If they had quit in the pursuit of their passion, they will not be part of InterviewStories top 10 list of Nigerians who pursued their passion. They are success stories because they were able to figure out what they wanted in life and did not give up. They never knew they will be this successful even in their wildest dreams but they worked just as hard as the best workers in the industry. We are telling their story to remind us that impossibility is not a word in our dictionary.

In no particular order, here are our top 10 list of successful Nigerians from diverse niches who had to quit something for what they truly wanted.

1. Chimamanda Adichie
Left Medicine to become a Writer and an Author.
Born in Enugu, Nigeria. Chimamanda Adichie studied Medicine and Pharmacy at the University of Nigeria, Nsukka at the request of her father. She had wanted to be a writer after reading books of Chinua Achebe. She quit studying Medicine after one and a half year and left for the United States of America to study communications and political science at Drexel University in Philadelphia. She then transferred to Eastern Connecticut State University to live closer to her sister. She is a widely celebrated writer with her three bestselling novels; Purple Hibiscus, Half of a Yellow Sun and Americanah (selected as one of the New York Times’ 10 Best Books of 2013).

2. Jason Njoku
Did not practice Chemistry, quitted his recruitment consultant job to become a serial and CEO of Irokotv which is his 11th attempt at starting a business.
Graduating with a second class upper degree in Chemistry from the University of Manchester, at the United Kingdom in 2005. Jason launched a magazine for students called Brash that was financed by loans from a bank and friends, with youthful enthusiasm. He admitted Brash was his most epic failure. He spent three years learning how to run a business with Brash. He left his recruitment consultant job to co-founded ‘Roll On Friday’ – a blog network and news site for young professionals in banking, law and consultancy which lasted two years and was also a failed venture. He did other business to pay the bills which include a T-shirt company, a web design venture. He was able to see an opportunity in the Nigerian movie industry, Nollywood and the idea of Iroko Partners was born. Today, he is the co-founder and CEO of Irokotv which was his 11th attempt at starting a business. Irokotv is a web platform that provides Nigerian films on-demand, and one of Africa’s first mainstream online movie steaming websites, giving free and instant access to over 5,000 Nollywood film titles.

3. Ibukun Awosika –
Wanted to study medicine, chemist graduate, an entrepreneur in the furniture industry and the founder of The Chair Centre Ltd.
The former FirstBank boss wanted to become a medical doctor while at secondary school and started studying architecture but eventually ended up graduating as a Chemist from Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile-Ife. She was interested in banking and took many free electives in accounting while at OAU. When no banking job materialized, she took a sales job at a furniture company resigning three and a half months later to set up her furniture manufacturing company, Quebees Ltd, which later evolved to The Chair Centre Ltd. She started in January 1989 with 2 carpenters, 2 sprayers and 2 upholsterers in her father’s house and has grown her business to a net worth of more than three billion naira ($18.6 million).

4. Okey Bakassi
Studied Agricultural Engineering but followed his passion to become an Actor and a Comedian.
After his secondary education, Okechukwu Anthony Onyegbule a.k.a. Okey Bakassi got admitted into the Rivers State University of Science and Technology (RSUST), Port Harcourt to study Agricultural Engineering graduating in 1992. Okey Bakassi decided to build his career around his passion for entertainment and became a professional movie actor in 1994 after his national youth service (NYSC). He even got appointed as a Senior Special Assistant to the Governor of Imo State on Entertainment Industry Matters from October 2008 till August 2011.

5. Kate Henshaw
Studied Remedial Studies at UNICAL, majored in Medical Microbiology and left all to become an actress
Kate Henshaw spent one year at the University of Calabar studying remedial studies, before majoring in Medical Microbiology at the School of Medical Lab Science, LUTH (Lagos University Teaching Hospital). She left her career in Medicine to pursue her dream to become an actress and auditioned for the lead role in the movie, “When the Sun Sets” which she got. She has starred in over 40 Nollywood movies. She won the African Movie Academy Award for Best Actress in a Leading Role for the film, “Stronger than Pain.” in 2008.

