25th September, 2023
By Victoria Oluwayemi
Popular singer and songwriter, Timi Dakolo has recounted how he got his first N1 million in a surprising manner.
In a recent interview with media personality, Chude Jideonwo, Dakolo revealed that his first N1m was a gift from a “good Samaritan” who saw him on television while he was contesting in the inaugural Idols West Africa in 2007.
He said the huge gift made him lose sleep and also changed his diction.
Before this unexpected turn of events, Dakolo was more accustomed to dealing with much smaller sums of money, typically ranging from N1,300 to N520. However, one day, a benevolent stranger approached him at a hotel and handed him a whopping N1 million in cash. The gesture left Dakolo both stunned and profoundly grateful, as he had never encountered such a substantial amount of money before.
Dakolo said, “There was somebody that gave me N1m from nowhere. I had never seen N10,000 before. The money I used to have then was always N1,300, N800, N1,200, and N520. And somebody gave me N1m cash. He came to the hotel and gave me N1m. He said he doesn’t watch TV but he saw me on TV and he felt he should give me N1m.
I saw N1m, I could not sleep. I was looking at the money. I said, ‘This money will change.’ I was speaking English that day. Me that used to disturb the whole place, I was quiet . I caught myself speaking good English.”
Timi Dakolo hit stardom after winning the inaugural Idols West Africa in 2007.