(Part 1/2) My name is Oladoyin Taiwo. I run a Business/Brand Consultancy called “Profit With Doyin”, where I focus on helping female owned SMEs create business and branding solutions.  

Growing up, I was a practicing Muslim until I got introduced to Christ on the 13th of Feb 2004 by Bishop Oyedepo, during the spiritual week of emphasis in Covenant University. Afterwards, I became more conscious about my life. I became a purpose driven woman. I had always known what I wanted to do throughout college (so I thought). 

While others were still thinking of what they wanted to do after NYSC, I had mine mapped out. I was going to go get a Master’s abroad (UK to be precise), earn some money and then return to Nigeria. But sometimes God stops us in our tracks to let us know that he is God and is in charge of our destinies. So my desires didn't come to pass until 4 years later after I resigned from my job at HITV Limited as a Brand/Marketing employee in 2010.

In 2011, I finally moved to Chicago for my Masters and a few months later, I started to volunteer at a religious organization, where I was favoured to get a full scholarship for my MBA. Prior to working there, during my personal prayer time, I heard an instruction in my spirit to go and offer my services to the church. But my human mind discarded the thought. Around the same time, my soon-to-be boss called me and invited me to join the team and that just confirmed what I had perceived in my spirit earlier. 

Fast forward months later, I realized I was always broke because as an international student I wasn't allowed to work a paid job. So here I was volunteering from Monday to Sunday (I was also heading the children's ministry amongst other things.) I didn't have time for myself or for anything else. It was a very trying time for me and I felt like I had lost myself in the process of “serving”. (I was literally burnt out.) 

(Part 2/2) In 2014 after graduation, I read a book by Sam Ore called Purpose Redefined, and it helped me to set my priorities right. I learnt that I could serve and be joyful and make money too *smiles*. The summary of the book for me was that I didn't have to be inside the four walls of a church to fulfill purpose. I was led to read the book while trying to recover from a brief but painful breakup (because according to "us", we thought “God said”). I was heartbroken and broke, so I had to pick up what was left of my life and forge ahead. 

Armed with my knowledge from business school, and my experience as a brand strategist, I started mapping out my next move. I hired my first coach to help me on my journey. Prior to all of this, I started a make-up business in 2010 and it became my side hustle when I was in the "abroad". But I left it and the other things I had my hands in by 2015 to pursue helping others gain clarity and profit from their gifts and callings. 

I started an Instagram page called, “Designed to Inspire” and I was getting good feedback. People were reaching out to me for advice, and I was helping them work through their "confusion" since I could relate. But subsequently, I realized my approach wasn't going to be sustainable so I converted the entire process to a business. 

After I relocated to Nigeria in 2015, I looked for a job for a while but later, I decided to focus on my business. During my research, I discovered my current business coach, Sharon of Womenur (IG) and I sent her a direct message (DM) to find out what it would take to have her as a coach. Her response was favourable. We started working together. She worked me through the process of re-branding my business from “Designed to Inspire” to “Profit With Doyin”. We also worked on my business plan and structure and in March 2016, I started a limited liability company. So far, “Profit With Doyin” is doing well and we have been able to help a few upcoming brands who are also doing well.  

(Part 1/2) I spent too many years dabbling in all kinds of things, not knowing my way, stumbling here and there. I got to a point where everything I was doing, as good as it was, didn't give me any fulfilment. There was something missing. I knew it was God because I had been born again very early. But I spent years away from the faith and lived life on my terms. And so, I knew I had to return to the original plan of God for my life. 

It wasn't a dramatic encounter; it was just me looking back and feeling an emptiness and knowing only God's purpose for my life could bring fulfilment, peace and joy.

I had a reawakening. My eyes popped open and all of my naughtiness was laid bare before me. It just made sense to me that I had strayed and was my own boss. If you look at what the Bible says about the prodigal son; he wasn't such a bad guy, he just wanted control over his life, and that’s what we all do. We are not necessarily bad people. We just want control. We don't want to live life on God's terms.

I felt like there had to be more to life. It couldn’t  just be about making films and looking for the next project, and going to this hotel and going for that award, and waiting to go to America.

I did a couple of things I wanted to do, like go to Vegas. I came back and said, "Is this it?" So, I had a reawakening and I was lucky to find the mercy and grace of God. I reached for it and said, "God I do not want to spend the next minute living life on my own terms. From today, I choose to live for divine purpose. My next intake of oxygen will be by your will. Every single thing I do will be heaven propelled."