6. Linda Ikeji
Wanted to study Mass communication to become a journalist but studied English at UNILAG she is a Media Entrepreneur and a successful blogger.
Linda Ikeji was admitted to study English at the University of Lagos contrary to her course choice; Mass Communication. Her dream was to be a journalist. She worked hard to break into journalism, launching her media company, Blackdove Communications, a modelling agency and events management outfit. She had a modelling career from 1998 to 2005. She started her magazine in 2006 that had only two editions and in the same year, Linda Ikeji started her blog, lindaikeji..com. Her blog lindaikejiblog.com is the most popular entertainment online platform in Nigeria; ranked 2907th in the world. She was listed on Forbes Africa as one of the highest-paid bloggers in Nigeria in August 2012.

7. Omotola Jalade Ekeinde – Actress, Singer.
Wanted to study Business Management, studied Estate Management and had a brief stint at Modelling Before Becoming An Actress and A Singer.
Omotola’s original career ambition was to work in Business Management while awaiting her results from university, she began modelling to earn a living. She was at Obafemi Awolowo University before leaving to finally completed her studies at YABATECH. She studied Estate Management at Yaba College of Technology, Lagos between 1996 – 2004 (1996-2004), where she studied Estate Management. She got her first acting gig while accompanying her model friend to an audition. Her first acting role was in the 1995 movie, “Venom of Justice” directed by Reginald Ebere. She had appeared in over 300 movies. She launched her music career in 2005. In 2012, launched her reality show, “Omotola: The Real Me” on Africa Magic Entertainment.

8. Mrs Adenike Ogunlesi
Left studying law at ABU to become an Entrepreneur and Founder of Ruff ‘n’ Tumble.
She left Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria as an undergraduate law student when she was unsure of what to do with her life. She later reluctantly accepted her mother’s invitation to work in her women’s tailor shop which helped her discover who she was and what she wanted to do. From her mother shop, she and her mother as the main staff turned Ruff ‘n’ Tumble, to become one of the best manufacturers of children’s clothing in Nigeria. Today, Ruff ‘N’ Tumble is a thriving business with over 50 employees and distribution along the West African coast.

9. Mr Frank Nneji
First Degree in Biological Sciences from UNN, now a successful entrepreneur and Founder/CEO ABC Transport
Mr Frank Nneji, OON, graduated with a degree in Biological Sciences from the University of Nigeria-Nsukka, in 1982. He gained a foretaste of what to expect of his life trajectory when he successfully ran and won for the position of Transport Officer in the UNN students union election. He took the opportunity to make some pocket money by conveying fellow students to venues of sporting events for a fee in his rugged car. He is the founder/CEO of Associated Bus Company Plc – operator of ABC Transport, a clear front-runner in luxury bus operation in West African sub-region.

10. Dr Raymond Dokpesi – Founder of DAAR Communications.

Born in Ibadan. Full name Dr. Raymond Anthony Aleogho Dokpesi was part of the pioneer students of the University of Benin-Edo State, where he had his undergraduate studies. He completed his studies at the University of Gdansk, Poland where he earned his Doctorate in Marine Engineering under the sponsorship of Alhaji Bamanga Tukur who sponsored his education from his secondary school days to his university level. He practised what he studied at the Nigerian Port Authority before he decided to pursue his dream of starting a radio station during the Ibrahim Babangida regime when the atmosphere was conducive enough due to the deregulation of broadcasting in Nigeria. He launched the first Nigerian private FM radio station in 1994 and also he launched Africa Independent Television – (AIT), the first private television network in Nigeria operated by Daar Communications two years later.

Source: https://interviewstories.org/10-nigerians-who-quit-their-career-and-pursued-their-passion-successfully/

They went to school and gained knowledge not just attend class and acquire certificates

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