Top 20 Nigerian Celebrities And Their Grass To Grace Stories: Read & Be Inspired [Part 1]

This article wasn't written by me...it was originally published on nairaland....and it is so inspiring, and I am very sure it will educate and inspire you, so read and enjoy the inspiring stories below:

For many of our celebrities, the road to stardom wasn't a palatable, but they had to forge ahead doggedly and with determination, hard work, consistency and God's help, they were able to make it despite all the challenges they faced.

For many of them, their story is that of transition from grass to grace.
These days, our youths are no more patient. They want to make it just in one day. They want to turn stars over night.

Here are the stories of top Nigerian entertainers who moved from humble beginnings to the top and to affluence. Read and be inspired.

1. OMOTOLA JOLADE EKEINDE- My Mother And I Went To Beg For Money Once

Omotola is a super star actress who has a fulfilling career and family. She made the Times Magazine list of Most Influential People in the world in 2003. But read her grass to grace story below:

"Before my father died, we had a good standard of living.

Immediately my father died, the first thing that came to everybody’s mind is, oh, their standard of living is going to drop. They are going to become very poor. She would probably become a prostitute. So my mum was on edge and under a lot of pressure. She was very uptight, always walking on pins and needles. I am the only girl, first daughter.

So, at a point I was really confused as to how my life was going To go, because there were times when we didn’t have anything to eat. That is the truth.
We are 3- I and my 2 younger brothers, I went through a lot within the time I lost my father and found my feet.

Once, my mother and I went to beg for money in the house of of one prominent Nigerian.
We were so totally hopeless that day. I have never told anybody this before.
We cried all day because my younger brothers school fees was due and we didn’t have money to pay.

There was this man on my street, who is very rich. He is into Oil, Crude Oil. We walked to his house because we didn’t know what else to do.

We sat down at his gate from morning till night, when he came my mother and I sat on the pavement on the floor, by the gutter waiting for him to pull by. I remember that when he got to the gate, he wound down and he recognized my mum from their days at Landlords meeting.

He said Madam what’s your problem. She told him everything.

He said oh I really feel for you.

Maybe we will talk later I am just coming from work and he drove in.

He said I am really tired.

The truth is that we never got anything from him."

2. MERCY JOHNSON OKOJIE- We Moved Into An Uncompleted Building Where We Lived With Lizards

Mercy Johnson is currently the most sought after Nigerian actress, earning about N1.8M per script.
She narrated to Tribune her grass to grace story:

What were your days like as a child?

I was a tomboy. I am the fourth child from a family of seven children. The first four are girls and the last three are boys. So, I actually moved a lot with my brothers, climbing trees and stuff like that. We didn’t get everything we wanted but we got everything we needed. I’m from a very humble background; a Christian family. My dad is an ex-military officer and we basically grew up in a military environment. I attended Navy primary and secondary schools until I went to the Lagos State University.

And how has it been through fame and glamour?

There have been the good and bad times; there have been rumours and scandals. Sometimes when I cry in movies, it isn’t the script that makes me cry.

When I recall my humble beginning, I give thanks to God. When I remember how we moved into an uncompleted building and had to take cover whenever it rained because of the condition of the house; how my brother did a menial job as a bricklayer to earn a living and those days when we rolled over a stick to cover the windows up till the point when I started acting and raised money to cover the roof…

I recall those days we were living with lizards because the floor and the walls of the house were not plastered, or when I had scars as a result of my several falls.

3. RAMSEY NUOAH- I Slept Under Lagos Bridge; We Had Neither Cup Nor Stove

Ramsey is a super star now but things were so rough for him while growing up.
Read one of his interviews below:

Tell us about your growing up?

My growing up was like tasting the two sides of a coin. When I said tasting the two sides of a coin; I mean tasting being a rich man and a poor man. I grew up with my mother, and with a silver spoon, I had it all. When I began to realize that I had good things to show off, everything disappeared. We started from grace to grass; that has helped me a lot because it totally balanced the equation of life. It gives me confidence in all spheres. For instance, I can hang out with the enlightened or the rich. I can mingle with them very easily without any complication or complex whatsoever.
Also, if it is the low class or poor people, I can mingle very easily with them. I can eat a fantastic dinner in a huge, expensive restaurant and I can go eat amala at a buka and I would not feel anything. I don’t care being a popular actor or a role model. I am a role model to everybody.

For you, what was the worst scenario when life was so cruel?

Those were the times when things got really bad for my mother and I and we had nothing. It was so bad that we didn’t have a home or shelter to live in. We had to stay in a store, a small store that could take only one mat. 

My mother and I squeezed ourselves in that mat. We didn’t even have a cup to drink water not to talk of a stove to cook. And my mother had to borrow, beg and stuff like that. These were moments when I was young I didn’t realize the gravity of poverty we were in, I couldn’t tell. But it was a good orientation for me. It was moments that I thank God for making me past through, because that has sustained and helped me even as an actor. The ability to deliver all the roles they give me because I have tasted both sides of the coin.

With all these experiences, what has life taught you?

Life has taught me never to look down on anybody because the person you disregard might just be your saviour tomorrow. I realized that all my mother’s property was washed away by rain. We couldn’t sleep all through the night because of the flood. It was really terrible. Like I said, it is a life lesson.

Is there anything that can make you cry or shed tears after all you passed through?

Yeah, those moments; those terrible moments when we had nothing and we were living off people. People were just helping us out. There were times we didn’t have food to eat three or four days. You haven’t eaten and your stomach is rumbling but you don’t have any place to go. There was a time I lived on the street, in shops. There was a time I slept under the bridge. It was unfortunate that there were no records so that we can have memories we could play back now. To me, I am so extremely grateful that I went through it. At that time I hated everybody around me. In fact, I used to question why God was doing this to me. But I think God knew that I needed this for my future.

4. PSQUARE- I Once Worked As A Supermarket Attendant & Paul Did Some Electrical Repairs For Pay.

They top the list of biggest artistes in Africa now. 

But read their grass to grace story from a past interview they granted after their mum's demise:

"We have our poverty story, however. Yes, in our own way, we experienced poverty. It was very bad. Our mother used to sell pap and our father was trying to set up his bakery. After school, we all would go to the bakery to see how we could help out. When you have six boys and two girls living in a one-room apartment, that should tell you how bad it was. The kids live in the living room, where there were two beds and my parents had their own room, where they stayed with our sisters. Paul and I are the last boys.

I remembered in a day I cannot spend up to N100, breakfast N30, lunch and supper get the same budget, the remaining N10 for pure water. To survive, I once worked as a supermarket attendant and Paul did some electrical repair for pay.

Coming to Lagos

Before we moved to Lagos after our graduation, we took our CD and DVD to our parents. The DVD contained our video. We told them we are done with schooling and we wanted to move to Lagos. We assured them that music will change our lives. In preparation for our relocation, we started selling little things that we had and also some of our father’s little stuffs. We even stole some of his money,about N100,000 or so, though he wasn’t aware. We were four boys about to embark on that exodus.

Our father brought out N100, 000 and said, “Take, you people, you are on your own, don’t call me to send you bag of Garri or anything, not even anything.” We moved to Lagos in 2004."

..............to be continued.....so check back for the part 2..................