She got married in her mid-teens and eventually joined her husband in London, where she was made to provide financially for an abusive husband and the children they kept having. She later left him - she was 22 years old, alone, broke and had 5 children to take care of by herself, and thus had to go on welfare. She was determined to rise from poverty, be a good mother, and get her college education.

She got her Sociology degree while working and raising 5 kids, and later went on for an advanced degree. She also continued to write, and eventually became one of the best and most internally known women writers that Nigeria can boast of, writing books for both young and old, and getting her education while raising her children by herself. Some of her books talk about her life, and as you can see from the links below, she is studied in many Universities.