SCENT of WATER Nigeria

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National transformation is often mistaken for a purely structural or economic endeavor, but in the Nigerian context, it is primarily a psychological one. In my book - Arise O Compatriot, I stated it clearly that the panacea to Nigeria's predicament is to engage in knowledge for mindset change.

While infrastructure and policy are vital, they are merely products of the collective psyche. Without a fundamental shift in mindset, even the most robust systems will eventually be undermined by the same old habits of thought. Therefore, changing how a people perceive their role, their country, and their future is the essential prerequisite for any lasting progress.

The necessity of this shift is most evident in the fight against systemic corruption and the "get-rich-quick" culture that often hampers local development. For decades, Nigeria has struggled with the "national cake" syndrome, the idea that public resources are meant for plunder rather than stewardship. A mindset change replaces this extractive mentality with a value-based approach centered on integrity and the common good. As the renowned author and leadership expert John C. Maxwell once said, "Change is inevitable. Growth is optional." For Nigeria, choosing growth requires a mental transition from being a passive observer of decay to an active architect of order.

Furthermore, a reformed mindset is the only way to bridge the ethnic and religious fault lines that have historically stifled national unity. When citizens begin to view themselves first as Nigerians with a shared destiny, rather than members of competing enclaves, the political landscape shifts from tribalism to meritocracy. This internal revolution fosters a culture of accountability where leaders are held to a standard of performance rather than identity. It empowers the youth to innovate within their borders rather than seeking an exit, turning the "Japa" trend into a drive for domestic industrialization.

In conclusion, mindset change serves as the foundation upon which the edifice of a "New Nigeria" must be built. It is the invisible force that gives life to external reforms; without it, new laws remain dead letters and new buildings fall into disrepair. By recalibrating the national consciousness toward patriotism, discipline, and long-term thinking, Nigeria can finally align its immense human potential with its developmental aspirations.

Please kindly lend a voice to this discussion in the comment section.

Nations don’t just rise by chance; they rise by sight.

What a country sees, its vision, priorities, and long-term goals, shapes its policies, investments, and people.

No clear sight, no sustainable growth.

The Hope of the Nigerian Root

Nigeria is not a dead stump; it is a nation in a season of pruning. While the challenges of recent years have been deep, the 'root', the spirit of our people and the richness of our land, remains vital in the soil. We are currently at that delicate, prophetic moment where the 'scent of water' is in the air.

Through the stabilization of the economy, the rise of the digital sector, and a renewed commitment to infrastructure, the moisture is reaching the roots. Nigeria will not just survive; at the scent of this new season, it will bud, bring forth boughs, and flourish like a fresh plant once again.

JOIN THE PRAYER FORCE FOR NIGERIA
Become a Guardian on the Wall.

Nigeria is at a defining moment, and Heaven is calling for men and women who will stand in the gap.
If your heart burns for transformation, peace, and God’s intervention in our land, this is your call.

Volunteer as a Prayer Warrior Today!

Be part of a rising army committed to lifting Nigeria before God daily, praying for our leaders, our youth, our economy, our security, and our future.

No experience needed. Just a willing heart.
Register now and take your place in this divine assignment.
📌 “If my people, who are called by my name…” 2 Chronicles 7:14

Together, we can birth a new Nigeria in prayer.

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A Nigerian man who just graduated from university went viral after making a bold statement. Details in comments.

Photo: Facebook/Victor Akubo

He must go back to school, he is not done yet.

A Nigerian man who just graduated from university went viral after making a bold statement. Details in comments.

Photo: Facebook/Victor Akubo

"DON'T TRY IT; YOU WILL DIE IN THE PROCESS!"

In the early days of our work at Scent Of Water Initiative for People's Development, we conducted a citywide pulse-check through a simple yet powerful 3-question survey sent to over 1,000 respondents.

The questions:
1️⃣ Are you happy with the current situation in Nigeria?
2️⃣ Do you believe Nigeria can change for the better?
3️⃣ Would you like to be directly involved in that transformation?

The results were striking.
Over 90% admitted they were unhappy with the country's situation. Yet, only 7% expressed willingness to be actively involved in creating change.

Among the responses, one stood out very uniquely — and not for the reason you'd hope. To all three questions, the respondent boldly answered “NO.”

And just below the third question, the respondent added:

💬 "Don't Try It; You Will Die In The Process."

This response reflects the deep frustration, resignation and hopelessness many feel about Nigeria’s future. But we also saw something else: a glaring need for courage, clarity, and conviction. This is because history has shown that great transformations don’t require large numbers; they begin with a committed few.

