Omanghana
Nigerian highlife singer Flavour has spoken candidly about a difficult period in his early adulthood when he struggled with compulsive masturbation for about two years.
The musician, whose real name is Chinedu Okoli, made the disclosure during a TikTok Live conversation with fans and friends. He reflected on his early sexual experiences, the shame he felt and his attempts to seek help before overcoming the habit.
Flavour said the struggle began after he lost his virginity at the age of 24 and was unable to maintain contact with the woman involved.
According to him, mobile phones were not readily available at the time, so they exchanged email addresses. He repeatedly visited a cybercafé to contact her but received no response and eventually abandoned the effort.
“After getting disvirgined at 24, I began to look for the girl that disvirgined me, but at that time, there was no phone,” he recalled.
The singer said he had never previously been in a serious relationship and struggled to understand how to manage the emotions and sexual desires that followed the encounter.
He eventually confided in a friend, who introduced him to adult-themed Mapouka dance videos. Flavour said watching the material contributed to a habit that soon became difficult for him to control.
As the problem worsened, the singer said he became physically exhausted and overwhelmed by shame. He found it difficult to discuss the matter with his parents and began searching for someone he trusted.
“I was so ashamed and needed to talk to someone. I was looking for someone to talk to because it is not something you can go to your dad or mum to talk about,” he said.
Flavour later approached his mother’s pastor, who gave him Bible passages, prayer points and a 21-day program involving fasting. Although he initially followed the spiritual exercise, he said he relapsed within days after attending a performance.
The setback led him to seek help from an older Cameroonian bassist in his band. Flavour said he finally found the courage to explain that he had been struggling with the habit continuously for approximately two years.
According to the singer, the band member offered advice about his sexual life and later introduced him to commercial sex. Flavour claimed that his masturbation stopped after he began having sexual encounters.
His account reflects his personal experience and should not be considered professional medical or psychological advice. People dealing with compulsive sexual behavior may benefit from speaking with a qualified healthcare professional or counsellor.
Flavour described the period as one of the lowest moments of his life but said opening up to others eventually helped him confront it.
The singer later rose to national prominence with “Nwa Baby (Ashawo Remix),” released in 2010. The song became one of Nigeria’s most recognizable contemporary highlife records and helped establish him as a major figure in African music.
Source: Omanghana
