Nigerian singer Kizz Daniel, whose real name is Oluwatobiloba Daniel Anidugbe, recently shared his experiences with childhood bullying in a podcast hosted by Adesope Olajide. During the podcast, Kizz Daniel revealed that he had endured bullying as a child, which had a significant impact on his life.
Kizz Daniel explained that he had created his own world in his mind from a young age as a way to cope with the bullying he faced. He described how, while growing up, he had been overweight, leading to teasing and taunting by other children in his area. They often referred to him as “orobo,” a term for someone who is overweight, and this resulted in him avoiding social interactions and staying indoors.
He further shared that during this time of isolation, he had developed an elaborate fantasy world within his imagination where he felt safe and comfortable. However, this prolonged isolation caused him to lose some of his social skills.
He said, “I have built a world of my own in my head since I was little. Because growing up, I was a fat kid. I was chubby. So, I don’t go out because the kids in the area make fun of me. They called me orobo (someone who is fat). And they bullied me. So I always stay indoors. During that time that I always stayed indoors, I’d already built this fantasy world in my head. In the world that I have built in my head, I’m very comfortable in that space. So, I reintroduced myself to the world after I lost weight; I lost all forms of social skills. I don’t know how to communicate. I don’t know how to socialise with people.”
Kizz Daniel also mentioned that as an adult, he sometimes turned to alcohol as a means of dealing with social anxiety and regaining confidence in social situations.
In essence, Kizz Daniel’s childhood experiences with bullying had a profound impact on his life, leading to the creation of a protective mental space and challenges in socializing as he grew older.