Ebuka Obi-Uchendu Reveals He Began His Smoking Habit in Junior Secondary School

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By Mary Agbabiaka

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Media personality and TV host Ebuka Obi-Uchendu has opened up about his past struggles with smoking and raised concerns over the increasing rate of betting addiction among young Nigerians.

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Ebuka spoke during the latest episode of the podcast MENtality, released on Friday, alongside health advocate Aproko Doctor.

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The discussion centred on addiction, peer pressure and the economic realities pushing many young people towards unhealthy habits.

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Reflecting on his personal experience with smoking, the former Big Brother Naija host revealed that he picked up the habit as a teenager and struggled with it for years.

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“I started smoking in JSS3 and I smoked for 13 years,” Ebuka said.

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“And by university, I was smoking about two packs a day.”

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He explained that addiction often develops gradually and can become difficult to control without support or deliberate intervention.

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Speaking on the growing betting culture in Nigeria, Ebuka said many youths are increasingly turning to gambling in search of financial breakthroughs amid harsh economic conditions.

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“People would say they’re betting because ‘I dey find money’ and they heard about this guy that had N4 million from betting untop how many odds,” he added.

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According to him, stories of individuals winning huge sums through betting often create unrealistic expectations and encourage others to chase quick money despite the risks involved.

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On his part, Aproko doctor said many negative addictions developed as a result of people seeking escapism.

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“Human beings have two ambitions. The first is to avoid pain. The second is to chase pleasure. A lot of drug use comes because a lot of people are trying to avoid pain,” he said.

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