In a recent episode of her show, “Toke Moments,” popular media personality Toke Makinwa firmly declares that she will not change her surname upon marriage, citing her name as her brand, and highlighting the effort she has invested in establishing it. To support her stance, she reflects on her past marriage to fitness coach Maje Ayida, emphasizing that not adding his surname made things more convenient for her and spared her from the hassle of updating her name on all official documents.
She said …
“I kept my last name when I get married. It was supposed to be Toke Makinwa-Ayida but it was only at home that he called me Mrs Ayida.
“I hope that whoever I end up with next would actually love it because Toke Makinwa is staying. I don’t want to hyphenate. But my kids can bear their father’s surname.
“In my marriage, my bank details, my passport, nothing changed. Imagine what I would have gone through trying to change it back when we got divorce. I have built this brand with my blood, sweat and tears.”