When I was 10 or 11, my uncle used to molest me. This went on for a while. I couldn’t tell anyone, not even my mum, who was close to him. Everyone loved him because he was a good person. I hated him. 

I remember years later, when he was getting married; I planned to tell his wife, but something held me back. That was the last day I saw him.

Years later, after I became born again, I began to learn about forgiveness. It took a while, but I remember praying for him and letting him go. I hope the day I see him again, I won’t have so much hatred. I believe God has healed me and made me whole. 

Once, I almost landed a record deal with a major record label in Nigeria.

When I gave my life to Christ, I began to ask God what he wants me to do. He told me, if he could use a rod in Moses' hand, how much more the talent he has given me. 

I told God I was not going to beg for studio time or do the things I used to do to make money. (I used to be a Yahoo boy). So I started selling magazines on the streets in traffic, mostly at Mobolaji Bank Anthony Way, in front of Sheraton. I remember telling myself that one day  I was going to sell out Sheraton during one of my performances. I also worked as a security guard across Sheraton at the Unity Centre. The interesting thing is this year, I am holding a concert at the same Sheraton.

I thank God for standing behind me and for pushing me. The same boy that was once addicted to weed, alcohol and sex is the one who now ministers to people in song. 

I hawked bananas for six years on the streets of Lagos, after school, to assist my mum in supporting the family. 

I finished secondary school in 2005 with 3 Credits. Before then, I had written GCE 3 times and failed. I was tagged a failure. 

In 2005, I gave my life to Christ and told God that if he would help me with my examination, I was going to serve him without fear. I became a member of the teens church choir. I would come to rehearsals with my Banana tray and return to sales afterwards.  

I wrote my NECO examination and this time, to my surprise, I had 9 credits. I was so excited and I praised God for his help. I got a scholarship to study Industrial Mathematics in Covenant University but I left my degree programme after repeating my 400 level twice due to several carryovers. I eventually enrolled into Winners Bible School (WOFBI) in 2012 and went fully into music ministry. Today, I am a songwriter, a music minister, an online publicist, an artist manager and the CEO of Eternal Sounds, a Christian Music Company.

After my first child, I had an ectopic pregnancy, which would have killed me. I went to the hospital and at some point, my doctor came to my bedside and poked a needle straight into my tummy to draw some blood. He literally lost it. He told the staff to get the theatre ready immediately.

The surgery to save me was conducted by 1am and 2.5 litres of blood was found in my stomach. This was bad, as that's almost 75% of the total blood in a human being situated in the wrong place! 

God did it and my surgery was successful! Afterwards, I became more focused than ever, on living with purpose. I knew God had called me to help women but I had been battling with it. I eventually started Deluxe Childbirth Services in 2012 as the first legitimate US childbirth concierge service in the world, teaching and helping moms have their babies in the US the legitimate way and at affordable costs. We have facilitated the birth of over 300 babies and also partnered with USAID and UNFPA to improve maternal care in the IDP camps. 

Interestingly, despite having one tube, I had 2 kids in the 2 years after my surgery. God is good. 

I started playing the drums at the age of 3 and I picked up the love for the keyboard at the age of 5. I had a gift, a divine gift.

I followed my mum to her church one day and asked if I could play the drums. I was 12 years old. And just like Hannah gave her son to be used by God, my mum gave me to the church. I began to serve in church and began to grow musically and spiritually. I would rehearse every day, even when no one was in church. I was practicing because I felt like it was something I should do, not knowing that God was preparing me for something. 

MasterKraft saw me playing at my church in 2010, when I was 14, and he was impressed. He became my mentor and I began to learn about production, music arrangement and so many other things. My big break came in 2012, during MasterKraft’s birthday when Tim Godfrey saw me. He remembered me as the “Fountain church boy” and said I should come for rehearsals the next day. At the rehearsal, he announced to everyone that I was now part of the Xtreme crew. I didn't even audition. 

I joined Xtreme at the age of 16. I produced two of Tim Godfrey's albums at 17.

