Veteran Nigerian actor Ibrahim Chatta has revealed that he dropped out of secondary school to pursue a career in acting.
Gatekeepers News reports that Chatta, in a recent interview with BBC Yoruba, shared that his passion for acting led him to skip classes and follow his colleagues to theatre performances. This commitment to stage acting ultimately led him to abandon his secondary school education.
Despite not completing his formal education, Chatta has continued to educate himself through online courses and programs related to acting. He credits his self-taught English language skills to his love for reading, even recalling reading the paper wraps of puff-puff snacks as a child.
“I started acting very early in my life. I knew I was going to go into acting as a kid. Acting took a lot from me. It did not allow me to go to school. My parents would think I was in school those days but I would have followed my colleagues for what we call travel theatre. It has now transitioned into filmmaking. That was how some of our bosses started their acting career from the stage into cinema movies,” he said in Yoruba language.
“Although, I am doing some courses in adult education that are related to acting, I did not finish my secondary school education. The English language is like every other language. It can be taught and can be heard. The English language I speak is self-taught and I love reading so much. When I was little and I bought puff-puff, I used to read the paper wrap. I read about the English Language from the books.”
Chatta’s decision to prioritise acting paid off, as he rose to fame with his role in the 2012 movie “Aiyekooto.”
He has since appeared in numerous notable films, including “Atini O’go,” “Mafi Wonmi,” and “October 1.”
Today, Chatta is a respected figure in the Nigerian film industry, with a career spanning over three decades.