Immediately I said those words, I started crying and worshiping. I kept saying, "God I consecrate myself. I separate myself for your use from this day onward." I woke up the next morning and felt new. I didn't even have money at the time and trying times were coming.

(Part 2/2) After I made my stand for God known, all hell broke loose. I wasn’t called for jobs and my finances were attacked. I had one year of trouble but within me I knew that it was well and I had peace and fulfilment that I wasn't going to trade for anything else. 

Prior to this time, I was struggling so much with sexual immorality. It was a big struggle because I was in an industry where sex came easy and because it was the norm, it was acceptable. It was no big deal and it was a lifestyle. You could go for an award show, meet a pretty lady, exchange numbers, and be with her that night. It was the showbiz lifestyle. It was a sin that so easily beset me.

I understand grace and I understand mercy, but, I made a personal covenant with God. I remember standing in my room one night and I said, "God besides the covenant of the New Testament, the covenant of the finished work of Jesus on the cross of Calvary, I make a covenant with you today. If I'm going to slip at 12 noon, take my life at 11.59".

I said these words and they were not theologies, because theologians can break it down and say, “No, Jesus has finished it all for you." I understand all of that, but this was coming from a place of struggle, I was tired of going around my mountain. I had come to a place where I felt like there was fire in my bones and I was so mad at the devil and myself for being foolish. It's been five, going on six years since that time.

Now as I preach around Africa, I see young people who are bound by the same things and I share my experience with them. Even before I pray, people are falling under the power.

I see people who are tied to pornography, masturbation and all kinds of filth because it's a major spiritual plague on young people and social media makes it easy. So, I'm particularly drawn to that and I've ministered to countless people. 

I do purpose-driven conferences, helping people understand that there's a purpose for their lives and breaking them from whatever it is that's clouding their vision. The conferences release them to go with fire. Wherever we go, be it the market place or wherever, it's about affecting lives and revealing Jesus to them. 

We have a musical background in my family. My parents sing, my sister sings, almost everyone sings. But nobody was ready to take it to the next level. And my dad wasn’t even in

support of hos children joining the choir because he believed choir members are promiscuous due to the church background we had and belief systems. It was always seen as a family gift and a hobby, not something you should make money from. But I started learning how to sharpen my skills from watching reality musical TV shows. I made sure I followed them. Whatever vocal lessons the participants were given, I pretended I was there taking the lessons with them. When they were given songs to score, I scored the songs like I was there. I kept doing that and I discovered I was sounding better. 

A time came when I left my home church to join a Pentecostal church. But the choir had too many adults, too many older people. The youth church

started a choir, and I was like, "Finally, there's something to join." My

dad was still strict but he had released me a bit because by then I was done with high school. I noticed I had a rasp in my voice. It's pretty husky and I lose my voice quickly. I was taking too many things I shouldn't take like cold water. And before becoming born again, I'd had some experiences that damaged my voice to an extent. So, I noticed that after I sang one song during rehearsals, I would have a sore throat and my voice would leave. But I still continued.

While I was in school, I started growing as gospel artist, performing at different concerts and from there I set up my gospel band. This was about 6 years ago. The major challenge I had was, my parents were never in support, not because they didn't like music, but they believed that singing in church for God was good but not as a career. They also felt musicians were jokers, and music couldn’t be more than a hobby. They wanted me to further my education. My mum always wanted me to be a doctor and my dad wanted an engineer. I loved engineering and practised it a bit, but I wanted music. So, it was a struggle. 

(Part 2/2) I had to plot my way to perform at events. But people started telling my mum when they began to see me everywhere. And it also came to the knowledge of my dad. I was so close to being disowned but I didn't care. I knew God had called me to music. This was one of the things that moved me to eventually live on my own. It wasn't easy, and of course it was a bit of rebellion

but, I was just trying to prove a point. I wanted my parents to know musicians are not promiscuous, and they are not jokers. 

There was a time I had a chest illness for about 10 months and the doctor told me not to do anything that would stress my voice like singing. And I was like, "That's my life. I would rather die than drop music." I had gotten to a point where if you asked me to choose between life

and music, I would choose music because I understood the call, and who God wanted me to be. I decided to pray to God about everything. I prayed my parents into liking what I do, supporting what I do and seeing beyond what they feel or think.

I've been doing music for six to seven years now and it was not until early last year that my parents completely supported me. They started supporting me by praying for me when I went for ministrations. My mum would let me use her car, but they still didn't see it as a profession; they just saw it as God’s work. They only saw the ministry part of music and not the business side. But last year, they gave me their full support and released me. For me, it was a major breakthrough. The journey has been great so far, with its highs and lows, but I bless God.

