Nigerian singer and songwriter Timi Dakolo has revealed that he lost sleep when he received his first N1 million, which came as a generous gift from a stranger.
News About Nigeria reports that Dakolo disclosed this during a recent interview with media personality Chude Jideonwo.
The gifted artiste recounted that in 2007, while he was participating in the inaugural Idols West Africa competition, an anonymous good Samaritan saw him on television and was moved to present him with a remarkable gift of N1 million.
For Dakolo, who had never seen such a substantial sum of money before, this unexpected act of kindness left a profound impact.
Timi Dakolo admitted that the unexpected generosity was a life-changing experience that made him lose sleep.
He humorously shared that he had been so astonished by the N1 million that he found himself speaking eloquent English on the day he received it, despite his normally lively demeanour.
“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 [sic]. I caught myself speaking good English,” he said.
The singer rose to fame after clinching victory in the inaugural Idols West Africa competition in 2007.
Since then, he has become one of Nigeria’s most celebrated musical talents, known for his soulful voice and emotional ballads.
