Popular Nigerian influencer, Dr. Chinonso Egemba, better known as Aproko Doctor, has recounted difficult moments of his childhood such as selling Akara with his mother and delivering pap to touts (Agberos) in Surulere area of Lagos.
He said he was initially born into “soft life” but life went downhill when his family’s supermarket was robbed.
Aproko Doctor narrated this while featuring as a guest in the latest episode of the Tea With Tay podcast hosted by actor Temisan Emmanuel Ahwieh, a.k.a Taymesan.
He said, “I’m the first of three kids. That comes with a lot of responsibility. I was born with a stainless steel spoon.
“Growing up, my earliest memories were actually soft life. Firstborn, when your father was making money, you go chop am. We used to go to church every Sunday in a different car and then something happened and all of a sudden, we were reduced from middle income to very low income. Our supermarket was robbed to the ground. That day changed our lives forever. My mum was in tears.”
While recounting that his family could not replenish their supermarket, he said they resorted to selling water and soft drinks at first but it wasn’t sufficient enough to sustain the family.
“A lot of my childhood up until formative years was selling Akara and pap, then trekking to school.
“I understood sacrifice. My mother had to forgo some things. In the morning, she sold Akara and pap. In the evening, I sold pap as people returned back from work. The only companions I had were my books. Books became my escape.
“The particular part of Surulere where I grew up was filled with Agberos. You know there is Surulere tush and Surulere trenches. I grew up knowing the Agberos. We were next-door neighbours. Sometimes, I’d go deliver pap to them and there was a particular day, where I was supposed to deliver pap to one of the Agbero kingpins, I got to his place, it was hazy, there was smoke. I told my mum I didn’t want to go back there, and thank God she listened.”
