The fairy tale rise-to- fame of Olajumoke Orisaguna in 2016 inspired millions of Nigerians, captured the interest of international media and served as a prayer point for many who desired such overnight transformation.
Olajumoke became the modern-day Nigerian Cinderella when she accidentally strayed into a photo shoot helmed by TY Bello, a Nigerian singer/photographer, while hawking bread on Olonode Street, Yaba, Lagos.
Following her accidental encounter with the photo shoot, TY Bello and Azuka Ogujiuba, a former senior reporter with THISDAY Style, collaborated to make a model and celebrity out of Olajumoke.
Subsequently, companies rolled over themselves to favour the 30-year-old. At the end of the media blitz which included features on CNN and BBC, the bread seller got a five-year rent of a fully furnished apartment bankrolled by Sujimoto, a luxury apartment construction company. She also secured modelling contracts with e-commerce company, Payporte, and Zenith Bakery.
The interventions and series of accompanying developments saw the fortune of the bread seller take a leap – but three years down the line, things are not as rosy as expected in the life of the mother of two. Read more