Bolanle Ninalowo Opens Up on Healing: ‘I Didn’t Know How to Love or Value Myself’

Nollywood actor Bolanle Ninalowo has opened up about his journey towards healing and self-love, revealing that years of putting others first left him struggling to understand his own worth.

Ninalowo shared the reflection on Instagram, saying he now feels deeply fulfilled whenever people point out how much he loves himself. He described self-love as one of the most meaningful parts of his life today.

The actor said his earlier approach to relationships was shaped by people-pleasing, over-giving and constantly prioritising others. He also acknowledged that extreme codependency had become part of his life for many years.

According to Ninalowo, the experience eventually forced him to confront an uncomfortable truth during his healing process: he had not learned how to properly value or love himself.

He explained that some of what he previously understood as love was actually attachment. Recognising the difference, he said, has changed the way he views himself and his emotional well-being.

“I didn’t know how to love or value myself. What I once called Love was, in many ways, simply attachment,” Ninalowo said.

The actor has increasingly spoken publicly about personal growth, mental health and major changes in his life. His reflections come after his divorce in 2023, a period during which he has shared several personal lessons about relationships and self-discovery.

For Ninalowo, the healing journey appears to have shifted his focus from constantly seeking to please others to making self-love and personal well-being a central part of his life.