I was born and brought up in Nasarawa village in Kaduna. I had a very poor background. I don't remember getting any new clothes apart from Christmas time. I don't even remember going to nursery school. I did eventually go to a public primary school. I wore a particular school uniform for a very long time with the shirt torn, the shorts torn, and really big holes in my shoes. Sometimes I had to walk barefoot. I never got transported to school, so I would have to walk. (Imagine walking the equivalent of Oshodi to Victoria Island every day!). 

My family lived in a face-me-I-face you house, and the poverty was so strong that our next-door neighbours were pigs. Primary school was tough. I lost my dad at some point and my mum had to manage to push us through. It was tough when my dad was alive. When he died; it became worse. 

My mum had to do some crazy businesses to keep us afloat. After primary school, the norm in my family was that we were sent to live with an uncle to learn how to ‘trade’. So most of us had to stop schooling at the primary level. I became a servant in my uncle’s house. 

Apart from the everyday work in the house, he was beating everything out of me and I remember at some point while still staying with him, I almost committed suicide. I managed to go through secondary school because I really wanted to be educated but after junior secondary school I left his house.

I had to start sorting myself out from SS1. I did all sorts. I hawked all sorts. My siblings and I would walk around Nasarawa village selling banana, coconut, garden eggs, groundnuts, zobo and the like. And most times because I loved football, I would drop the things I was selling and go play ball. By the time I got back, my goods would have been stolen. I was also a conductor for a while when my dad was alive. My dad was a driver and I was his conductor.

I always had something inside of me that made me feel there was so much more. A part of me thought it was football and so I developed my love for football. I played in Pepsi Academy and I played the Kaduna's Cup Under 13. I was doing very well with football and I even paid some of my secondary school fees with my earnings.

I got into Ahmadu Bello University (ABU). I left and got another admission into Madonna University the first year it started. I didn't like the school because there were so many rules and regulations and I couldn't cope, so I left again. I decided to go to Lagos, since they said Lagos was a place where things happen. It was tough. 

Poverty, if you're not careful, builds and shapes you so I started fighting for my life by myself. I got into Lagos on a Thursday in the middle of the night from Nasarawa and I didn't have anywhere to go to nor the contacts of my brother who already resided there. My first house in Lagos was Oshodi, under the bridge, which was where I passed the night because there was no means of reaching my brothef. There were no cell phones so I couldn’t call. I didn’t even know where to find him. 

In the morning, some people helped me look for my brother’s shop, in the same Oshodi. We went around asking people if they knew him until we eventually found him.

I started to work around getting my studies right. I wrote JAMB again and got admission into the University of Lagos (UNILAG), but I had to leave UNILAG too because I had issues with a cultist who warned me never to step foot into the university or I would die. I wrote JAMB again and got admission into University of Benin (UNIBEN) and wanted to study Business Admin but I got Religious Studies. I stayed for 2 years but I wasn’t feeling the course, so I packed my bags and left. I came back to Lagos and just shut down the idea of school.

Before this, I had gotten into music a bit in Kaduna from my home church in Nasarawa. I had my first recording when I was still in primary school with the choir. We went to a studio in Zaria to record but before that, I was known to always mess up my house using our plates and spoons as drums. I remember I played my first instrument, which was the guitar, at my uncle’s house. This was while I was in secondary school (remember I lived with him for 3 years). He had a guitar in his house and I would play tunes that made no sense, even though he warned me never to touch it. 

My uncle would come home to ask if I touched his guitar. I would say, “Yes”, because I wasn’t brought up to lie. He would then beat me. 

At a point, I told him to teach me how to play but for even asking, he beat me up! So, I decided to keep learning on my own. He had a spot where he kept the guitar and he marked it in a funny way which I never knew. I would take the guitar, play a bit and then drop it away from the exact spot. So, he always knew that I played the guitar and he would beat me. He would take off my clothes and mercilessly beat me with a wire. Those memories shaped my life both negatively and positively. I remember vowing never to let my kids go through any of that.

I managed to go to church all the time and I would hear people play from my seat in the audience. Each time I heard a tune, I would memorise it in my head, go back home to search out the sound on my uncle’s guitar but I never got it. I'd go back to church the next Sundayand try to figure out how the instrumentalists were achieving the tunes. I’d go back home and try again (even though I was beaten). That's how I learnt to play instruments. I can play the guitar, bass guitar, drums, keyboard and mouth organ - about 6 instruments without having gone to a music school. 

