Actress and fashion entrepreneur Temi Otedola, daughter of billionaire businessman Femi Otedola, has opened up on why she chose to adopt her husband’s surname after marriage.
Temi, who recently updated her social media bio to “Temi Ajibade” following her wedding to Afrobeats singer Mr Eazi, said the decision was entirely personal.
“I’m now a married woman, the obvious thing for me is to take my husband’s name. But it’s my personal choice. I respect everybody’s personal choice. It’s what I’m comfortable and happy doing, but I also respect a woman’s ability to choose,” she said in an interview with the BBC on Wednesday.
Explaining her preference for keeping her relationship private, she noted that it allowed her to shape her own story.
“I think it’s more about owning your own narrative. There’s something about moving in silence that allows you to have certain control over things. It allows you to build the narrative you want and share when you feel ready to share, and in the way you want to share it,” she added.
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On her father’s newly released book, Temi said it offered valuable lessons about his decades in business and personal life.
“My dad has a wealth of wisdom and I’ve been very fortunate as his daughter to learn from him growing up. But I believe he thought it was time that the rest of the world also learn and understand his journey as an entrepreneur and as a businessman,” she said.
She acknowledged her privileged upbringing, stressing the importance of being open about it.
“Oh, absolutely. You will never hear me on record saying it doesn’t. I think it’s very important for people who are privileged, especially people who are born into privilege, to acknowledge that leg up they’ve gotten in life,” she stated.
Temi added that her father’s decision not to hand his children roles in his companies helped them discover their own paths.
“Initially, I was disappointed because of course me and my sisters thought one of us would take after daddy. But it turned out to be a blessing because he encouraged us to forge our own paths,” she explained.
According to her, her father’s resilience through difficult times has remained her greatest source of inspiration.
