Nigerian music star Peter Okoye, popularly known as Mr P, has revealed that poverty — not death — is his greatest fear, opening up about the traumatic hardship his family endured before fame. Speaking in a recent episode of the Nancy Isime Show, the singer recounted how his upbringing in Jos shaped a lifelong fear of financial instability.
“I’m not afraid of death,” he said. “The only thing I’m afraid of in this life is poverty — of being broke. I have tasted it before.”
Mr P described how his family of ten lived in a cramped boys’ quarters divided by only a curtain. Their single room was eventually demolished while they were still inside after the landlord sold the property. “A bulldozer came and started demolishing the house while we were in the building,” he recalled.
The experience, he said, left an imprint that still drives his ambition and discipline today. Fans have reacted emotionally to the revelation, calling it a powerful reminder that many Nigerian success stories emerge from unimaginable hardship.
The singer’s honesty also reopens conversations around the psychological impact of poverty in Nigeria — and how childhood experiences of deprivation shape adult fears, work ethic and financial decisions.
Mr P, one half of the legendary P-Square duo, has long been vocal about gratitude, resilience and the determination to never return to the life he once knew. His latest comments amplify that message, resonating deeply with millions who share similar childhood memories.
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