How ‘fish pie’ video changed my life — Evalsam

Just a few months ago, Evalsam Esor was just another face in the crowd, hawking homemade fish pies on the bustling streets of Lagos. But a viral video in which he ‘sang’ the phrase, “Nawa o, some people dem too do oh, nawa o. Fish pieeee,” to promote his wares changed his life forever.

Speaking in an interview with Sunday Scoop, Esor opened up about his life before the transformation. He said, “Before that video went viral, I was living in penury. I was really struggling but my faith kept me going. I lost my dad when I was just six years old, and life became very difficult. My mum did her best, but after she also passed on in 2018, I had to survive on my own. I started hawking at the age of six and since then, I’ve sold almost everything, including moi moi (bean cakes), pomo (cow skin) and cakes.”

Recalling how Nons Miraj came into his life, he said, “I was stunned that she actually came to my ‘pako’ house to visit me. I was at a loss because I had been following her content since her days as Ada Jesus.

“She took me out for shopping, bought groceries, food items, and even took me to a boutique to pick out clothes and shoes. Then she said she would book a hotel for me to stay for a week. She asked me to call my siblings so they could bring all my belongings.

“When we arrived at the location, she revealed that it was actually my new house. I was speechless. She also gave me N200,000. A few weeks later, she invited me to her place for a shoot. Little did I know that she had another surprise—a car!

“Truly, she is my destiny helper. King Mitchy also connected me with Eko Hotel, which turned out to be an incredible blessing. I would have been content working in the kitchen, but I was actually assigned to entertain guests at the bar.

“Although I was scheduled for twice a week, I couldn’t keep up after the first month—yet I still got paid. My life has changed drastically.”