I used to have a recurring dream about being barefoot in public. I never thought about it deeply; I just ignored it. I got married, had my first child, worked at a great job, but I felt like something was missing.

I read a book about understanding dreams and realised that the recurring dream was God trying to get my attention. He was trying to tell me something was missing.

In 2014, my aunt suggested I serve in church, which I’d never done before. I joined the media unit because I felt it wasn't going to be too stressful. I thought I would only have to record announcements, LOL. At the time, I didn't know this ‘unit’ was going to become a young adult church (The LifePointe Church), so I had no idea what I was getting myself into.

Last year, there was a series in The Elevation Church (LifePointe's mother church) called, Kingdom Addict. The scripture reference was Matthew 6:33. I'd read the scripture a million times, but I had a new revelation at a service during the church series. At the end of the service, God told me to open up my Instagram page and to make it public, as it had always been private. I eventually did, though it was a struggle.

I had shared my childbirth story in church the month before, and it was posted on social media, the week God asked me to open up my page. I now understood partly, why God wanted me to open up my Instagram page. I received a gazillion messages from people telling me my story encouraged them.

One day in July, while sleeping, God woke me up and told me what my purpose was, literally. Just like that! Something I had been searching for in such a ‘mechanical’ way! Things that in my wildest dreams I couldn't imagine, started happening. Doors began opening and different opportunities started appearing. This time last year, I wasn't even close to where I am today.

Sometimes I feel so undeserving, but God is amazing. Life is really about seeking God's Kingdom first and he will add everything else.

I was an unpredictable child. At first, my parents were told I wasn't qualified to be alive, due to medical circumstances, but God kept me. 

I discovered as a child, that I hated being boxed in. I discovered music and began to learn on my own. I wasn't taught how to play the drums or the piano. I learnt by observation. I wrote my first song in 1999, without knowing anything about composition. 

There was really no argument as to what I was meant to do - music. I faced many challenges, because of my kind of musical expression. I grew up in an orthodox church, where Handel's Messiah is typical. Till date, I love hymns and the sound of the organ. 

I believe hymns were forged in the furnace of afflictions. Similarly, in my life, I have learned patience and perseverance. God’s word is my consolation through hard times. 

When I was very young, I fell inside a well. I almost drowned, but was rescued.

When I was in the College of Education; leaving the theatre at night, I didn't know there was conflict between two fraternities. As I stepped out, some cult guys pointed a gun at me, asking which group I belonged to. I told them I was an ordinary theatre art student and they left me.

Some years ago, I was going to Lagos from Abuja after an event, with a night bus. We were robbed and the thieves threatened to shoot everyone. I remembered a message my Pastor preached about King Hezekiah, telling God to remember his work, when he learnt he was going to die. I was the only one that was not robbed and God saved all of us.

The essence of my story is the only reason we are kept alive is to declare the glory of the Lord. We live, so that God may be glorified.

On the 26th of May 2013, I left the police station, where I was waiting for my relative to bail me out.

Because I was leaving the house where I worked as a maid, the family took me to the police station, so they would not be held responsible for any misfortune that might befall me. I left the house with nothing else but God, my clothes, books and my not yet concluded National Diploma (ND).

I survived days without food. I survived days with rice and palm oil only. I survived.

Four years down the line, I have completed my Higher National Diploma (HND); I have Emotional Intelligence and Fear Mastery coaching certificates. I have learnt so much and I'm still learning.

It has been an incredible journey. I love the woman I am becoming. I have enjoyed grace, love and favour.

When I finished secondary school, I worked as a waiter and my first pay was N500.

I met many people while working as a waiter. I would see people anchor events like Gordons; actors that were masters of ceremony on the side and different comedians. I could only see them from afar. I also learnt courtesy and respect at the time.

It was fun for me because I was meeting people, but the plates were too much *lol*. I was washing serious plates. My hands were so white. 

For 5 years, I worked in a corporate environment as a waiter in the kitchen department. I worked in Express Discount House and Intercontinental Discount House. My bosses are my clients now. They see me and are happy for me and like that I've grown. People invite me and pay my flight to come to the UK to perform. This is for someone who didn't know what he wanted to do in life and who was studyng to become an Accountant.

