Veteran Nollywood actress Patience Ozokwo, popularly known as Mama G, has opened up about the difficult experiences and sacrifices that shaped her life, revealing that there was a time she sold puff-puff and prepared chicken to make ends meet.
Ozokwo made the revelation in an interview with Femi Babs TV, published on YouTube Wednesday, while reflecting on how she struggled to build the life she has today, stressing that her journey was far from easy.
“When I came into the industry, there was a time that I was selling buns and puff-puff. I was frying it. I would prepare chicken, dress it well — anyone you want to buy,” she said.
“I saw people going out to buy things. I would go to audition places; people would buy from me. I would see money for transport tomorrow. That is how I grew up.”
According to Ozokwo, her willingness to work and fend for herself was part of the resilience she developed from a young age.
“I really struggled to get to where I am today. It wasn’t flowery; it wasn’t an easy thing. My life is full of spirituality, deep prayer. When others are sleeping, I am praying,” she said.
The actress also spoke about the sacrifices she made during her marriage, explaining that she never pressured her husband to provide the kind of lifestyle she saw other women enjoying.
“Some women, when they get married, they tell their husbands, ‘This one bought a car for his wife, this one bought a house for his wife. What are you not doing?’” she said.
Ozokwo said she understood her husband and chose to work with what they had rather than compare him with other men.
“I didn’t wait for my husband. I knew the kind of person he was. I studied my husband. I buttoned up and tightened my belt, and I struggled,” she said.
The movie star revealed that the situation became even more challenging when her husband battled serious health problems for several years.
“Incidentally, he was sick for so many years. It was a horrible sickness — diabetes and hypertension together — and it was a struggle,” she said.
The veteran actress added that her children also witnessed the family’s difficult period and eventually grew old enough to contribute to the running of the household.
“At a time, my children also grew up and they were helping me, so I also moved. They took care of the house. They too went through that,” she said.
She believes those experiences helped shape her children into the people they are today.
“That is why they are doing well now,” she said.
Ozokwo’s story highlights the struggles, sacrifice, hard work and resilience behind her success, showing that her journey extended beyond her career in Nollywood.