✨ We believe in the power of determined individuals—those who refuse to accept defeat, those who push forward against the odds, and those who work tirelessly to create a better future not just for themselves, but for generations to come.

🚀 At Scent Of Water Initiative for People's Development, we embody this unwavering belief in transformation. If you share this vision, then YOU are one of us!
🔹 Follow our page for inspiring conversations.
🔹 Like and share our posts to spread the message.
🔹 Partner with us to be part of a movement that champions change.

💡 Together, we can rewrite the future!

The change begins with YOU.

In case you didn't know, I have long stopped asking God to bless me, to show me mercy, or for His grace; all I do is just Thank God for His Blessings, For His mercy and for His Grace each day.

Get a copy of this wonderful book on Amazon and find out why.
https://amazon.com/dp/B09HG6WPNV

Alive For A Purpose: Drawing Life Lessons From My 18 Hours Encounter With Kidnappers Alive For a Purpose is a testimonial of how I was Kidnapped while traveling. I was almost killed, but miraculously, I got out alive. while at home, recovering from that incident that left me with broken left hand and leg, I looked back and realized that my survival from that encounter, as well as...

DISSECTING THE MINDSET OF THE TYPICAL AFRICAN LEADER

This article is to somehow give an explanation as to why we have the kind of leaders we see in all our systems today.
Let me begin this article with a story, a true story of course.
A manager of an organization was transferred to a new branch and on his very first day of work, he decided to go round the various office departments to familiarize himself with the area. In his doing so he couldn’t help but noticed a few remarkable things which he saw as concern to him. First he saw that there were two main office buildings in the branch – the senior staff office, and the junior staff office buildings. He also noticed that the senior staff office looked new and well painted in and out, but it was not so for the junior staff office building. Again he noticed that the furniture in the senior staff office building were new and of high quality compared to the old and shabby looking ones he spotted in the junior office building. Lastly, he saw that the senior office building had fully functioning Air Conditioners installed in all areas of the building, but there was not a single one in the junior office building. Of all his observations, this last one was more concerning to him. He just wondered how the staff could be working in such unconducive environment and still be able to deliver targets. So he thought of what to do.
The manager decided that he would take the situation as his first task in making some changes around, after all, he was sent to improve the place. He made up his mind that he would write to the central body, demanding for some numbers of Acs which of course would be purchased by the company, from the company’s account for the junior office building. Now this was the shocker.
When some of the senior staff heard of his intention, they came to see him in his office to enquire of it. On hearing that it was true, they demanded of him to abandon the idea of asking for Acs for the junior office building. He politely asked them why he should do that, and they said to him; “if you should put Acs in the junior offices, how would we be able to differentiate junior staff from senior staff?” it was clear to him there and then that the idea of not installing Acs in the junior offices was deliberately done to show a kind of class difference between both offices.

No doubt, from the story above one can begin to understand the kind of mindset the typical African leader assumes when he/she gets into office. And mind you, I am using the term “typical African leader” to generalize anyone in one leadership office or the likes, ranging from religious offices to political offices, even those in professional offices are not left out.

So, who is a leader? We all know He/ she is not one that fell down from the sky, or one that rose up from the grave. No. In most cases, they’re not even those with exceptional knowledge, skills or abilities; they’re just one selected or elected from amongst us, simple. One amongst us in the sense that we’re all seemingly equals in many ways and could possibly do what is required of the office so long we possess the requisite information, but because everyone can’t fit into one position, one person has to be in that office per time. But for the typical African leader, it is not so. There is a slightly different perception, thought or idea the typical African leader holds once he is selected or elected into office. This is the purpose for which this article is written.
First and foremost, while we all see SERVICE in leadership, the typical African sees an OFFICE in leadership. So, like a throne; a concept he/she generates and uses to exalt him/herself from and above everyone else, making him think he is no longer one among the rest. So the moment he’s made a teacher, a doctor, a prefect, a coordinator, a Sunday school teacher, etc. instead of him seeing himself as being privileged to serve, he begins to think that everyone else has become privileged to be led by him (please understand the misunderstanding of Privilege here). This wrong mindset confers upon him a godlike personality for himself, and a servant or sometimes slave personality for his constituents. Whatever term that is used here, the fact is that the person who’s been made leader no longer sees himself equal with the rest. He even feels it’s abominable to think so. Once that appointment is made, the teacher sees his students only making good grades at his mercy. The doctor feels the patients’ getting better is at his mercy. The pastor, who was once among the ‘flock’, now refers to them as his sons and daughters – he is now a SPIRITUAL FATHER. Even the banker feels your own money could only be given to you when he says it should, and you are to wait till that happens. Service is not in the picture.