On October 1, 2005, I became a professional comedian and on October 4, 2005, I got my first professional fee of N5,000.

My parents have just two of us, my brother and I, so from an early age, I wanted more than 2 children. My husband on the other hand, is from a family where there are 6 of them, so we found a balance on the number of children to have.

I heard horrifying stories of conception, labour and delivery before I got pregnant. Then, I discovered the book, "Supernatural Childbirth". I honestly can't remember how I came across the book, but I probably went into a bookstore and looked up everything they had on childbirth, as was typical of me. I also came across Galatians 3:13 which says, “Christ has redeemed us from the curse of the law, having become a curse for us (for it is written, ‘Cursed is everyone who hangs on a tree’).' That was the beginning of a wonderful chidbirth experience for me. 

Each of my 4 pregnancies and delivery was nothing short of supernatural! My husband and I held hands every night and declared what we wanted over our unborn children and we received answers to all of our prayers. I am so blessed.

I found out I was dyslexic after my A levels. I always knew there was an issue but A levels magnified them. I struggled with simple things - Text, signs, telling the time...I still can't tell the time from a clock or wristwatch without having to count the minutes.

It was a lonely existence, living with an undiagnosed learning disability and watching your dreams fall apart.

I came across the word Dyslexia, one day when I was frustrated. I read about it and it was as if the author read my mind. The discovery took me from A to Z in a very short time. My aunt introduced me to Brainex and that was the beginning of my journey to getting better. I was also dealing with depression and a personality disorder and so I started psychotherapy.

I began to share my story on my Instagram page and some people could identify with dyslexia. I built an online community where they could come together and feel good, despite their differences. This gave birth to ONE Word Africa (O.W.A), a dyslexia initiative.

Growing up in Ajegunle, my dream was to become a thug. While other kids were aspiring to be Lawyers, Doctors or Pilots, I wanted to be somebody that would be feared. I would fight every day and I even went as far as beating up people’s mums, anytime they came to ask what I did to their kids. 

On the 28th of April, 1997 something happened. I was invited to a prayer group called Jesus Campaigners by Christiana Essien. I felt strange. I'd never been in a gathering of orderly people. I saw young people speaking English and speaking in tongues. Up until my SS1, I couldn't speak English at all, only Pidgin. 

After 5 minutes, I wanted to leave, but the next thing I remember was people gathered around me and I was crying profusely. That was when I knew something had happened to me. Nobody preached Jesus to me; I had a personal encounter with him. 

I started gathering kids that used to run away from me, and began to preach to them. I went to every mother I had insulted and slapped to apologise and ask for forgiveness. I changed my friends and joined a music group.

Today I am a music minister, a graduate of Olabisi Onabanjo University and I'm also married to a beautiful wife and expecting to be a father soon.  

I grew up in a separated home, and it really affected me. It was hard for me to love.

I was afraid of having a broken marriage, so I didn't care about breaking up my relationships. I just didn't want a broken marriage. I was scared of being heartbroken and I was looking for perfection, not knowing that I wasn't giving myself as well. I was also abused by an aunt. It's not only girls that people take advantage of. Boys are victims too. 

I lived in the ghetto area of Ogudu, where I woke up in the morning to carry sand from the water into the boat around Iyanoworo.

One day my mum told me she had to beg someone on the road for transport fare to return home. My heart broke and I promised myself that whatever it takes, I would succeed. My mum has played a huge role to make that happen and I really appreciate her. My dad too did his best, in his own way. 

Right now, I am standing strong and blessing lives with my music. 

I remember a time when my wife and I lived in a room in my brother's 3 bedroom apartment. I couldn’t afford to pay rent, because I’d just been transferred to Abuja. Work was challenging because of internal politics. 

I had some friends who were using a rare fragrance they called OUD. I asked a friend in Dubai to bring some for me and I really loved it. So the idea came to me to start selling perfume. I did a lot of research on what OUD was and I also started advertising on social media.  I'd learnt certain principles about seed sowing. So the first sale of perfume I made was a seed. 