I joined my uncle’s church choir and interestingly a year after, I dethroned him (lol), as they insisted I become the music director. I was just in SS1 at the time and I'd left my uncle’s house. That was how I got into music gradually in Kaduna, though it wasn't my favourite thing to do. Football was, at the time. 

When I got to Lagos, since I couldn't find any football pitch to play and was dying of hunger, I went to a church close to the house I was staying in Oshodi. I remember I called the choir members and told them, "If I touch this music, everything will turn around." And then I introduced myself. I went to their keyboard and used all my strength to play things that I knew their keyboardist wouldn't be able to play. I asked them if I could play the drums too, they said yes, so I played the drums the way their drummer couldn't play. I played the bass guitar. I tried very hard to prove a point with my music at the time and they were really impressed. I got the job as their Music Director. We agreed on terms and my salary was N3,000 monthly. When I collected my first pay check I was crying because I never believed I could make 3000 Naira.

As the music director of the church, I started to learn and make my music better. People were always amazed at what I did. I was like the talk of Oshodi back then as far as music was concerned. My choir was literally the best. People were inviting us to minister and we did loads of concerts. While there, I became music director of another church too, as news was spreading fast about a young boy in Oshodi. I was paid 3000 Naira monthly also, so altogether I was now earning 6000 Naira monthly.

While music was bringing in cash little by little, I was not satisfied, as I wanted to further my education. I decided to do a part time program so I would have time for music. I took up admission in Lagos State University (LASU), got in and started attending lectures. During lectures, I would try to concentrate, but my mind was always drifting towards music. I left in my second year because I wasn’t concentrating and I thought to myself there was no point wasting time. If you remember earlier, I said I was in ABU, then Madonna, UNILAG, UNIBEN and now LASU, making it 5 universities and I never finished from one!

I decided to focus on music and the urge to set up a group ran through my mind. In 2004, ‘XTREME' was set up. I gathered some of the choir members of the churches I directed in Oshodi. At this time, I had worked with different churches as music director.

Xtreme started, and glory to God; we began really well and very fast. In fact, we started as singers, dancers and actors having created different expressions of the group; we had Xtreme Steppers, Xtreme Theatre and Xtreme Singers. 

We grew and had our first concert in February 15, 2004 and it was beautiful. There was a zeal and desire to do more, to be all God had called us to be. I wrote songs and we started to shoot videos, and because everything we did at the time was new and fresh, we had a lot of acceptance. My desires birthed something bigger which we still do till date - Broadway type shows - having rebranded them as Musical “EWURO”. We have been running for four years now.

I am happy where I am today. People know Tim Godfrey all over the world. I've travelled to different places to minister, gotten over 300 nominations and won awards. Sometimes I hear I'm nominated in India, Scotland etc. I've won awards in UK, US, here in Nigeria and other parts of Africa. I've ministered alongside people I never thought I would, like Marvin Sapp, Tye Tribbet and others who were my musical influences. In fact, we were graced to bring Marvin Sapp last year for our FEARLESS Concert. It looked and felt financially impossible but God came through and we were able to. 

I tell people I am FEARLESS and I serve a God who has got me all the way. I want to encourage everyone that there is nothing impossible for you to do. You just need to believe strongly and work towards it. I need young people to know that there are some things you might need to sacrifice in your life at the moment for the future you want to have - “Delayed Gratification”. I did a lot of that and God has been very merciful. 

You can never use poverty or not having an education as an excuse. In fact, you have no excuse not to achieve what God has ordained for you. Pray more but then get to work. God will not bless emptiness. What’s that thing he has put in your hands? He has given all of us different talents. Harness them and stay consistent.

Whoever you are, there is so much embedded in you. I encourage everyone reading this, "NEVER GIVE UP on yourself, no matter your age." I believe we will all make the necessary impact we need to make in our time.

My name is Segun Abiona, I'm the CEO of Nicole and Giovanni Socks. My story is that of a young man who wanted more out of life than the usual.

After spending close to seven years in the financial industry in Nigeria, I embarked on a master’s degree in the United Kingdom. Before rounding off my program I had Barclays Bank calling, so I joined them while in school and worked there for a little over three years.

After a while, I got tired of England and wanted a new challenge.

I started to ask myself questions, coming back to Nigeria, "What exactly do you want to do?" I started praying because I wanted a divine lead. On one of those busy afternoons, I came back tired from work and sat down and felt like I fell into a trance somewhat. There, I got the message, 'Socks'.

It sounded very strange. I wanted to be clear if truly that was what I heard but the voice came again saying, 'Socks'.

