Popular Nigerian singer Joeboy has opened up about a difficult experience from his childhood that shaped his current path and inspired him to establish a foundation to assist others. In a recent interview with Isi Ijewere on the Backstage Banter with Isi show, the artist shared the emotional story of how financial struggles during his school days left a lasting impact on him.
Joeboy recounted how, as a young student, he often faced the embarrassment of owing school fees. “When I was younger, I used to owe school fees a lot, and it used to get embarrassing,” he said. Reflecting on a particularly painful memory from his junior secondary school days, he shared, “When I was in JSS3, the secretary that used to come with the names of those owing fees came, and before she even began announcing, the whole class said my name: ‘Akinfewa Joseph.’ It pained me!”
The young Joeboy found the humiliation difficult to bear. He revealed that the incident led him to take a drastic step. “It hurt me so much, and I went back home and told my parents that I was never going back to that school again. I didn’t care; I pulled myself out and said I wasn’t going anywhere,” he explained. This moment of frustration and determination planted the seeds of a dream that would later guide him in life.
Joeboy explained how the experience motivated him to help others facing similar struggles. “That gave me the dream to do something, which was to help people who can’t afford to pay their school fees,” he said. Determined to turn this dream into reality, the singer recently launched his own charitable initiative, the Young Legend Foundation.
According to Joeboy, the foundation was established two months ago and has already started making an impact by paying the school fees of several students in need. He expressed his deep satisfaction with the initiative, stating, “My inner child is very excited about that. It’s crazy what something like that can do to someone mentally.”
Joeboy highlighted the emotional toll such experiences can have on young people and the societal attitudes that exacerbate the problem. “I mean, it’s not the child’s fault that they can’t pay their fees, right? But people made it seem like it was my fault, and it was embarrassing. It pained me that time,” he shared.