In 3 months, I had made about a million Naira at my desk from the sale of perfume. After that, I had an online store on Konga. When I made my first online sale; I sowed a seed.

My pastor called me and said I should expand the perfume business, travel and meet with manufacturers. I just looked at him and laughed in my mind. Before I knew it, he wrote me a cheque of a million naira. I wanted to faint.

I travelled to Dubai and found some perfumes. When I returned to Nigeria everything changed. Business changed and Sapphire scents was born.

After a while, God instructed me to start a distributorship chain and so I did. We now have over 140 distributors across Nigeria, UK, US, Ghana, Cameroon. We have created 7 fragrances and are now selling perfumed candles, car fresheners and industrial diffusers.

When you honour God and are faithful to him, your life will change forever.

I was born with sickle cell anaemia and I went through a lot of pain growing up. 

I remember a time in secondary school when I was sweeping. I fell and couldn't move. I was taken to the hospital and couldn’t go back to school until after 2 months. The amazing thing is, despite the hassle of being a sickler, I would still finish top of my class, I was either 1st, 2nd or 3rd. 

When I wanted to go to UNILAG, I did a series of tests, including a genotype test. Before that time, I'd believed God for my genotype to change. I remember one time in church, I came out be prayed for and I felt the hand of God. 

When it was time for me to submit my medicals at UNILAG, I did a genotype test at the lab. The result came out as AA. I told the woman to do it again, that it's not possible because I'm a sickler. She redid the test 6 times and it came out as AA. I no longer had sickle cell anaemia. 

I'm a medical lab scientist and I know it's not possible for someone's genotype to switch medically. Therefore, what happened to me is a miracle and I thank God.

It was the year 2010 on a Sunday evening. I got a call from my elder sister for me to go see my dad because he was a bit ill. 

On Monday morning at 5am, we set out early to avoid the long queues at the general hospital. We saw the doctor and my dad was referred to LUTH. The doctors were on strike and so we went to the teaching hospital in Ogun state. They were also on strike. We had to go to UCH Ibadan. There, we slept in our bus and didn't see the consultant until the 3rd day. 

A scan was done for my dad and we were told one kidney was cancerous and the other was badly damaged. His diabetes had also gone up. Twenty tests were recommended and the least of the tests was about N60,000. The only thing we knew to do was to pray. We had no money; we had gathered all we had for his treatments. However, money started coming in.

While on his sick bed, my dad would tell me, "I know there is God and he has everything sorted. All I would like you to do is pray."

We eventually got the results of the last test and it was revealed that there was no kidney failure, no cancer and everything was intact. My dad was discharged after 3 months and we went back home. 

In 2015, my dad was admitted again at Igbobi Orthopaedic Hospital because of the diabetes. His leg was infected and it was eating up his veins, so his leg had to be amputated. People really supported us financially and God provided. 

I remember on one occasion my dad died in the hospital but he came back after 2 hours. Every night before leaving the hospital, I would hold his hands and we would pray. 

As if my dad knew he was going to pass away soon, he kept thanking all of us and prayed for us. 

 

Eventually, my dad passed away. I just know he’s in a better place now.

I grew up in the ghetto, Ajegunle to be precise. Looking at me, you'll never know.

My parents played a huge role in protecting my sisters and I. They limited our play times and guys weren’t allowed to visit us. Life in the ghetto was interesting. 

Growing up, the word of God also kept me. I took to the word of God voraciously. 

I grew up in the same neighbourhood as Pita, David Nkennor and Chika. All of us were music freaks. We were all balling those days in the ghetto. We knew what we wanted and I'm really happy that when we see ourselves now, we are like, "Oh you remember those days?" and we laugh. 

People now want to be part of what God is doing in our lives. They want to use our platforms and that is a miracle. 

One of the thing that helped my friends and I was that we saw the end result. We knew there was more to us. We are about changing lives and reaching out to the world with our music, the word of God, our lifestyle, self-image and personality.

