Features
7 Nigerian celebrities who were once street hawkers
<p><span style="font-size: 14pt;">In this article, I will show you Nigerian celebrities who were once street hawkers. Before some of them rose to stardom, they were once hawking in the street and some of them have publicly spoken up on how it helped their lives.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-size: 14pt;">Street hawking or selling is common to Nigeria and Africa at large. A lot of people resort to street hawking in order to meet their daily needs.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-size: 14pt;">Nowdays, we see street hawkers in big cities, traffic jams and by road sides. In order to make things easier for themselves, street hawkers convey their goods using wheelbarrow, mobile kiosks, table tops and others.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-size: 14pt;">Most common products hawked on the street include bread, Ankara, food items, Gala, Snacks, Soft drinks and others.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-size: 14pt;">Recently, Lagos State government banned street begging and began arrest Beggers, according to <a href="https://www.thisdaylive.com/index.php/2021/08/19/lagos-bans-street-begging-begins-arrest-of-beggars/">ThisDay Live</a> reports. It was learnt that the state government vowed to eradicate street begging in the state by all means.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-size: 14pt;">Lagos State Commissioner for youth and social development, Olusegun Dawodu described street begging as a social vice that cannot be afforded in the state.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-size: 14pt;">He noted that the groups of people turned alms begging and hawking into a huge business by collecting returns from Beggars and hawkers, adding that they assault and rob innocent Lagosians.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-size: 14pt;">Now, some of our Nigerian celebrities have successfully left the street hawking business. Below are the names of Nigerian celebrities who were once street hawkers:</span></p>
<h4><span style="font-size: 14pt;">1. Don Jazzy</span></h4>
<p><img class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-11333" src="https://thedailypage.ng/wp-content/uploads/2021/09/Screenshot_20210909-182939.png" alt="" width="720" height="896" /></p>
<p><span style="font-size: 14pt;">Don Jazzy whose real name is Michael Collins Ajereh is one of the biggest record producer in Nigeria.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-size: 14pt;">The CEO of Mavins Records label was once a street hawker. Taking to micro-blogging platform, Twitter, Don Jazzy tweeted, &#8220;My brother, I dey sell Akara before o. The memory is still fresh in my head. I sold Akamu, Agidi, Fried yam and plantain&#8221;</span></p>
<h4><span style="font-size: 14pt;">2. Mercy Johnson</span></h4>
<p><img class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-11334" src="https://thedailypage.ng/wp-content/uploads/2021/09/Screenshot_20210911-115754.png" alt="" width="720" height="886" /></p>
<p><span style="font-size: 14pt;">Mercy Johnson who is a popular Nigerian actress, philanthropist, and politician, hailed from Okene in Kogi state. </span></p>
<p><span style="font-size: 14pt;">Before she joined the Nollywood movie Industry, she once hawked Sachet water in order to meet her daily needs.</span></p>
<h4><span style="font-size: 14pt;">3. Comedian Holy Mallam</span></h4>
<p><img class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-11336" src="https://thedailypage.ng/wp-content/uploads/2021/09/images-19-3.jpeg" alt="" width="453" height="677" /></p>
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<p><span style="font-size: 14pt;">In 2019, Comedian Holy Mallam revealed in an exclusive interview with Vanguard newspaper, that he was once hawking bread and pure water to make ends meet.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-size: 14pt;">He said that he sold his father&#8217;s house in Festac and moved to Okoko. After he could no longer pay his school fees. He started hawking bread and sometimes his classmates would see him on the streets and laughed at him.</span></p>
<h4><span style="font-size: 14pt;">4. Ibrahim Chatta</span></h4>
<p><img class="aligncenter wp-image-11337 size-full" src="https://thedailypage.ng/wp-content/uploads/2021/09/Screenshot_20210911-115440.png" alt="Nigerian celebrities who were once street hawkers" width="720" height="894" /></p>
<p><span style="font-size: 14pt;">Ibrahim Chatta who was born on October 13th, 1970 in Edo Local Government Area of Kwara state, is a Nigerian Yoruba actor, Writer and producer.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-size: 14pt;">He is also among Nigerian celebrities who were once street hawkers, as he revealed that he had a rough childhood life.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-size: 14pt;">&#8220;I suffered so much while growing up but the truth is that past experiences helps in one way or another. I hawked Ice cream, doughnuts and even worked as a bus conductor. I don&#8217;t have any regrets,&#8221; Ibrahim said.</span></p>
<h4><span style="font-size: 14pt;">5. Model Olajumoke Orisaguna</span></h4>
<p><img class="aligncenter wp-image-11338 size-full" src="https://thedailypage.ng/wp-content/uploads/2021/09/images-21-1.jpeg" alt="Nigerian celebrities who were once street hawkers" width="639" height="480" /></p>
<p><span style="font-size: 14pt;">Olajumoke Orisaguna who is now a mod was once hawking bread on the streets of Lagos. She became popular after she unknowingly walked into a photoshoot session of British rapper, Tinie Temprah,. By Nigerian photographer, Ty Bello for Nigerian&#8217;s This Day magazine.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-size: 14pt;">She was so popular that her story got featured in CNN, BBC Africa and others main streams media.</span></p>
<h4><span style="font-size: 14pt;">6. Biola Adebayo</span></h4>
<p><img class="aligncenter wp-image-11335 size-full" src="https://thedailypage.ng/wp-content/uploads/2021/09/images-20-1.jpeg" alt="Nigerian celebrities who were once street hawkers" width="678" height="452" /></p>
<p><span style="font-size: 14pt;">From bread seller to PhD holder, Biola Adebayo shared her past experience on social media. </span></p>
<p><span style="font-size: 14pt;">Before she joined the Nollywood movie Industry, she hawked different things on the street, lost 4 different admission because she couldn&#8217;t afford to pay and even waited 7 years to finally get admitted into the University.</span></p>
<h4><span style="font-size: 14pt;">7. Sirbalo</span></h4>
<p><img class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-11339" src="https://thedailypage.ng/wp-content/uploads/2021/09/Screenshot_20210911-115007.png" alt="" width="720" height="718" /></p>
<p><span style="font-size: 14pt;">Sirbalo whose real name is Timothy Obotuke was once a Gala and minerals hawker in Lagos between year 2012 and 2013.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-size: 14pt;">Well, Sirbalo is now a popular Comedian and a successful man in the entertainment industry.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-size: 14pt;">Recently, Sirbalo <a href="https://thedailypage.ng/comedian-sirbalo-gifts-his-mum-an-8-bedroom-house/">built a 8 bed room house for his mum</a>, see photos here.</span></p>