Olajumoke: From selling bread to superstardom

“I never expected this would ever happen to me. My friends have told me they saw me on TV and they are really happy. My parents cannot believe their own child can become such a success. They are all so happy.” These were Olajumoke’s words during her interview with the Cable News Network (CNN), on […]

“I never expected this would ever happen to me. My friends have told me they saw me on TV and they are really happy. My parents cannot believe their own child can become such a success. They are all so happy.” These were Olajumoke’s words during her interview with the Cable News Network (CNN), on her rising fame.
Maybe Olajumoke recited the Lord’s Prayer that morning asking God to give her, her daily bread or order her footsteps to the right clients before stepping out – her bread tray well-set on her head. Whatever prayers she said or didn’t say it was evident that her time to shine had come and her bread was to be buttered. 
This probably is the reason she wasn’t led to quickly run past the ongoing photo shoot when onlookers urged her to do so, but was rather ready to claim her portion when she nodded a ‘yes’ in response to TY Bello asking if her photograph could be taken.
Everybody loves success
Ordinarily, what does a bread-seller in Nigeria like Olajumoke have to do with a publicist, lawyer, modelling contract, adorning clothing from a top designer or being ambassador of any brand let alone motivational speaker? Tides have and her new status now includes all of these and more.
The mother of two, upon being discovered, was on the cover of ‘Thisday Style,’ signed a modelling contract. Where many are rummaging through their wardrobes for appropriate outfits to put on for photo shoots at their own expense, Olajumoke had at her beck and call, April outfits by Kunbi for her first-ever photo shoot.  The photo shoot by Frank Ugah were for her Valentine’s postcard.
Today, Orisaguna is expected to address an audience as the motivational speaker at the second edition of The PLAY Forum holding in Abuja.
On Monday Stanbic IBTC unveiled the 27-year-old, as the face of their multinational bank just as Nigerian online shopping brand, PayPorte also signed her on as its official 2016 campaign face. Present at the signing were Olajumoke’s lawyer Yomi Adeseyoju, her publicist Azuka Ogujiuba, Irene Kayoma, Head-Corporate Strategy/Planning and Noble Igwe.
She has also graced CNN, which credited her fame to TY Bello for being behind the change of fortune for Olajumoke, describing the incident as ‘a classic case of being at the right place at the right time.’
The fact that her English proficiency is almost non-existent isn’t a stumbling block to her star from shining.
On Friday, February 12, it was announced that financial assistance during festive periods and a fully paid scholarship at Poise Graduate Finishing Academy, will be provided for Olajumoke. Education for her children is assured as well as accommodation for her for the next couple of years. These are courtesy of Sujimoto Construction Limited.
What was it about the photograph?
TY Bello was doing a photo shoot of UK-based pop star, Tinie Tempah, when Olajumoke walked into the shoot.
Bello narrated the episode in a CNN interview. “She seemed a little confused. Some people were asking her to walk past really quickly, others were asking her to stay, and she was just in limbo.”
“I said ‘is it okay to take your photograph?’ And she nodded OK,” Bello said. 
During the interview Bello shared her thoughts on what made the photo go viral. “Everyone connected with the story because everybody has dreams. This is a very tough time in my country… Everyone is looking for that magical break… I think this is definitely divine because the way people have connected with it is just phenomenal. It’s a phenomenal story.”
Haters or critics?
Her photo-shoot transformation didn’t come without criticism and Olakunbi Oyelese (April by Kunbi) answered the critics befittingly.
“I normally wouldn’t comment on things like this…but to all the internet warriors that have criticized the makeup for this shoot (as seen on Jumoke’s page) …please note that if Jumoke continues her career as a model, you will most likely not see her as the ‘bread-seller’…she will work with a lot of designers with different ideas and looks for what story they are telling. She has to become a chameleon to project whatever she has been booked for,” she said.
Adding that: “Makeup for photo shoot is usually more than the everyday ‘owambe’ face beat as it gets toned down with flash and lighting as seen in the finished photographs from @frankugahphotography. Enough of the ‘let her natural beauty show,’ ‘use her natural hair.’ @christinesignatures is an awesome, hardworking and dedicated makeup artist.
“I am offended by the amount of hateful comments towards her and her craft. We need to learn to get our points across without been hateful. She followed the brief I gave her that was befitting to the story I was telling. Well done Christine! Jumoke looked amazing. #SpreadLoveNotHate #HappyValentinesDay” [sic]
Life before fame
“Each time I take a look at her since God intervened in our situation, I would just be filled with happiness. Our situation was so bad that sometimes for an entire day, the whole family survived on N100 or at most N200. We could not afford a decent meal but my wife never complained; instead she stood by me and gave all the support she can. But today, look at what God is doing for us. I am grateful to God for giving me a woman who loves and accepts me the way I am.” This was the story of Olajumoke and her family before fame came overwhelming, as her husband was quoted in a report.
The report further stated that Olajumoke was afraid that morning because, “wherever I turned to, people looked at me unusually. It was as if I was a wanted criminal that everybody was looking for.
“One young man stopped me in the process to tell me that some people were looking for me and that he saw me on the television and Facebook the previous night. I simply ignored him because I felt he doesn’t know what he was saying. I didn’t believe him because I did not pose for any television camera. But, the funny thing was that throughout that day as I hawked m bread around, people told me the same thing.
“Now, on the third day, as I entered one housing estate where I used to sell to some of my customers, an Hausa man ran after me immediately he saw me. He said his madam had been looking for me and that she wanted to help me. I couldn’t believe him either but I summed up courage to follow him to know what was happening. That was how he took me to his madam who happened to be TY Bello. Immediately she saw me, she welcomed me specially into her home and paid for all the remaining bread in my tray. She told me it was the end of my hawking bread and that I was going to have a new life. I was perplexed, I don’t know what she meant but I knew that she meant well for me,” she is quoted.
Olajumoke said: “I only wanted to walk through the scene to take bread to my customers at the mechanic workshop around the place the shooting was taking place. I never had the intention of appearing in the photograph. It was while I made my way through that the camera captured me; the rest is God’s work.”