The first call I made was to my wife, “Honey, this is what the Holy Spirit said to me” and she replied, “If that’s what he said, then run with it.” I began to do my research. I started putting a lot of information together and asking myself questions about how to go about starting such a business. Even though I would rather build such a business in my home country, the enormous challenges with starting a business in a Nigerian environment ran through my mind.

However, the most important part was the fact that I wanted God to direct me on how to go about it and that is exactly what he did.

By the time I got back to Nigeria I secured a job within a month, which was a soft landing for me. The job was also in a bank. I didn't last in the job for more than a year and eight months or so, because why I came back to Nigeria was beckoning already, i.e. the 'Socks', so I started.

This meant working in a bank and doing my hustle by the side at the same time *laughs*, but I knew that that was the sacrifice.

I was having less than 3/4 hours sleep in a day, having to put my strategy together, making sure that the vision was clear, how I intended to produce, to distribute, to reach my market and so many issues. Because I had a clear vision, I knew I was not alone.

A lot of people were asking me if I was crazy. They’d say, "Why did you leave Barclays for nothing? You came back to Nigeria, you were even blessed to have a job and still you decided to walk away from it."

I knew I had the leading and a direct instruction to go ahead. So, my success was without doubt. I knew it was going to happen, but for it to happen I needed to work it out.

I have an accountability partner in my wife. She later joined me in the business. She was a Project Manager/Engineer in one of the top telecoms firm but now she takes charge of the business back end and every technical aspect of production, quality control, and all other details.

When it was time to leave the bank, my wife and I sat down and had a strategy session to see how we had performed within a period. We asked what we would need to be able to walk away from my 9-5 and not have any adverse effects? But the truth is, there is no way you'll walk away from a regular job and not feel the effect. We needed to know how to manage the situation and that was the best and most difficult part at the same time. We prayerfully picked a realistic date and worked towards it. And as God would have it, it was practically that same month that we picked that it happened, and I walked away from the bank. Today, it’s all history.

It's not surprising that we are living a dream now that the brand is travelling because there is God behind it with the added focus, determination, hard work, faith and the belief that things will happen. We currently have stockists all over Nigeria and we recently launched in the USA.

It's been so far so good and it can only get better.

(Part 1/2) My name is Timothy Bentum and I am a Ghanaian. I grew up in a very religious home. I was a very adventurous young man and ended up with a lot of bad friends. I went to 6 schools before writing my A level exams. At the age of 13, I began to smoke weed and got introduced to cocaine when I was 19. My cocaine habit lasted for about 12 years or maybe a little more. I've been into all sorts of vices and done all sorts of things, including stealing to feed my addiction, because it was a very expensive one. Alcoholism was not excluded from my list of vices and I had a few bashes with the law, got caught a couple of times and had to bribe my way out.

After all this, I met a woman (who is now my wife), and she told me I couldn’t continue to live like I did. She started taking me to church and over time I began to have a craving for God. Even though I had gone so deep into nonsense; growing up, my parents had taught me to read the Bible. I even still have chapters in my head which I had memorised. We would memorise chapters and recite them in church. People were doing memory verses while we were doing memory chapters. Growing up, you would think that I was a brother, but it was a seed that was sown. So every time I walked by a church, I would feel a pulling like I've got to go in there. A couple of times I actually walked in and just sat there while the service was going on. After a while, I began doing the church thing little by little.

But one day, I met one of my friends who used to come to my home to eat. He was on his way to church with his family and here I was asking him for money that day. When I got home I said to myself, “This has got to stop. Enough is enough, I can’t be begging for money.” So, I decided I wasn’t going to drink or smoke again.

I had almost 2 decades of an addiction and I stopped without any hassle, or withdrawal symptoms like ‘cold turkey’ or ‘a twitch’, or ‘running nose’ or ‘fever’. Everybody says it's impossible to stop an addiction without the side effects or withdrawal symptoms because the body is used to the addictive substance.

(Part 2/2) The grace of God kept me as I overcame my addictions, because the truth is, if I had had withdrawal symptoms, I would’ve gone back and God knew me. So he took away the withdrawal symptoms and made me sail through easily. 

Thankfully, I met Pascal Amafo and we connected and just started to do stuff. I have seen what God has used him to do; the healings and the miracles, and he has inspired me a lot. We have been together for a while, along with Majid Michael, and Majid also has a very strong teaching and healing anointing. Together, we have a kind of inseparable relationship. It is as if God covenanted us together even before we got here, because everywhere we go, we move in very unique ways and people are blessed.