Wherever you are, know this, you can change the world. 

My boss once told me I would never make it in broadcasting. 

At another radio station I worked with, my Head of Programs called as I was about to write a test in school. I told him I had a test and he told me to pick one, my education or radio. I chose to stay in school, but I thank God I didn't lose my job. I graduated with good grades even while I was on radio. 

After a great career on radio as an undergraduate and as a corper, I just couldn’t get a full time job on radio. Instead, I got a regular 9-5 job.

I sent proposals to radio stations with my ideas, but got no feedback. At a point, I got tired but the Holy Spirit told me, "You don't need a proposal to start a Facebook Page, a Twitter account or a blog." And that was it.

In January 2012, I opened a Facebook account and started to share the content I would have shared on radio. A week after I started a blog and people began to send their songs to me to publish. It was small, but I was fulfilled. 

On June 1, 2012, Praise World Radio emerged.

When I started to sing, it wasn't all that easy. 

I joined a mass choir when I was 16 going to 17, at a church in Ilorin. During my audition, the choir director told me that my voice wouldn’t sing, and he asked how I even got into the choir. He also believed I was tone deaf, so whenever we ministered, I was placed at the back. 

I started working on myself, learning the theory of music, solfa notations, etc. But whenever I was given an opportunity to score a song or to lead praise and worship, I would shy away, until God told me that if I continued to shy away from things, I wouldn't grow. That day was a defining moment for me. I told myself whether I can or can't, I'm going to attempt it. 

People that knew me and are still in touch with me now, marvel at how much I have evolved. I relocated to Lagos and joined a church that was just starting. I became the music director and still am, 5 years later. We started the choir from scratch and everybody that's been to our church knows that our music is more than average, thanks to God who inspires us. 

No matter what people say about you, know that what's important, is what you say about yourself. 

I was in a cult in secondary school. 

Because I had an innocent look, I was bullied. I got to a point where I got tired of it. In my 3rd year in secondary school, someone very close to me introduced me to a cult. I remember the day of my initiation. I was blindfolded and the process was a grueling and painful one. 

Something happened during our inter-house sports. A cult group came from another school to attack my group and in the process, one of our top members was killed. The person who introduced me to the cult and I were able to escape. That was how I left the cult. After the incident, there was a long holiday, and we got born again, thanks to my sister. I held on to God and became very committed in church. 

I got into university and things were not happening the way I expected them to. I didn't have money. In my 200 level during the strike (3 months), I was introduced to internet fraud aka Yahoo Yahoo. The cash started coming in, but I was not settled. I was living large at school but I couldn't support anyone at home. They would wonder where I got the money from. My conscience haunted me.

In my early 300 level, the Holy Spirit told me if I didn't stop it, it would become a problem. Meanwhile, my sister had a dream and told me in the presence of everyone during our morning devotion, that she had a dream about me and she had a feeling I was already doing fraud. She told me, “If you're actually doing this, you're eating from your future.” That’s what got to me. 

I stopped doing Yahoo Yahoo. My friends laughed at me and said I would run back to it after a month. I didn't. I won't lie, it was difficult, financially. But God's word kept me going. 

Today, I'm living a beautiful life. Who says God cannot do it for you? You don't have to make money through illegal means. You can make good money when you trust in God. 

I grew up with just my mum. I didn't know my dad until I went looking for him when I was 10. 

I was abused by my cousins from age 7 till 13. It stopped because they moved. I couldn't tell my mum because we didn't have a mother-daughter relationship. 

Since then, I've looked for love in the wrong places. I did many things to boost my self-esteem. I didn't know the things I was doing were because I had a lot of anger and unforgiveness inside of me. I just thought I was getting through life, until 2015. A guy wanted to date me, and at the time, I had started a purity journey. I told him if we were going to date, we wouldn’t have sex. He asked why, and I told him I didn’t want sex, but while I was saying it, I sounded really angry. He noticed and told me to stop. He asked, "Who did this to me? Who messed me up?" He said he noticed a lot of anger inside of me and I was acting really defensive. 

