Afropop singer Joeboy has opened up about how a humiliating experience from his school days inspired him to launch a foundation for struggling students.
In November 2024, the ‘Baby’ hitmaker announced the Young Legend Foundation, an NGO offering scholarships to students who can’t afford their education.
Speaking on the Backstage Banter podcast, Joeboy recounted a traumatic moment in JSS 3 when his name became synonymous with unpaid school fees.
“When I was younger, I used to owe school fees a lot. And it used to get very embarrassing," he said. "I was in JSS 3, and before [the bursar] even started announcing, the whole class just started shouting, ‘Akinfenwa Joseph.’ It pained me. It hurt me so much that I went back home and told my parents I was not going to that school again.”
Joeboy explained that the experience ignited a desire to help others avoid such shame. "That actually gave me a dream. Which was like to help people that cannot afford to pay their school fees. That is the Young Legend Foundation," he added.
Last year, Joeboy left emPawa Africa to establish his music label, Young Legend. With his foundation, he hopes to support students facing the kind of challenges he once endured.
