I First Experienced Poverty When I Was Married To My Ex-husband— Iyabo Ojo

A renowned Nollywood actress has revealed that her first encounter with poverty was when she was married to her ex-husband, who is also the father of her two children, Priscilla and Festus.

The talented actress, who tied the knot with Ademidun Ojo in 1999, but their marriage ended in 2001, shared during a conversation with On-Air Personality Toke Makinwa that before her marriage, she enjoyed a comfortable life while living with her grandmother.

In their podcast discussion, Ojo mentioned that her grandmother was one of the wealthiest women of her time. However, she chose to marry a man who resided in a modest “face-me-I-slap-you” apartment.

She said, “When I went to my husband’s house for the first time, I did not even know there were face-me-I-slap-you apartments. Most times, do not blame the rich when they do not understand the problems of the poor, because I never knew what poverty was all about. In my house, we had an industrial generator.

“Once the light goes off in a few seconds, the light is up. My grandmother was one of the richest women in those days. I had a car to myself that took me to school and brought me back. The only time I experienced poverty was when I married my ex-husband. Initially, it was fun. It was like an adventure.”

Born Alice Iyabo Ojo on 21 December 1977, the well-known Nigerian film actress is also a director, producer popularly known for her contributions in the Nollywood film industry. Also, she has featured in over 150 films and has produced more than 14 of her own.

The actress married a Lagos-based clearing gent in 1999, when she was 21, Iyabo took a break from pursuing her career. She gave birth to a son and then a daughter (born in 1999 and 2001 respectively), namely Felix Ojo and Priscilla Ajoke Ojo, but is now divorced from their father. She has attributed the breakup of her first marriage to marrying too young.