Nigerian actor Deyemi Okanlawon recently appeared on The Morayo Show, where he spoke about the power of reading and how it transformed his life during one of his most difficult seasons.
Deyemi explained that reading expands a person’s understanding of the world and helps them grow beyond the limitations of their environment.
According to him, consistent reading can shape a person’s mindset and create opportunities for growth and success. 
While reflecting on his early struggles, Deyemi revealed that he spent 18 months squatting with friends because he could not afford his own accommodation.
“I squatted in Shomolu for 18 month and I slept in my friend’s parlour. I was completely brokeI cried myself to sleep almost every night,” he said.
He explained that he often faced a difficult choice between transportation and food.
“It’s either I take a bus and I won’t eat or I eat and I trek,” he recalled.
Deyemi said he developed a routine during that challenging period. Every morning, he walked from Shomolu to Surulere to use a friend’s office space and another friend’s laptop.
Instead of focusing on his circumstances, he invested his time in reading about marketing and sales.
Although he studied engineering at university, he focused on reading books about marketing and sales because employers often overlooked him due to his third-class degree.
“I studied engineering, but I read books on marketing and sales. I believed that if I learnt how to sell, nobody could take that skill away from me. You do not need a first-class degree to become a good salesperson,” he said.
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He added that he continued studying until an opportunity finally came.
During one interview, the interviewer spent about 30 minutes speaking with him and became impressed with his knowledge and intelligence.
However, the interviewer’s reaction changed when he opened Deyemi’s file and saw his academic results.
“He looked at my grades and asked, ‘How can such an intelligent young man have such poor grades?’ I looked at him and replied, ‘Sir, I may have graduated with a third-class degree, but I finished with a first-class mind,'” Deyemi said.
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That mindset eventually opened doors for him.
Deyemi revealed that he began his professional career in sales and marketing and steadily climbed the corporate ladder.
He later became Head of Marketing at OLX, which was one of Nigeria’s top three e-commerce companies at the time and part of a global organisation.
Reflecting on his journey, Deyemi said he achieved that milestone despite holding a third-class engineering degree and having no formal marketing training.
Instead, he relied on the knowledge he gained through self-education, reading, and real-life experience.
His story highlights the value of continuous learning, resilience, and the determination to create opportunities even in difficult circumstances.
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