My Top 10 Moments of 2023

When we started this year, God told us it was our year of multiplication. It wasn’t clear until we saw all that unfolded in the year, and we’re grateful. I look back at 10 moments out of the many that stood out for us this year, and I hope it inspires you to think about the beautiful things in your life too.

1. 33 Months Married

This year we celebrated our 2nd anniversary and will be celebrating our 3rd in March 2024. We were very intentional about everything we shared in the year just as we have been all these years. Our monthly anniversaries, birthdays, dates, walks, trips, ‘me and mine’ photos, everything was planned. After surprising me with many gifts, Soibi took me out on my birthday to a fancy restaurant and ‘spent money on my head’ (Lol). I published ‘Flower — Poems for Soibi’ on her birthday this year to keep the promise I made to her when we were teens. This year we had a 4-day staycation to spoil ourselves in July, and we also went through driving school together and bought our first car. James Bond was shaking when he saw our driving school training videos on WhatsApp, lol. We plan to remain committed and intentional in 2024 because nothing beautiful is built haphazardly.

2. Officially joining Nguvu Collective

In February I traveled back to India and this time to the beautiful city of Bangalore for our first Nguvu Collective team meeting and strategy session. Although it wasn’t until October that my contract with Change.org ended, I grew to love and be inspired by the amazing team at Nguvu. This year I supported our 63 Change leaders in Nigeria and commemorated over 100 media stories reported about them in the media. I supported the successful campaign for the launch of the HPV vaccine in Nigeria, and the fight to make genotype testing a prerequisite for marriage in Nigeria to end sickle cell. I also profiled the work of our Nguvu Change leaders around the world on Global Voices, now translated into Italian, French, Spanish, Malagasy and Russian. As we launch our new strategy, I am excited that the work I will doing on the African continent in 2024 will help to launch the new social movements of the future led by African women.

3. Voting at the 2023 General Elections

The build-up to the 2023 general elections was intense. Both being campaigners for a new Nigeria, Soibi and I were 100% behind the Labour Party’s Peter Obi for President because he represented the kind of disruption we need to put Nigeria on the right path. Sadly, the Presidential election was rigged. The current President played on institutional corruption, tribal sentiments and religious bigotry to steal the elections and it dashed many hopes.

Up until today, there are lingering questions about his fake certificates, his forfeiture of drug money and much more. 7 months in, his administration has been a disgrace. Everything is worse. People are being slaughtered like chickens, and more Nigerians are slipping down the poverty line with unspeakable inflation.

During the year, I spoke extensively about these issues on the BBC World Service, BBC News, Irish Times, Nigeria Info Lagos, Channels TV, Power FM South Africa, Plus TV, etc.

4. Appointed Thematic Lead at the NESG

In February I visited the NESG office in Abuja to collect my Exceptional Leadership Award plaque. It was an opportunity to meet with CEO Designate, Dr Tayo Aduloju and Bridge Fellowship colleagues to discuss public policy in Nigeria. In April, I was appointed Thematic Lead of the Governance and Politics Thematic Group at the NESG’s Community of Practice on Youth (CoPY). I moderated an International Youth Day conversation hosted by CoPY on how green skills can foster a sustainable Nigeria. Looking forward to exploring ways to mainstream youth in more governance/politics conversations in 2024 starting with the engagement of Youth wing leaders across political parties to develop a joint youth political agenda.

5. Joining Soibi at PH Fashion Week

This year we attended Port Harcourt Fashion Week and Soibi attended the masterclass session as well. It was a great opportunity to meet the stakeholders in my wife’s sector and see all the modelling and fashion talent the city has to offer. This year we also registered and trademarked SOIBI, and had an outdoor photoshoot which has always been Soibi’s dream.

Looking forward to celebrating SOIBI’s 2nd anniversary next year and seeing her 2nd collection. Meanwhile, hope you can differentiate between SOIBI, our business, and Soibi, the founder, lol. Follow our business page on Instagram.

6. Policy Advisory to the Government of the Republic of Korea

I was invited by the Government of the Republic of Korea to share some youth-policy engagement strategies we have piloted at Policy Shapers during OGP week in May 2023. I had to take some K-drama Korean lessons from Soibi to infuse into my speech, and the audience loved it. Once again, the session demonstrated the beauty of technology as I zoomed into the event in Seoul from Port Harcourt, Nigeria. Watch my speech here.

7. Featuring on the Biomimicry Podcast

I have always told myself that Biomimicry will be the last sector I work in before I retire. You will recall that last year I got certified in April as a Biomimicry Practitioner and this year, I also moved my biomimicry practice forward. I was accepted to the Sharing Nature’s Genius Fellowship in January, featured on the Biomimicry Podcast in May, and organised a conversation on the possibilities of organising a biomimicry community in Nigeria in October.

Next year I hope to work on many more biomimicry projects around the world and establish a biomimicry community in Nigeria.

8. Three Years of Policy Shapers

This year Policy Shapers commemorated its 3rd anniversary during the 2nd edition of the Naija Policy Hack. This year more than 400 young people across Nigeria registered to join us at the weekend-long policy hackathon and we were graced by several experts including Ndidi Nwuneli (MFR), Oke Epia, Oluseun Onigbinde, Bella Ndubuisi, Amara Nwankpa, to mention a few.

This year we also presented policy ideas from our community members at the National Assembly in Abuja, produced 4 additional episodes of Policy Saturday, partnered with Zikoko Citizen, made input to the JAMB bill, and recorded more policy change victories on the #ReformIELTS campaign. In 2024 we will do more and try to create more structure for the organisation.

9. Made the #MORE100

I was pleasantly surprised a few weeks ago when I got a notification that I’ve been listed in the Activism & Advocacy category of the MORE100, which recognizes Nigerians who have made significant strides in their respective fields during the year.

It’s absurd for someone who works in policy and governance space to be considered an activist, but this is what Nigeria has made me. There is so much to scream about in Nigeria today, and so many movements to build and catalyze.

Either as a policy advocate in organised settings or as an angry citizen on X, I hope to continue to use my voice to seek liberation for my country and our generation.

10. Fighting to Preserve Ken Saro-Wiwa’s Legacy

I was two years old when Ken Saro-Wiwa was killed in 1995, so I never got to meet him and witness the great advocacy work he did. However, I was lucky to briefly work with his son, Ken Saro-Wiwa Junior before he passed as we tried to establish a tech hub at the office of his Late father in Port Harcourt. I also got to meet Noo, his daughter, and we’ve been in touch for so many years now. I know how much his family has struggled and sacrificed to see a better Ogoni and Niger Delta.

This is why when the Federal government announced the change of nomenclature for airports across the country and failed to name the Port Harcourt International Airport after an indigenous son or daughter from the region I was so pissed. This is what led to the #KenSaroWiwaAirport campaign.

I went on several radio stations and wrote a widely syndicated op-ed explaining the importance of symbolism as it relates to the name of the airport. I argued for weeks on social media but without support from the South-South’s political leaders, my plea was not listened to. The victory for me in this case is in the fight. At a time when even my Governor was mute, I was demanding this change and driving a national discussion on this issue that would affect posterity. Leadership is not in the title, it’s in actions and solutions. I hope I can continue to act and solve problems for the people around me every day.

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Looking forward to 2024 with hope and gratitude! Bring it on.