Veteran Nollywood actress Shaffy Bello has spoken about the growing economic pressures facing young women, saying she understands why some resort to transactional relationships, commonly called “runs,” but urged them not to remain in that path permanently.
She made the remarks during a recent appearance on The Morayo Show hosted by Morayo Afolabi-Brown, where she discussed survival struggles, societal expectations, and the difficult choices many young women are forced to make in order to cope financially.
According to her, she does not pass judgment on women who turn to sex work as a means of survival, especially when the motivation is to support family responsibilities.
“And if what you’re doing now is being a runs girl to make money, you don’t have to stay there. I understand it. I’m not knocking you. I never judge,” she said.
Bello explained that in many cases, young women take such steps because they are under pressure to provide for their families or support younger siblings through school.
“If that’s what you have to do right now, if that’s what you have to do to make a living, some girls are doing it because they need to feed mum. They need to send their aburo to school. I understand it,” she added.
However, she emphasized that such choices should not define a person’s long-term identity, encouraging women to move beyond those circumstances when possible.
“However, my darlings, don’t stay there. You are more than that,” she advised.
She also touched on issues of self-worth and the pressure many young women face in the age of social media, where appearance and attention often influence validation.
“There are too many children out there, too many babies that need my voice, that need to hear, ‘No, you don’t have to show your boobs to be sexy.’ That need to hear, ‘No, you don’t have to shake your bum bum to go viral or get attention,’” she said.
