Nigerian singer Bella Shmurda has opened up about his early struggles, reflecting on a time in his life when he was far from the fame and success he enjoys today.
Speaking in an interview on Echo Room, the artist—born Akinbiyi Abiola Ahmed—recalled a particularly difficult phase before his breakout, when he was working at a packaging factory owned by industrial giant Aliko Dangote.
According to him, life at the time was tough, and the job at the factory located in Ikorodu, Lagos, was his only steady source of income.
“I was collecting ₦20,000 per month, and that was all I had. No side hustle, nothing else. It wasn’t easy, but it was an experience for me, and I feel like those are the things I remember now,” he said.
Bella Shmurda explained that the experience wasn’t just about earning a living—it was a period that exposed him to real-life survival and the discipline required to push through hardship without any backup plan.
Looking back, he described that chapter as one of the most defining moments of his journey, saying it shaped both his mindset and his approach to success in the music industry.
Despite how challenging it was, he said he holds no regrets. Instead, he sees it as a foundation that built his resilience and continues to motivate him in his career today, especially when he reflects on how far he has come from those ₦20,000 days.
“I worked at Dangote’s food factory packaging Indomie and earned ₦20k monthly,” — singer Bella Shmurda reveals pic.twitter.com/4mmPErZ1ZN
— Instablog9ja (@instablog9ja) April 11, 2026