I was born into a family of six in the mid-1950 in Warri, Delta State, Nigeria. We lived in a mud house without electricity, and it wasn’t easy to access drinkable water. My father was always in and out of menial jobs, and it was sometimes challenging for us to get a decent meal. From an early age, I began to fend for my family by going to the waterside to collect firewood to sell. Unlike us, neighbours and friends did not have to struggle to eat.

Some take their access to readily available food for granted, and their parents won’t discipline them or sometimes buy them multivitamins when they refuse to eat.

I quickly realized that knowledge was key and began to dig deep, as I wanted to satisfy my growing curiosity about the big social differences in society. Why were some living in affluence and others in abject poverty? I had tasted poverty and hated it.

This hate-fueled my choice to live a life dedicated to discovering exactly why the world works the way it does.