Allow me to introduce myself!
My journey to Inspire from farmyard dreams to golden threads:
Early Roots
My journey began on my uncle’s farm in the largest city in Africa by land area, which spans over 3,050 square kilometres. Nearly twice the size of London, Ibadan was where I spent my summers and most days after school hanging out and working with my siblings and older cousins. Setting the scene for my earliest memories, those daily chores taught me how nature works; I knew intimately where every piece of food on my plate came from, whether it was the tilapia or catfish from the fish pond, eggs or chickens from the poultry or the variety of fruits we would snack on between meals. Evenings were spent gathering under the low-lit lanterns, supplemented by the moonlight, as we listened to stories told by elders before preparing for the following school day.
At the age of 10, when I attended a boarding school in Lagos, I discovered books unlike the folklore I had grown up with - more books on science, language, and the complexities involved in preparing for a ‘serious’ career. Consequently, my curiosity about how complex gadgets and tools worked eventually led me to study engineering when I moved to the United Kingdom a few years later as a teen. My diet quickly changed, with junk food being a staple between relatively low-nutritional-quality breakfast cereals, mass-prepared school lunches, and hearty home-cooked dinners; a far cry from the fresh produce I grew up indulging in and taking for granted.
Working while studying for an MBA at HULT in my 20s taught me the importance of patience and persistence, as well as global exposure that introduced lifelong friendships and bonds across every continent. Some of these friends, 15 years later, continue to have a profound, positive impact on me through shared moments of highs and lows, from Sacramento to New York, South Africa, Mumbai, the UAE, Saudi Arabia, and the world beyond these cities and countries.
Years later, I earned a counselling diploma, driven by decades of curiosity about the mind and inspired by the works of Carl Jung and Dr David Hawkins, amongst others, as I sought to help people heal. Combining business insight with counselling skills made me realise how much power stories hold, how they give courage and comfort in quiet conversations.
Golden Threads of Inspiration
Living far from home, I noticed how fear and disconnection eroded confidence in both children and adults. I began writing stories rooted in African tradition, and friends from diverse backgrounds and cultures told me how deeply they resonated with them. I decided to create picture books that children would enjoy and that would encourage meaningful conversations with parents, teachers and mentors. Each tale draws from African wisdom while speaking to universal themes of identity, courage and kindness.
The first book, The Tree That Found Its Roots, follows a tree that learns its true strength comes from deep roots, not admiration. The second, Night in a Wood Cabin, focuses on a girl who spends a night in a mysterious cabin and learns to turn fear into curiosity. This character is an ode to the women who shaped my growth through empathy, friendship and mentorship in various capacities.
In September 2025, Journey to Oja, published independently, tells the story of Sefu and his older brother Jabari as they travel through markets and villages. Everyone they meet offers criticism or advice, but the brothers learn that listening inwardly is more important than following every opinion.
My following projects, Sefu’s Garden and A Merchant’s Tale, will continue the journey of the younger brother as he develops a sense of delayed gratification, and explore the tension between a prominent character’s ambition and integrity through the eyes of a young trader.
Life’s lessons disguised as simple tales
I don’t write to preach, rather, to invite reflection. My style is conversational with a touch of poetry, honouring African storytelling while exploring universal values. By weaving lessons of curiosity, resilience and compassion into simple narratives, I hope to spark conversations that might not otherwise happen. Picture books slow us down, creating space for children and adults to discuss the things that truly matter.
Whenever I visit a new country, I intentionally seek to connect authentically with the local culture, feel the soil beneath my feet, and immerse myself in traditional tales, ones that are rooted in the simplicity of daily chores, discipline, and family. This reminds me of my own childhood. I find many more similarities than differences, a confirmation that there is an invisible thread that connects us all.
Although life has taken me far from the farm where I learned those values, where my life took root, the boy who sat under the moonlight listening to stories remains within me. Through my writing and the music that accompanies it, I hope to weave golden threads between cultures and generations, honouring the past and inspiring a kinder future.