Why I allowed my 18-year-old daughter pierce her nav3l — Actor Bolanle Ninalowo

Renowned Nollywood actor, Bolanle Ninalowo, has opened up about his decision to support his daughter, Aliyah, in piercing her navel, citing the move as a step to strengthen their bond.

In an interview with media personality VJ Adams, Ninalowo shared the story behind the choice.

He revealed that Aliyah, who recently turned 18, had initially expressed a desire to pierce her tongue. However, he felt uncomfortable with the idea and suggested an alternative. He said she eventually proposed a navel piercing, which he approved because it can be easily removed.

He added that he wanted to maintain a strong bond with his daughter, which was why he agreed to her request, drove her to the appointment, and covered the cost.
“I remember one day my daughter woke me up and said she wanna get a tongue ring, and I took a moment to think then I said, ‘Yo Aliyah, a tongue ring, I wouldn’t want to kiss a girl with a tongue ring but think about something else,’ and she was like okay, I will think about it,” he said.

“So she came back and said, ‘I now know what I want, I could get a belly button ring,’ and I am like that is more like it because you can remove it anytime. I drove her there myself. As much as I would rather not want that, but that was an opportunity for me to connect, so I would not stop that.”

Last year, Ninalowo announced the end of his marriage to Bunmi, citing irreconcilable differences. They share two children: Aliyah, their eldest, and Morakinyo, their only son.