Personally, I think that my story has been very profound. People have been helped. I'm still talking to a lot of people who are on drugs. I believe God takes us to places and brings us out so we can go back and save people. That's why God doesn't take us out of the world, rather he takes the world out of us. He puts us in the world to be able to affect the world.

We are told time and again that if you have an addiction of any sort, whether homosexuality, pornography, masturbation, alcoholism etc. that you should say, “I can do it” (i.e. break free from it) and then you just will yourself to do it. But I will tell you to say, "I can't do it. Lord I roll it over to you, for without you I can do nothing." God said in John 15, “I am the vine, you are the branches and without me you can do nothing.” So, roll it over to God, Let him see your helplessness and then he will step in because you are available. But if you say I can do it, it’s like saying "Yo, step back, I got this". Get into a space of total reliance and dependence on God. Everyone should have a dependence creed because we are supposed to be dependent on God. 

Moving forward, I'm expecting to walk the face of the earth with an anointing that has never walked the face of the earth before. I desire the kind of move of God that has never been seen. 

It was the year 1961 and I was a 22 year old boy in England. She came to visit me with her friend. (Her friend was my friend’s girlfriend.) They were both studying nursing outside London. That was the first time I saw her - August 1961.

I met her again in February 1962. We started talking. She and her friend were to take their nursing exams sometime in March. I remember I said to her, "Look if both of you pass your exams, I'll take you to the pictures (movies)", which was the popular thing in those days and then of course they passed. So, I asked that they come to London for the weekend so I could take them to the pictures. It was like a double date, my friend and his girl, and her friend and myself. We went to the pictures and watched ‘The Magnificent Seven', a popular movie at the time. I remember at the pictures I said to her, "I want us to be friends and I want to marry you. There's no need to answer me. I have thought about it, I know what I want, so go ahead and think about it and let me know." In the summer of 1964 (September 5), we got married.

I moved back to Nigeria in 1969 to work in the oil fields and my wife moved back a year after. I remember I would spend 5 months in the fields and one month at home. And in that month, I'd have to go to England. Before she started work, I would take her with me. Everywhere I went internationally, I would take my wife with me. Because I was away for 5 months, I wanted to spend the little time I had with family. Separation in marriage is a terrible thing.

Of course, we’ve had our challenges but we were able to overcome them. We were able to handle our finances which is a major issue in marriages. We both understood we are two different individuals with different personalities coming together as one. And so many things have helped us through, of course God being the foundation and rock of our marriage.

If you ask me, my plea to young people is no matter how serious the challenges may be, if it doesn’t include spousal abuse, endure it, because what you think is big today, in 5 years time is nothing. There's no problem that can't be overcome.

We will be celebrating our 53rd wedding anniversary in September.

I started engaging in sexual activities when I was 8 years old and in primary 4, after I caught 2 adults engaging in a sexual act. I was caught the second time by my parents and they flogged me mercilessly. I stopped for a while until I went to live with my grandmother during my junior secondary school. My male cousin introduced me to porn, and from there we started having sex. My female cousin too started fondling me.

When I finished JSS 3, I returned to live with my parents. I hated them and thought they didn’t love me. I decided to seek for the love I desired outside. I had my first boyfriend in SS1. While all this was going on, I was the head chorister in church and saw visions.

Before university, I had slept with 5 people. I noticed I could no longer hear God. I knew I was on the wrong path but the more I tried to stop, the deeper I fell. All the relationships I entered into never lasted long because after every sexual act, I felt bad and cut them off. After a short period, I would go back to the guys. Immediately I left any (relationship), I entered into another one. The devil always had an alternative for me.

I was such a curious person. I wanted to know what young ladies saw in dating older men so I decided to give in to a leader in church who was pestering me.
On a particular Sunday, my group pastor was addressing us and told us to confide in her if we had anything eating us up.

When I got home I called her. She counselled me and told me to go for deliverance and to see the assembly pastor. I thought that was all but few months after the deliverance I went back to the acts. When I tried to stop fornication, pornography set in.

During that period of my life, every time I went to church, all the sermons pointed at me. I knew God had been talking to me for more than 3 years, but even when I listened and repented immediately, I would still go back.

I decided to surrender my life in totality to him and God has been faithful. I now see visions and hear clearly from him. I also thought no one would ever accept me with my past but he has given me a fiancé who not only accepts my past but is willing to make me forget it all.

(Part 1/2) I'm an actor and a voluntary teacher. I also keep people healthy. Let me tell you my story.

 

In 2001, I was part of a child to child network in secondary school. We contributed our pocket monies to make sure students in public schools had enough school materials. So, I would say my giving spirit started then.

