Popular Nollywood actress and filmmaker Funke Akindele has advised Nigerian youths to abandon the get-rich-quick mindset and instead focus on acquiring valuable skills, discipline, and a strong work ethic.
Speaking in a recent interview with BellaNaija, the award-winning actress stressed that lasting success comes through consistent hard work and personal development, not shortcuts.
Sharing her personal journey, Akindele revealed that while studying at the University of Lagos (UNILAG), she earned legitimate income by selling bed spaces to fellow students to support herself.
She added that she often sacrificed her comfort and even neglected her appearance while striving to earn an honest living.
According to the actress, although there were opportunities to make money through dishonest means, she deliberately chose the path of integrity and hard work.
“I could have been wayward to earn a living but I decided to follow the right path. I was selling bed spaces in Unilag so I could survive. I was hustling. I am a hustler. That’s why you see that I am so ‘handsome.’
“I am very firm because life taught me. I can’t do otherwise. I just want to work and earn a living. I am wired like that.
“Skills acquisition is very important. As a young woman or man, you have to acquire skills so that when there is no job, you can use your skill to make money for yourself,” she stated.