Leaving Home At 8 Wasn’t Fun But Turned Out A Blessing- Femi Jacobs

Pilot, author, actor, and motivational coach, Femi Jacobs offers a rare insight into his transformation from a young man with unpleasant childhood memories into an award-winning actor, writer, and motivational coach.

Much as Jacobs is not urging anyone to emulate his steps to significance, he believes there are important life-changing lessons in his story.

Growing up very fast: I am from a polygamous family.  I was one child out of a dozen or more roaming around a house in Ife, Osun State.


 I am the fifth child of my mother, who had seven. If I had lived a life that was below par no one would have blamed me. I wrote about this in the beginning of my book, Rise. 

I left home at 8 to live with my uncle. It opened up a new chapter for me. Leaving home at that age, taught me self reliance and creativity. I was then the eldest of his kids. He had four children. I had to learn how to grow up very fast and started contributing for us to have survived. I hawked wares, engaged in farming, and worked as a waiter at his wife’s bar among others.