That was how my journey to healing started. We didn't date, but he's still my very good friend. He introduced me to his friend who is a therapist. I was able to talk to her about everything, including my childhood, as I cried. 

It took me close to 2 years to heal and I thank God. I told my mum about everything that happened, this year. I had gotten to a stage where I could talk about it without crying. The last 2 years have been very interesting. I became very paranoid. I couldn't stand the sight of a guy playing with a little girl or putting her on his lap. I would just shout. My therapist said it was normal for me to react that way.

I was familiar with the streets, as I had to sell bread before I went to school.

I felt like education was my ticket out of poverty, so I gave it everything I had. I worked really hard and was always top of my class. Learning was difficult in public schools. There were no books and the conditions were terrible. I would say, I'm a product of self-development. I studied Civil Engineering in Yaba Tech and graduated tops. I then moved to Yobe State in 2008, for my Youth Service.

I thought I had it bad in Lagos, but I was shocked by Yobe State. There were kids who had never seen the four walls of a school. I was in a local government called Nangere in a village called Degubi. I was crying at the state of things and the people were just carefree. I decided I was going to make a difference, even if it was in the life of one child.

I started a community school under the tree at the village square. I visited most of the parents and told them I was a corper and that was what I intended to do. I started with about 5 children. In the space of 3 months, we grew to about 60 children. The children became too many for me to handle so I had to ask other corpers to help. A few did. By the end of service year, there were over 150 children. I felt like I'd found what I was born to do. I got a state award for community development.

I returned to Lagos after NYSC. It was hard to stay back because Boko Haram was really brewing at the time. When I got back, I was torn between finding a regular 9 to 5 job or doing community service. I volunteered at an NGO, but my focus was education. I later started a community based initiative called TEACH (Transforming Education and Championing Health). We focus on public primary schools and see how we can use community resources to identify and solve the education and health needs of community schools. So far I've worked with 4 public schools.

I believe you’re not in control of the family you are born into, but you are in control of the decisions you make and can take responsibility for your life. I didn’t have a good start but I’m committed to having a great end. 

I recently had an issue with the police and was locked up for 4 days for a crime I didn't commit. I was picked up randomly on the road during my prayer walk.

My experience with the police changed me, but in a positive way. I used to be very impulsive. I could get a call from Abuja and take off the next minute. Now I don't do that again. I have become calmer. If I want to travel, I don't do so abruptly. I plan. In general, I am now more security conscious.

The experience didn’t dampen my passion, it increased it. I could have languished in prison but because God had used me and I'd been a blessing to so many people, they noticed I'd gone silent on social media. Several people started calling my numbers. My friend broke into my house, found my phone and saw about 200 missed calls. That’s how a “missing person’s” post of me went viral on social media. If I was living a self-focused life, who would have remembered me or asked questions?

People look at me and they are like, “Despite challenges, you are still able to do what you do.” Well, God has been faithful. I've started a TV show. I'm a speaker, trainer and small business consultant.

I want to encourage every youth out there to look within. There's something on your inside that the world is supposed to benefit from.

I grew up in a dysfunctional home. My parents separated when I was a baby. 

Before my mum remarried, my siblings and I had some neighbours who would play with my butt and do ridiculous things. I was really young. I didn't understand what they were doing until I was abused by someone else. And then it all made sense. 

My stepdad was really strict. We couldn't go out or talk and we had a very firm upbringing. So, when I got into Uni, it was like I had my freedom. I did the worst things I could have done in my life during this period, from messing around with guys to clubbing and occasional drinking. Honestly, I didn't see it as a big deal back then.

My sister became a Christian before me and then she introduced me to Christianity. It was quite hard because we were Muslims. Even though I wasn't a serious one, I just didn't fancy being a Christian either. 

I've been a Christian for about 9 years now and it has really been worth it. I can say that even though there are troubles here and there, there’s a huge gap between where I'm coming from and where I am now. I'm thankful that I found God when I did. If not, I most likely would have become a runs girl. Lol. 

