Former Big Brother Naija winner Ijeoma Josephina Otabor, popularly known as Phyna, has opened up about her financial struggles since leaving the reality show, saying she wasted her prize money and had no one to guide her on investment.
Speaking in a recent interview that has since gone viral, Phyna said, “Nobody advised me to invest after winning BBNaija, I was sharing the money like a mumu. The day I started saying no was when my problems started. Now money has finished.”
The 2022 BBNaija Season 7 winner walked away with N100 million in cash and prizes, making her one of the most talked-about winners in the show’s history. Like many reality stars before her, Phyna enjoyed a wave of endorsements, appearances, and public attention immediately after the show. But she says the lack of financial guidance meant the money quickly slipped through her fingers.
According to her, she spent freely and gave out money to family and friends, believing the flow would continue. “I was sharing the money like a mumu,” she admitted, using Nigerian slang for “foolishly.” It wasn’t until she began to set boundaries and say no to requests that she noticed a shift in how people treated her.
“The day I started saying no was when my problems started,” she said. The comment reflects a reality many public figures face: once the money stops flowing, so do some relationships. Phyna says she now understands that lesson the hard way.
She also pointed out that no one from her circle offered proper financial advice at the time. Without mentorship on investment, savings, or business, she had no structure to sustain the wealth beyond the initial hype. “Now money has finished,” she said, expressing regret over not taking a more strategic approach.
Phyna’s story has sparked conversations online about the need for financial literacy and mentorship for reality TV winners and young entertainers. Many fans sympathized with her, noting that winning large sums without guidance often leads to quick depletion. Others urged her to use her platform to advocate for financial education among youths….See More
