Actress Patience Ozokwo, popularly known as Mama G, has revealed that she initially aspired to become a singer before finding fame in Nollywood.
Patience shared that from a young age, she had a deep love for singing and was actively involved in her church choir. However, destiny had other plans, leading her into the movie industry instead.
Despite her success as an actress, the 66-year-old did not abandon her passion for music. She eventually fulfilled her musical dreams by releasing an album titled National Moimoi in 2024, a project that gained widespread recognition.
Speaking in an episode of the Life Unscripted podcast, she reflected on the challenges of maintaining fame and the importance of passion and talent.
“Managing stardom is more difficult than becoming a star. For you to be able to maintain stardom, you have to remember everybody on the street,” she said.
“There’s passion for what you’re doing, there’s talent that goes with passion. If there’s passion and there’s no talent, you’ll work hard but won’t achieve much. But when there’s talent and there’s passion, they go together pari passu.
“When I was small, I thought I was going to sing because I love singing, I loved to be in the choir. But it turned out to be movies.”
She further revealed how National Moimoi propelled her onto the international stage, despite some mixed reactions.
“My song National Moimoi took me around the whole of America. Some pastors were not even happy with me when I sang it. If your face runs on the internet, it’s the owner of the product that is getting it.”
Patience, known for her captivating performances, remains a force in Nollywood.
Some of her recent works include Malaika (2024), Ada Omo Daddy (2023), Inside Life (2022) and Chief Daddy 2: Going for Broke (2022).