 

In the university, I joined the Orphanage Support Team of Covenant University's Project One Million Souls started by Reginald Bassey. We visited and worked with Orphanages in Lagos State (and around Ogun State). The philanthropist in me matured.

 

In 2009, I joined Hauwa Abass Hadejia of Silver Lining for the Needy Initiative (SLNI) to refurbish an orphanage in Maitama, Abuja. We got funds for a bus to take kids to school. 

I simply continued along the line of philanthropy and in 2011, I registered ADANSONIA Foundation for arts, education, agriculture and peace keeping in Nigeria, to focus on sustainable development. 

 

In the midst of all these initiatives, I made mistakes. In 2008, I went for NYSC. From that point until 2011, my life revolved around PLAY Lounge in Abuja. I would go for Lapooza Night on Wednesday, then on Thursday, I would go for BYOB while Friday was the normal Club Night. On Saturday, I would also go to the club. I never went to church on Sundays. I didn't care about church. I was like, "Yeah, God created me but what does he want from me again?" So, I was just living my life. Sometimes, I would even go to the club on Sunday for Tequila Night and stay there until 12 midnight then go to work on Monday morning. I was just 19 at the time. 

 

All the same, because I had learnt how to live the giving life and it was an innate part of me, I had some seed of Jesus in me that was just not very clear. 

 

(Part 2/2) In 2011, I had an encounter after I went to the club. My friends and I had a road accident but I came out unscathed. God kept me but I took it for granted. Then the next day which was a Saturday, I had another accident and this time, it was inside my house. I fell in the bathroom and hit my head. Before then, Akah Nnani kept inviting me to his church, but I never agreed to go; I wasn't interested. After my accident in the bathroom, I called up Akah and asked him about church. 

 

I went for the service and the Pastor talked as if he was reading my life as a script. That was how I joined the church and the choir. I started allowing God to run my life. Prior to that, I had been changing jobs - 3 months, 2 months and I'm out. I would sit at home feeding on the past salary that I had. I wasn't stable at all.

 

In 2014, I just handed everything over to God and told him he should handle everything, because I didn't know what to do. In 2013, I was working with a consulting firm, and in the same year I started the 'Read to Succeed Project' which I franchised in 2015 under the umbrella of ADANSONIA Foundation in Lagos. Read to Succeed kept me going because it was a CSR project and I believed that God was in full support. 

 

I came to Lagos in 2014 to study acting at Royal Arts Academy and for 2 years I didn't get a job. I got my first proper job on TV in December 2016. Previously, I had lived my life how I wanted it and when I allowed Jesus to take over, he gave me my first major job.

 

I applied to join the Global Shapers Community of the World Economic Forum, and in 2016 I became a World Economic Forum Global Shaper. My voice is about to be heard by World Leaders just as promised in Proverbs 22:29. Through 'Read To Succeed' and other projects that are coming up, I'm sure Nigeria will be a better place. My aim is to make sure that I train futute leaders to be leaders who will then train other future leaders for a better Nigeria.

I'm the last of three children. I didn't grow up in a conventional setting where the sibling before you is maybe 2 or 3 years older. Our 2nd born is 16 years older than I am and the first born is 18 years older, so quite frankly when I was born they were all grown up. I had no one to relate to.

I was told by my mum that she had always been expecting a 3rd child even when everybody didn't believe so. My father never really had a connection with me, I think maybe because out of 3, I was this last unexpected child that happened, so I had issues with him. He loved the others even though I was told I'm the one that's most like him.

At about 7 years old, I started living an independent life. I wasn't getting attention, even though my mum was there for me. I started doing so many things at a young age; drinking, smoking, and all sorts of inappropriate things.

I always felt like one "bad guy". If God was going to use anybody, it wasn’t going to be someone like me but I met with God in an unconventional way. It made me realise that regardless of how many years you may think you have wasted, when God is ready for you, he is ready for you. There is nothing too hard for him to do.

I mean right now, God worked things out so much that if my dad doesn't speak with me in a day, he'll feel like something is missing. Everything is now falling in pleasant places for me just because of one thing; I now serve God. There's nothing else that is as rewarding as working for God. I mean you might not be where you think you want to be but it's all a plan. See, this whole life is a script. You are just an actor and someone is directing everything. Every move you make is a script written by God and he's not the kind of God that would forget your labour of love, if you work diligently in his presence.

I'm 22 years old, but I've seen so many things in life to make me trust in God because there’s nothing I can do without him.

August 2010 was a tragic month and year in my life. I was still in secondary school at the time. It was our holiday period and I was attending summer lessons. 

