career simply because of her gender.

Tems noted that this lack of respect creates extra hurdles for female artistes, making it harder for them to gain recognition and succeed.

“People don’t really respect women in the [music] industry,” Tems stated in a recent interview with BBC.

The Love Me Jeje hitmaker said she wants “to change the way women see themselves in music”, and hopes to achieve this through her new platform, The Leading Vibe Initiative.

Tems explained that the initiative is aimed at giving women easier access to platforms and “a wider audience and success.”

She urged aspiring female musicians to be clear about their goals, define their brand, and set firm boundaries: “What are the things that you wouldn’t do for fame and the things that you would do?”