I've always had a funny sense of humour right from childhood. In secondary school, I would crack jokes in the midst of my female seniors and they would give me their food at the dining hall. 

Although I started comedy so many years ago, I became better in 2008 when I got into university. I took it up as a profession in 2012 when I graduated from school.

At university, I was always anchoring one program or the other. It was more of a hobby, but comedy eventually became a product and Saco the comedian is now mentoring me. 

I try to inspire people through my content and I also try to make people see that beyond the funny side of life, comedy can also make you think.

The twist is, I also lecture in the University. Beyond being a comedian, I'm an academician, a scholar and a researcher. I lecture in Osun State University where I graduated with a first class degree in Political Science. I also have a master’s degree and am hoping to do my PhD as soon as possible. 

After my SSCE in 2014, I fell sick. 

Our family doctor noticed a growth on the front part of my head and my family was referred to Lagos State Teaching Hospital (LASUTH) to see a neurosurgeon.

A CT scan was done, and the scan showed that I had a brain tumour. I soon had a convulsion and was rushed to the hospital. I was placed on a drug that would sustain me until the time of my surgery. 

On the 8th of April 2014, I had my surgery. It lasted for 2 days because of a complication. I lost a lot of blood. My survival was 50/50, but I got better. 

I was placed in the ICU for a week. The doctor asked me different questions like if I knew my name and where I was. I answered all the questions correctly because all my senses were intact except for my sight. I had gone blind. The surgery affected my eyesight. I was in the hospital for close to 2 months. The doctors couldn't tell what happened exactly. They tried all they could, then said nothing could be done about my eyes. 

I could no longer do things by myself or go out alone. After 2 years, my family wad directed to an Indian hospital in Lekki called Vedic Lifecare Hospital. They did an MRI scan and it was discovered that there was a mistake during the first surgery that affected the optic nerve - the nerve connecting my eyes to my brain. They said they would need to carry out a corrective surgery at the headquarters in Manipal, India.

My bill is about 6 Million Naira for the flight, the hospital bills and hotel lodging after the surgery because I would have to stay as an outpatient for 2 weeks before returning to Nigeria. My family has been reaching out to people since November 2016: family, friends, and the public. I'm still hoping and looking up to God that there will be a way. 

April 8th, 2017 will make it 3 years since I've been blind. Nothing that has happened has affected my faith in God; rather it has strengthened me even more. I know everything will be fine someday. 

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To support Chidera, kindly contact:

Raquel Jacobs: 08025857485

Chidera’s mum: 07033233946

I've been a single mum for 8 years.

Although I was married for 7 years, it was an abusive marriage. I was beaten and talked down to by my husband and it really affected my self-esteem. It was a very difficult time, coupled with the fact that I had 2 children. The abuse got so frequent, I had to go to the hospital for treatment. I also developed high blood pressure.

One of the times a beating was going on, my son who was 3 years old at the time, started jumping up and hitting his dad, saying, "Leave my mum alone." I had a flash of insight and understood if my kids kept growing up in that kind of situation, one day my son might decide to beat up his dad, in my defence. That was when I decided, enough was enough. I had stayed for 7 years because I was scared of what people would say.

When I left, I didn't have a game plan. All I knew was my life was very important and I didn’t want my kids to grow up in such an environment. My older daughter was very withdrawn and fearful because of all the fights. My son was also getting aggressive. And, I had to resign from my job at a bank.

Reality stepped in, because it was a case of me going from grace to grass. A couple of close friends abandoned me and I once contemplated suicide.

I had a lot of bitterness against my ex. One day, someone called and said God told her to tell me to forgive my ex and pray for him. That was a terrible period for me. It took me 3 months to obey. Every time I opened my mouth to pray for him, curses would come out. I forgave him by the 3rd month. 6 months later, I got a job to pursue my dreams.

One thing that keeps me going is God. I know it sounds very cliché, but the truth is, my story is a story of grace and resilience. I still have some very tough times because being a single mum is not easy. Besides financial demands, there's also the emotional task of raising kids on your own.