I was a member of the Nigeria Girl Guides Association NGGA and I was the president in my school. We were about to go for summer camp so we were asked to come for a meeting. I told my mum about the meeting but said I wasn't going to attend, so she told her driver to go home.

That day, the weather was very bad because it was raining. At about 3:30 or 4 pm a friend of mine called to tell me the meeting had started and all my friends were around. I got excited and decided to go for the meeting. My mum came back home and told me not to go for the meeting that no one would drop me, but I insisted. She warned me not to leave the house but as stubborn as I was, I snuck out of the house when she was upstairs.

I saw a bike (okada) and boarded it. The bike man was speeding but I did not tell him to stop because I wanted to meet my friends. The rain was falling heavily. The bike man did not see a moving trailer coming towards us. We ran into the trailer and there I was half dead.

I woke up eventually and was told I had been in a coma for close to three days but God saved me. He kept me and sent me back to this world. He made sure I lived even though I went through a lot. I was blind for months. Finally, one eye opened after 3 months. I lost my upper gum and 14 of my teeth. My nose was damaged. In fact, my face was disfigured but God held me close so I wouldn't let go. His mercies kept me alive.

I did a lot of face surgeries. I still feel the pain and wear artificial teeth, but that can't be compared to life. I am alive and beautiful and the secondary school girl back then is now a Mass Communication graduate from University of Lagos and the founder of Soft-touch Charity initiative which is up and running.

(Part 1/2) About 5 years ago, I gave my life to Christ. I basically grew up on the streets, in the hood of Bariga, so you can understand what I had been exposed to at that age. I lost my dad at a very young age, so I was taken to live with my uncle. 

I had opportunities to do a lot of bad things, but for some reason God kept me. I was exposed to smoking, drinking and all that but I never tried them out. I remember sharing this with someone and the person said, "Your father's prayers worked", because my dad was an evangelist at MFM. 

I started going to church at some point but I never really found anything in the church fun. For me it was a routine. I had the mindset that you can’t serve God when you're young till when you're all grown up, married and you've enjoyed life to the fullest.

After secondary school I was looking for what to do because there was no one to sponsor my education. So, I started working as a bricklayer to survive, earning 800 Naira per day. After that, I started to teach in schools. I had this mindset that there was more to life, but for me, the idea of more to life was going out to hustle and doing something for yourself. I also worked with a welder on a particular project. I was doing whatever came my way so as not to appear lazy.

I was making some money but it just didn't fill my void. I was empty inside.

I was also a dancer, so I would go for dance rehearsals and meet with my guys to sing once in a while. We would meet and freestyle, doing street stuffs. I was good at what I did. Guys had their eyes on me and I had the opportunity to work for some people. I went on like this until someone told me about Solid Foundation Ministry camp meeting. It’s a teens and youth ministry. 

At the camp, there were about a thousand teens present from all over. Just one day into the camp and I was feeling funny. Like I said earlier, my idea of serving God was something to be done when you are mature, married and old but that camp meeting changed my life. I saw young people on fire for God. 

(Part 2/2) At the camp, there was a particular guy, very young, from South Africa. Whenever it was time for bible study, he was the first to get there, always ready. Almost everyone around me was in that world and I felt left out, but something on the inside of me felt peace, and I knew I needed more of this to fill the void in me. 

I started interacting with some of the guys, asking questions about the Bible and the Christian walk. They put me through, made me see reasons why the best time for me to serve God was now. We had series of bible studies and a lot of other activities and then one of the days at camp, there was an altar call and I gave my life to Christ. I still remember the whole experience. I woke up every day at camp eager to see what would happen next. I really can't find the right words to explain my experience, but it was different.

After camp, I got a new sense of direction. God was leading me and things started coming to me easily. I got to know God better, I got to understand why I needed to study the scriptures, the essence of devotions and fellowship with the Spirit.

My whole life changed. Being someone that had a lot of crazy experiences growing up, it was easy for me to relate with people. I bless people with my music. I sing indigenous rap music. Right now, I have a lot of people from the streets who look up to me. I've learnt that in order to win people, you don't need to look or feel different from them, or look down on them. You need to get close to them. I've been where they are so I understand them. That experience has helped me style my music and reach out to people.

God has been faithful. We've been able to win souls daily. Every opportunity I get to minister to someone, even on the road, I use it. I share my testimony. Even if they don't accept Christ at that moment, I believe that for everyone I talk to, I sow a seed and the Holy Spirit does the rest. 

I'm growing by the day and I now understand that serving God is not by age. It's how much you experience him, and every day is a new experience. It's been an amazing journey.