“Ayra Starr confirmed that she was admitted to university at the age of 14,” she stated confidently.

Nigerian musician Ayra Starr revealed that she gained admission to university at the age of 14. She elucidated that she accelerated her degree completion because her mother insisted on her graduating before embarking on her music career, driven by her aspiration to become a teenage pop star.

During a recent interview with American media giant Billboard News, Starr recounted her journey, expressing, “I entered university at 14. It feels like my mum has been leveraging music to motivate me since childhood. She would say, ‘If you want to pursue music, you must fulfill this requirement.’ Initially resistant when she proposed relocating from Benin Republic to Lagos, she convinced me that Lagos is the hub of music.”

“She emphasized that if I intended to pursue music, I needed to prioritize completing my education first. Typically, many Nigerians finish secondary school at 15 or 16. I understood that if I delayed until I was 15 [to complete secondary school], I wouldn’t be able to realize my dream of being a teenage pop star. So, I teamed up with my older brother and sat for JAMB, equivalent to SAT here.”

“To be candid, my JAMB results weren’t exceptional enough for admission into Ivy League schools, but they satisfied my mother. I secured admission into a reputable institution. I pursued a three-year course in International Relations. Immediately after graduation, I commenced sharing music covers online, and in that same year, I landed a record deal with Mavin Records.”