On the heels of a recent revelation by his Royal Majesty, Ooni Adeyeye Ogunwusi that he once hawked wares on his way to economic independence, Gboyega Alaka catalogues a few notable Nigerian celebrities, who once pounded the streets with goods on their head.
Ooni of Ife, Oba Adeyeye Ogunwusi’s recent declaration that he once hawked biscuits, sugar and vegetables in the market came a bit as a surprise to many, considering his royal background, pre-monarchical economic status, which was by no means low; and present royal status. But it no doubt goes a long way in reinforcing the fact that hawking is a part of the African culture, and can only be regulated but not eradicated.
Speaking at an Ife Youth Empowerment Economic Summit, which he co-sponsored with another Ife indigene and prince, Senator Babajide Omoworare, in Ile Ife, Osun State recently, the 41-year-old monarch charged the youths to take the bull by the horn and liberate themselves from the shackles of poverty. To buttress his point, he told them the amazing story of his early struggles in life and little beginning. “What was it that I didn’t sell? Except human parts. I sold biscuits, vegetable oil, rice, sugar, name it. I kept on working. The going was rough and tough but I was not deterred.”
He said it was in the course of his persistence and gradual growth that he started meeting business juggernauts like Africa’s richest man, Aliko Dangote, Dr. Adeleke, emirs and co.
Ooni Ogunwusi is however not the only celebrity who have confessed to once combing the streets, peddling their wares for survival earnings. Popular radio personality, comedian and television act, Steve Onu aka Yaw once revealed how he “sold ice water and soft drinks” at Yaba market and even did bus conductor for a while just to survive.”
Yaw, who became a household name as a presenter on the then novel Wazobia FM radio revealed his grass to grace story on his Instagram account. He wrote of how as the seventh child in a family of ten siblings, he came to Lagos to seek greener pastures; how he used to trek long distances, struggled to take a diploma at the Lagos State University, hustled from show to show and eventually went back to do a degree programme in Theatre Arts in 2000.
He wrote: “I sold ice water at Yaba market, did bus conductor once in a while just to survive with a friend called Mutiu. Joining the movie industry wasn’t easy in 1995, I remember days of walking from Kilo to Fadeyi or walking from Utziz Garden near 23rd to Mile 2, and taking a bus to Oshodi, from there take Molue to Iyana Ipaja & from the bus stop; I’d trek to my aunt’s place in Alimosho.”
In the same vein, sonorous gospel singer, actress and Nollywood soundtrack producer, Tope Alabi once told a soft sell newsmagazine how she hawked raw eggs, rice, garri and stuff as a child before going to school every day.
Her words: “Aside acting, I hawked raw eggs, rice and stew before going to school in Ewutu Grammar School. It was in Ibadan that I sold boiled egg.”
Alabi, who initially made a name for herself in acting, said she chose music over acting when the late movie producer and actor Alade Aromire implored her to do a song for a movie he had written, but said the early days were anything but easy.
Another top Nigerian celebrity who once confessed to hawking is former Super Eagles Skipper Austin Jay-Jay Okocha. Like a man not ashamed of his humble beginning, Jay-Jay has spoken severally of how he hawked oranges amongst other things, while growing up on the streets of Enugu.
Like every other kid, Jay-Jay said food was about the only thing he cared about and that he used to sell oranges on the streets of Enugu after school, to support his mom’s business and keep the family going. Looking back, Jay-Jay however expressed gratitude that his success with the round leather game changed all that.
Another football sensation whose background reflects humility is Watford FC of England’s goal poacher, Odion Ighalo. Ighalo, whose father, Pa Paul Ighalo owned a bakery in the heart of Ajegunle, hawked bread along with his other siblings in ‘Jungle city’ to support the family business. This much reporters found out during a recent condolence visit to the family house in Ajegunle, on the occasion of the passing away of his father.
It was reported the late Pa Ighalo, who was reputed for his disciplinary nature ensured that the children hawked bread as part of business training and also to augment the family income and ensure little waste in the perishable product.
One of the siblings was however quoted to have said it was all fun for them. “For us kids, it was great fun hawking bread.”
Okocha and Ighalo are just two of Nigerian football sensations who rose from humble backgrounds to hit it big on the global stage with their God-given talent.
But this list would not be complete without a peek into the world of some Nigerian music and movie stars, who have also confessed to trekking the streets of Lagos and other Nigerian towns and cities (where) they grew up), plying goods on their heads or hands and trying to rake in income to make ends meet.
One of them is ‘Girlie o’ crooner, Patrick Nnaemeka Okorie aka Patoranking. Patoranking, who said the story of his humble beginning and rise to fame is one he is always happy to recount, said he grew up in the ghetto and in deep poverty. Aside revealing that music eventually took over his initial ambition to read Information Technology, Patoranking has also revealed that he sold rat killers amongst other stuff in the perennially thick Lagos traffic along Kingsway Road, Ikoyi, to survive.
Said Patoranking in an interview he granted an online magazine recently, “I belong to the group that lived in poverty. I wanted to go to school to read Information Technology but I was not opportuned. I just had to pursue music. Life in the ghetto offers you few options. It’s either I did music or I would have been on the headlines of that popular TV program, that showcases robbers; Crime Fighters. I was determined to come out of poverty. Being the first child of the family, I needed to change the face for my family. So I did a lot of hustling. Rat killer was one of the few things I hawked on the streets of Lagos. I hawked on the popular Kingsway road in Ikoyi close to Golden gate. I sold rat killer in traffic and other types of ‘runs’ just to make ends meet while I pursued my dream of doing music.”
Multi-talented actor and winner, Best Supporting Actor, AMVCA (Africa Movie Viewers Choice’ Award) 2015, Chidozie ‘Sambassa’ Nzeribe is another celebrity, who has been through rough patches before attaining stardom. Shortly after winning the coveted award, Nzeribe, who said he grew up in Isolo, a suburb of Lagos and lost both his parents at a relatively young age, told reporters that he hawked virtually everything, from fufu to puff-puff.
He said, “There is nothing we didn’t sell to make some money. I hawked fufu, vegetable and puff-puff on the streets of Isolo. My mother was also a drama teacher and choir instructor at our parish, St. Mary Catholic Church, Isolo. And I was a part of the drama and music group. There I developed love for music and drama. But sadly, she died of fibroid related issues when I was rounding-off my secondary school education. Thank God the Catholic Women Organisation (CWO) took up the responsibility of training me and my siblings via their Orphans’ Scholarship Scheme. They saw me through secondary school after which I wrote JAMB and gained admission to study Creative Arts at the University of Lagos (UNILAG) and here I am today.”
2015 winner of N7.5million Nigerian Idol TV Reality show, K-Peace, real name Olakunle Ogunrombi had also spoken of how he hawked gala, chin-chin, pure water and soft drinks in traffic, to ease financial pressure after losing his father.
K-Peace, who also won an all-expense-paid trip to Dubai and a Hyundai Sports
Utili
ty Vehicle that year, said he came from a family of five, where all were well-cared for, until his engineer father lost his job and eventually passed on.
During this tough period, K-Peace said he “covered from Mile 2 to Maza-maza and Alakija, selling chin-chin. I later started selling gala, pure water and soft drinks around the “Chopping Centre” neighbourhood of Festac Town.”
The list definitely is endless, but it nevertheless reiterates the depth of the culture of hawking in most below average Nigerian families and the fact that the end ultimately justifies the means.
