Phyna, the winner of Big Brother Naija Season 7, recently shared her challenging upbringing and the early responsibilities she had to shoulder. At the age of three, she started serving customers at her aunt’s restaurant, where she lived. Phyna revealed that her father had sent her to live with his elder sister in Auchi, but her education was disrupted when her father had a serious accident. She spent two years by his side in the hospital, which resulted in her missing out on JSS3.
During an appearance on The Nancy Isime Show alongside her colleague Hermes, Phyna spoke about her early life experiences. She described growing up with her aunt who ran a restaurant, where she began serving customers at a very young age. The reality star recounted how her father’s accident led to a pause in her education as she accompanied him to different hospitals for two years.
Upon returning to school, Phyna faced the challenge of starting from SS1 instead of joining her peers in SS3. However, she insisted on being placed in SS3 and successfully passed the exams to support her decision. Due to the financial constraints her family faced, her parents felt it was more practical for her to learn a trade instead of pursuing further education. This realization motivated her to embrace the need to work hard and hustle.
Phyna shared that she attended a federal school with a tuition fee of N14,500, and she began taking on various small jobs to earn money. She ventured into making meat pies, buns, and offering hairstyling services. She also participated in dancing gigs, earning income that was shared among the group. Following her graduation, she went on to serve in the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC), engaging in part-time jobs and discovering her talent for hyping at clubs.
Even after her success in the Big Brother House, Phyna continued to work tirelessly, surprising her friends with her relentless drive. She expressed that money is finite and emphasized the importance of continuous hustling to secure her future.