Veteran Nigerian actor Chinedu Ikedieze, popularly known as Aki, has revealed that he endured traumatizing experiences during his early life due to his diminutive stature.
According to his account, there were times when people ridiculed him and called him all sorts of despicable names, which took a toll on him psychologically.
The award-winning Nollywood actor disclosed that the intense stigma he faced often left him weeping uncontrollably and even led to suicidal thoughts.
However, his mother’s unwavering encouragement to focus on his education helped him navigate those difficult moments and eventually rise to prominence in the movie industry.
“My mother told me, ‘If you want to go abroad, read your books.’ So, I knew the only weapon I had to conquer the world was education, so I paid more attention to my studies. When they threw those insults at me, I cried several times. They would call me different names. It got so bad that I sometimes thought of ending it all. I never told my parents. I felt like, ‘What am I doing? Society was just not fair to me. Kids would taunt me about my stature.’
“Whenever those negative thoughts crept in, I would remind myself, ‘Remember what Mom said? Mom said I’ll be a great man only if I study.’ So I thought, why not study, then? Until these books fail me, I will keep going. That became my source of comfort,” he shared in a viral video posted on X on March 14, 2025.
“There were times I thought of ending it all”
Veteran Nigerian actor, Chinedu Ikedieze, better known as Aki, has revealed his struggle with stigma, growing up as a person with dwarfism. pic.twitter.com/EHzOdfSjUL
— SIKAOFFICIAL🦍 (@SIKAOFFICIAL1) March 14, 2025
Meanwhile, watch as Kofi Adomah thanks Ibrahim Mahama for lifesaving offer
SB/MA
