25 Sept 2026
BUKOLA ‘SUGAR' AKINPELU on Almost Dying in Military Training & Starting Over|Dear Ife Series Podcast
Sugar Akinpelu joined us on the podcast for a deeply personal and honest conversation about her life, her memoir *My Life as Sugar*, and the experiences she kept hidden for years.
Ife spoke with Sugar about growing up in Nigeria, childhood trauma, financial abuse, relationships, and the difficult decisions that shaped her adult life. She also opened up about moving to America at 22, joining the U.S. Navy, nearly drowning during training, and refusing to give up when she felt she had no plan B. The conversation also explores her relationship, surprise proposal, marriage, and what she learned about love, self-worth, and recognizing unhealthy patterns. There is so much honesty, vulnerability, and insight in this episode. We would love for our community to share their thoughts and perspectives. Don’t forget to like, share, subscribe, and leave a comment.
Chapters:
Chapters
00:00:00 Introduction
00:01:14 Meet Sugar Akinpelu & *My Life as Sugar*
00:03:31 Why Sugar wrote her memoir
00:05:26 Growing up in Nigeria
00:08:34 Finding herself in boarding school
00:09:20 A childhood experience she never told her parents
00:12:47 Why she stayed silent
00:14:41 Reflecting on trauma
00:15:23 Recognizing financial abuse
00:17:51 Moving to America at 22
00:18:07 Starting over & joining the military
00:20:13 Almost drowning during Navy training
00:21:45 “I don’t have a plan B”
00:23:46 Becoming a United States Sailor
00:24:20 A new life in America
00:24:34 Reconnecting with her ex
00:25:08 The trip to Turkey
00:25:36 The surprise proposal
00:26:34 “Let’s go get married”
00:28:06 Did Sugar know what love meant?
00:29:07 Looking back at the proposal
00:29:35 The reality of preparing for marriage
www.mylifeassugar.com/memoir
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About Diary of a Naija Girl
Diary of a Naija Girl (DANG) is an online community, founded and managed by Ifedayo Agoro, to inspire women across the world through creative storytelling. Back in 2015, it started as an online diary, sharing the everyday adventures of an anonymous Nigerian woman. Fast forward nine years, and it has become a tribe of incredible women, living their best lives one story at a time. DANG is a safe space for women to be unapologetically themselves, a family that laughs, learns and lifts each other, from Lagos to every corner of the world.
About Ifedayo Agoro
An entrepreneur, creative writer, content creator, content marketer and media strategist, Ifedayo Agoro is the founder of Diary of a Naija Girl (DANG) and DANG Lifestyle, a premium home and body care production company, which she launched in Nigeria in 2020. Ifedayo is passionate about social responsibility and philanthropy. She sponsors several young residents at Little Saints Orphanage and partners with Lots Charity Foundation, a non-governmental aid organisation.
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