Nollywood actor Ibrahim Chatta has opened up about his humble beginnings and the struggles he endured before becoming successful.
Ibrahim Chatta Chatta talked candidly about his early years, including living in a room full of nine people, in an interview with Biola Bayo for her “Talk to B podcast.”
Ibrahim Chatta reflected on his challenging background, in which he was forced to walk great distances, usually from Agege to Ikeja, due to a lack of funds to catch a bus.
He further disclosed that, in order to support himself, he worked as a bus conductor in Lagos for eight years, travelling different routes.
In his words:
“I lived in a room with 9 people and it was difficult. I do walk from Agege to Ikeja back then. I became a bus conductor later. I did it for eight years of my life. Working from Iyan Oba, Oshodi Eko, from one bus to another. I have worked so hard in life, may God crown my effort”.
In a diffrent story, Ibrahim Chatta claims that he dropped out of secondary school to seek a career in acting.
Chatta, who made his acting debut in 1985, recently talked with BBC Yoruba.
The actor claimed that when he was younger, he would frequently miss class to perform in plays with his friends.
The fifty-year-old actor claimed that he has kept up his self-education through online programs and courses.
“I started acting very early in my life. I knew I was going to go into acting as a kid. Acting took a lot from me. It did not allow me to go to school. My parents would think I was in school those days but I would have followed my colleagues for what we call travel theatre. It has now transitioned into filmmaking. That was how some of our bosses started their acting career from the stage into cinema movies,” he said in Yoruba language.
“Although, I am doing some courses in adult education that are related to acting, I did not finish my secondary school education. The English language is like every other language. It can be taught and can be heard. The English language I speak is self-taught and I love reading so much. When I was little and I bought puff-puff, I used to read the paper wrap. I read about the English Language from the books.”
