We both made up our minds before we met to wait to have sex until we each got married. We had the discussion when we started dating, but had our individual principles before we met. We avoided experimenting, trying this & that or going halfway. Because we had purity in mind, it became our focus during the 4 years of our relationship. 

We had fun as opposed to what people say that when you have a relationship without sex, it will be dry. And it wasn't all just prayer, bible etc., the way some people make it look.

We didn't see too often though, because I was in school. And when we did see, it was in public places - the movies, mall, my parents', his parents' etc. This went on till I finished school and moved to Lagos. 

The temptation became more intense when we were planning our wedding. When you're getting married soon, there's a temptation to let down your guard, just a bit. And I was now in Lagos, so we were seeing more often. The most important thing we had to deal with was our minds. Whether we were getting married or not, we had to remember that we both decided to wait. That helped us a lot. We didn't leave a lot of gap between our introduction and wedding. I think that's a major distraction that happens to people. You do introduction and 8 months or one year later, you do the wedding, and in that space you already start feeling like husband and wife. You start setting up house, spending weekends, and so on, then all sorts of things happen. 

Before the wedding night, we were agitated, worried and anxious. But, we had marital counselling in church and that really helped us. We read a couple of books together. Will I say the first night was wonderful? (laughs). Maybe not, but after like a week after, it became worth waiting for. I can say it has been bliss because daily, we open our minds to how we can satisfy each other better. 

So far, it's been 4 years of major fun, bliss, and beauty. I can candidly say it was worth the wait. 

(Part 1/2) As a teenager until my early twenties, I never liked my stature. I thought I was too thin, with little or no bum. I admired friends in school who were endowed. I wished I could be the same. Having gone to a private school where there were a lot of big girls, I was on my own. Nobody wanted to be my friend. I felt I could not join the social status some of the girls enjoyed. 

So one day, I decided to help myself. At least, if you don’t have it, pretend that you have it. That morning, before going for morning assembly, I decided to add additional clothes under my clothes to look bigger. I folded them neatly and put them inside my clothes. I felt good. Isn’t this the way every girl was supposed to look? Appealing? Attractive?

We finished the morning assembly and as I was about to walk to my class with two friends, I heard it, ‘paaaaapaappapapapappa’ - the fall of the clothes scattered all over my legs, one after the other! As I tried to hold the clothes, it was as if they were on riot. One after the other, they scattered and fell on my legs. Everything I had padded inside was now on the floor under the full glare of everyone! A few minutes ago, I was feeling good with myself, cat walking and deliberately trying to catch the eyes of those boys who used to ignore me (especially the one who made it known to me that I was ugly and that no boy would find me attractive). I was embarrassed and ashamed. Disgrace and sadness enveloped me instantly.

The two friends beside me, who had turned to check what had startled me burst into shock and disbelief. One of them said, ‘Omoby, did you actually put those inside your clothes? You are pathetic! You can never be fat o! You are just so stupid! Do you think you can have my kind of body?’

(Part 2/2) My friends mocked me for trying to look bigger than I was by padding my clothes. One picked up the fallen items I had used to pad myself and handed them back to me. She said, ‘Omoby, let’s go. Everyone is laughing and looking at you.’

I wanted to die and my eyes welled up with hot tears. I only wanted to look bigger. I just wanted to feel good. Why did this happen to me? Another friend walked beside me. Her arms on my shoulders were soft and warm. It gave me the necessary comfort as I walked past the assembly ground to my class.

For the next few weeks, I was the talk of school. Everybody made snide remarks about me. Most times, I consciously shut my mind to such remarks.

I look back now and realize that I was on a journey of self-discovery and self-exploration. It was not a journey I got through overnight. I came to the point where I realized that believing the worst about me was not helping me at all. I needed to do something about it. Days were passing by. I was getting older. I was wasting lots of time wishing I could change myself. I wasn’t going to live on earth forever and if I spent the best part of my youth wishing I were someone else, wishing I was bigger, what time would I have left to do the things God called me to do?

Gradually, I came to terms with my stature and accepted that I may never be fat in my life time *laughs*. This is because we haven’t got fat genes in my family. When people mock me or talk about my stature I just laugh it off and I say, "Thank you."  When I am told stories of people who monitor their eating habits, spend huge amounts in gyms and on teas trying to shed weight, I realize that being slim is actually my blessing. I have learnt over the years to love and accept myself, just the way I am.

(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.