Reality TV star Uriel Oputa has said that it is difficult to find a decent man in Nigeria, especially for single women in their 30s and 40s.
The former Big Brother Naija housemate made this known during a chat on Outside the Box, where she opened up about her struggles with dating and societal pressure on women to marry early.
“Age shaming is such a real thing in Nigeria, and I have been so vocal about it. Because a lot of women in their 30s and their 40s feel like they’re expired milk. It is hard to date a Nigerian man. I don’t understand why they’re so complicated,” she said.
The 36-year-old added that many attractive and accomplished women remain unmarried because of men’s mindset.
“You’ll see a woman in Nigeria now, she’ll be 35. Some of them are even 40, 41, 42. They’re still single, fine girls. It’s hard to find a decent man in Nigeria, and it boils down to the fact that we have a culture of ‘there’s always something better. There’s nothing better,’” she added.
Uriel also recalled a bad experience she had after rushing into a relationship out of desperation to get married.
“Two years ago, I was desperate to get married, and then I met somebody, and that guy showed me pepper—crocodile pepper,” she said.
The fitness enthusiast, who featured in the 2017 edition of Big Brother Naija, stated that the culture of constantly searching for something better is one of the major reasons many women remain single.
“It boils down to the culture of always finding something better, which is a lie, as there is nothing better outside,” she said.
Uriel, who is also a chef and entrepreneur, had earlier spoken out against the pressure placed on women, especially regarding marriage. In a post on Instagram, she advised people to stop tapping into other people’s blessings and focus on minding their business.
“Stop tapping into people’s blessings and learn to mind your business,” she wrote.
She also revealed in a previous interview that she never believed she would win Big Brother Naija because of her outspoken personality.
“Going into the Big Brother house in 2017, I always knew I wouldn’t win. I went to the house not to win. Nigerians don’t like real people; they don’t like people who will tell you as it is. We like to pretend in this country. I am me, and I will always tell it like it is. People don’t like to hear the truth, and I will tell you the truth,” she said.
In July 2024, Uriel shared that she was once homeless in Lagos and had to spend as much as N150,000 daily on short-let apartments just to maintain appearances on social media.
