Big Brother Naija Season 7 winner, Josephine Otabor, simply known as Phyna, has revealed that at the tender age of 3, she started serving at the restaurant of one of her aunties whom she was living with at the time.
She said her dad took her to live with his elder sister in Auchi when she was three years old.
The reality star said she had to pause her education at JSS3 after her dad had a terrible accident and she went to stay with him in the hospital for two years.
She disclosed this while featuring on the latest episode of The Nancy Isime Show, alongside her colleague, Hermes.
Phyna said, “Growing up for me wasn’t really easy. I actually grew up with my aunt, my dad’s elder sister in Auchi. And my aunt sells food, it’s a restaurant.
“Now, imagine a young girl at a restaurant at a very tender age. At 3, I was already in a restaurant serving men. And there is a point my dad had an accident, they needed somebody to be with him at the hospital. I think I just finished my JSS3 then and I had to go with dad from one hospital to another. That caused me SS1 and 2.
“On coming back [to school], they said I should go back to SS1 but I was like, no, I will join my mates in SS3. They gave me a series of exams, I wrote, I passed. Then my parents felt like I needed to go and learn handwork because furthering [my education] is highly impossible. So, that was when I realised, dem don born me dem don born me, it’s time to hustle.
“I attended a federal school. I think my school fee was N14,500 then. I think that was when the hustle started. I started making meat pie, buns, I became my class Rep, I make hair. I saved as low as N50 then. We go to shows, we dance, they pay us, we share.
“After finishing school, I went to serve [NYSC]. I was doing that, I had other part time jobs. I think that was when I took up hyping. I think I followed my friends to the club, I was listening to the hype guy, and I realised I can actually do what he is doing. And that was it. That was how I entered. Even after Big Brother House, some of my friends will be like, ‘Phyna, the way you are hustling, you are not hustling as if you won money at all.’ I said, money dey finish.”
