Loan I took for girlfriend who dumped me almost destroyed my life — Content creator, Baami
Samuel Adegbeyi, popularly known as Baami, has opened up about the hardships that shaped his path into content creation, a relationship that left him buried in debt, and the faith that carried him through.
The Nigerian creator, who now commands millions of followers across platforms, said his story began long before social media. In 2009, while he was still in secondary school, his father fell seriously ill and later died. Adegbeyi moved in with a relative and continued his education. After finishing secondary school in 2015, he struggled to gain admission for further studies. His family eventually left him in the care of a neighbour.
At first the arrangement worked, but neglect and hardship followed. Another neighbour later took him in after noticing his situation. Through it all, he clung to his dream of becoming an accountant.
He began creating content in 2024 during his final year of Higher National Diploma (HND II) studies. A man who would become his manager encouraged him to start, despite his initial reluctance to put himself in the public eye. That encouragement, he said, changed everything.
Other skit makers soon invited him to appear in their videos. He has collaborated with about five or six creators so far, including Oluwadolarz, Nasboi, Shank and Cute Abiola. He described the invitations as validation and said the celebrities treated him with respect and offered constructive guidance.
Adegbeyi revealed that he once fell into deep financial trouble after borrowing money for a girlfriend. While in school he took an online loan of about ₦30,000, added his own savings, and sent the money so she could start a business. After receiving it, her attitude changed. The short repayment window caused the debt to balloon rapidly; the original ₦30,000 grew to more than ₦300,000. He began borrowing from other apps to service the debt and found himself trapped.
For nearly a year he struggled financially and emotionally. For about four months he barely left the house. A friend he lived with cooked for him and looked after him. He said he survived that period only by God’s grace.
Content creation eventually provided a way out. He started on TikTok, going live regularly at his manager’s urging. Viewers sent gifts that could be converted to cash. His first major payout was about ₦500,000. He later expanded to Facebook, receiving his first payment of about $200 in January this year. His Facebook page now has roughly 1.3 million followers. His main TikTok account, which had about 1.4 million followers, was banned months ago; he continues on a backup account. He also has a growing YouTube channel that has yet to monetise.
He creates a variety of content—reaction videos, character-driven skits in which he plays roles such as boss, businessman or mechanic—and earlier made videos involving women to challenge assumptions about his physical condition. He has faced discrimination and hurtful comments about his appearance since school days, and at times experienced depression, but he chooses not to dwell on the negativity.
His parents offered differing explanations for his condition. His mother linked it to childhood immunisations or possible inheritance from his father; his grandmother said something happened to his father later in life. No single clear account emerged.
Adegbeyi said he no longer plans to use his accounting certificate to seek conventional employment. Content creation pays his bills, and many of his classmates are still trying to complete the National Youth Service Corps. He has already aged out of the programme. He remains open to marriage, though he is cautious after past experiences and is wary of people drawn only to his success.
Looking ahead three to five years, he expects his career to become global. He already has fans in countries including India and believes more people around the world will discover and appreciate his work.
Everything that has happened to him, he insists, has been part of God’s plan and timing—including the delays and difficulties that ultimately led him to content creation.
Credit: Punch Newspaper
Comments
Post a Comment