If this idea of assuming an office that would make one look like god to the rest was temporary then it could have been okay. But the typical African leader, having tasted this luxurious lifestyle that has been invented in the place of service, begins to feel jealous. Knowing that he wouldn’t be in that office forever, and someone else would come to replace him he becomes more envious. He can’t even nurse the simple thought of someone enjoying same lifestyle he had been privileged to enjoy. So another means is then devised. If he cannot stay in that office forever, he must then stay for as long as he can possibly empower himself to stay; even if it is against the will of the rest. At this moment, the will of the people means little or nothing to him. He performs his due diligence at his own convenience and makes all necessary arrangement to subdue any opposing committee.

Within these times in office, the typical African leader parades himself as god to the rest but deep down within him, he is still characterized with fear and anxiety. Fear of what exactly? The fear of being able to lead a normal life after the office, because it was not based on service in the first place. This fear and anxiety lead him to embark on unimaginable aggrandizements of the common wealth. Wealth that would outlive 4 generations after him. His mind has become so corrupt that he can’t even calculate properly. He amasses wealth he can’t spend, gather properties he can’t use, food he can’t consume in his life time. All at the detriment of the rest. But is he bothered? Not an inch.

The jealousy conceived from assuming the office drives him to make a monarchy out of what was supposed to be a public office. This is where you see typical African leaders making their children, relatives and friends successors after them. They would kill anyone and anything to make that office remain within their children’s reach.

So where really did this idea come from? It seems to me that in spite of the kind of education we’ve attained, what we call democracy is still under laced with the monarchic system of governance that has taken root in the African society for since inception. Traditional rulership system may be seen as obsolete but the concept still lives very much in the hearts of the typical African, for whom every position, even as a husband, is seen as a throne of office where he is lord of all.

I know my supposition here may not be absolutely accurate when critically considered, but believe me, I am not far from the truth.

I will conclude by narrating a short video clip I saw on the internet some time ago. It is a video clip made of two very short clips. The first clip showed Boris Johnson, former Prime Minister of the UK addressing an unseen audience. In his speech he was assuring the listeners of his loyalty to course of which he has been elected into office. Many times in his address he was heard using terms like; “we’re here to serve you”, “we’re answerable to you”, etc. And then it switched to the second clipped that showed one of the African leader addressing his unseen listener. His first line of address was thus;
“ANYONE THAT THINKS HE ELECTED ME INTO OFFICE IS COMPLETELY MAD.”

This is the mindset of the typical African leader.

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There was a certain time in my life when things were so tough that I find it really hard to have any money in my pocket. In most of the times, I could only meet my monthly family obligations through borrowing and loans as a family man. I and some people whose contacts I have in my phone have suffered insults upon insults from the hands of these online loan apps who would many times curse hell for me to redeem my loan pledges on time, but I still would delay for many months before paying up.

"Let money meet money in your pocket", I will say to people around me, but I know how hard I struggle to keep N10 in my pocket awaiting any money that would come to meet it, and in many cases, I don't succeed.

Fast forward to today, all that has changed. I have picked up clothes I wore weeks before only to find some good amount of money, FORGOTTEN in one of the pockets when washing them. I have lost some amount of money through a leaking pocket of my trousers that never gave me headache.

I remember and notice these changes because a few years back, it was not like this. I know there has been small small shifts in my life for some time now, and the gap is widening with time.

This may mean nothing to many of my readers except for those who, like me, have gone through these roads before.

And as I celebrated another birthday yesterday 8th of December, I not only looked back to remember this episode of my life, but to give glory first to God Almighty whose infinite grace and mercy has continued to make profound impacts in my life, next to my wife Tosan Mark who has always been there through thick and thin, encouraging and supporting me in many ways. And then to the many of you; my family, pastors, mentors, role models, friends and well wishers who have swiftly aided and assisted me in all the ways there is.

Your prayers, kind words, supports, encouragements, gifts, etc. has been like the Scent Of Water upon which my hope for better days have continually rested.

For all these, I say God bless and keep you all for me. You will celebrate many many years in greater heights. We will together, see better days ahead in our various dispositions and locations,...
Amen.

Happy Birthday to me once again!

Good day! Here's saying we're now on ClubHouse and launching today. Get the clubhouse App and join in to be a part of history.

SOWN: The Launch! Getting To Know Ourselves. - Scent Of Water Nigeria Monday, August 23 at 12:00pm WAT with Emmanuel Amechi Mark, Tomi Waziri. This is our very first meeting on ClubHouse. We want to appreciate and welcome those who joined, Introduce us to SOWN, and Discussing Progress for ourselves and the club. (please🙏🙏 save the date!).