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Food for Living: Your Imagination Triggers Your Success
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By Henry Ukazu
Greetings Friends,
I belong to the school of thought, which opine that originality is the beauty of life. Originality is fundamental to innovation, and the key to building sustainable businesses and brands in our contemporary world. You cannot underestimate the power of imagination and innovation. The world is moved by visionaries who have to create change with their innovations. Beauty itself is relative because it springs up from the taste and choice each individual has. Our imagination also works in same manner. We all have imaginations, but sometimes we under utilize it.
The starting point of all success is imagination. The idea is first conceived in the mind before the implementation begins. Every goal you will ever reach starts off as imagination. This is because it is really hard for one to achieve what he never desired. You just have to believe in it, work on it, chase it and it will become your reality. According To Lao Tzu, “watch your thoughts they become your words, watch your words they become your actions, watch your actions they become your habits and watch your habit they become your destiny”. This is because true success –whether it is financial, social, marital, or in finding your source of happiness and meaning, was created in the mind first.
During the declaration of America’s independence, the following words was used “We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.” Each time I read these words it really resonates within me because it makes me to think out of the box. We live in a world where most people feel they are entitled to XYZ. In reality, the world owes you nothing. In the same vein, most third world countries look at America and wish they have all the infrastructural facilities and technology which makes their economy to flourish. They fail to understand that given every equal opportunity everybody is a potential achiever because we don’t have dull brains only brains undeveloped. It’s important to note that Americans are not extraordinary beings because they only have same brain like any other rational mind, the only difference with them is that, they were able to use their imagination to creatively develop their country and make it what it is. We all have the same level of opportunity to succeed, but what we do with our imagination is what makes the difference.
In order to appreciate this article, we shall be looking at the component part of imagination and how it can trigger success. We shall be discussing the component parts of imagination as it relates to the topic:
Visualization: Visualization is basically the process of imagining yourself having achieved your ideal life, down to the smallest details. Visualization is the most effective way to tap into the power of imagination.
Be a Visionary: According to –Albert Einstein “Imagination is more important than knowledge. For knowledge is limited to all we now know and understand, while imagination embraces the entire world, and all there ever will be to know and understand.” Great visionary leaders who have truly changed our world perspectives like Nelson Mandela, Barack Obama, Bill Gates, Steve Jobs, Mr. Tony Elumelu, Dr. Mike Adenuga and Walt Disney among others were all visionaries who tapped into the subconscious power of imagination.
Two things happen when we visualize:
- Inwardly, we are opening up the creativity of the subconscious mind. That is why we combine affirmations with visualization in order to produce a very powerful tool.
- Then by adding the power of emotion, we give a command to our subconscious mind to figure out how to make this image a reality.
Everything we see manifested in our lives is a reflection of what’s happening in the brain. Our brains do a couple of major things, first, they keep us alive and secondly, they make sure our outside world is an absolute mirror image of our internal world.
Our imagination is phenomenal. For instance, somebody was using phone and couldn’t go beyond a spot and thought of having a cell phone. Somebody imagined airplane, car, television, computer, interment, clock, etc. Imagination is evidence of things not seen. Imagination was put into you by God to do something great. As a creative writer, I get inspiration to write where most people don’t get inspired.
According to Steve Harvey, when he was in High School, his teacher asked the students to write what they wanted to be in future, he wrote in a book that he wanted to be on TV. His teacher made mockery of him because he was a stutterer. He never looked at his shortcomings in life, he was even homeless for about three years, sleeping in a car, but still, he believed in himself. Today, he’s on the Television doing what he imagined. I can imagine his teacher watching him on television. There’s power in imagination if you truly believe and work towards the actualization of your dreams. You might be fired from your job, faced eviction, lose a relationship/marriage or even loose a loved one, etc., that’s not the end of life. You can still achieve success in life if you tap into the power of imagination.
The power of imagination is not taught in schools. Albert Einstein was able to think in picture. He recognized that visual thinking could strip a problem down to its essence, leading to profoundly simple conclusions that ordinary language might not be able to reach. It doesn’t matter where you are and what you are doing; sportsman, academic, politician, leader, entrepreneur, corporate organizations etc. that truly want to get to the peak of his/her career must tap into the power imagination. If you can’t imagine it, you can’t see it. According to Carl Sagan, “Imagination will often carry us to worlds that never were. But without it we go nowhere.” Albert Einstein sums up imagination when he said “Logic will get you from A to B. Imagination will take you everywhere.”
Let’s share some component part of imagination.
Socialize: The saying “Tell me who your friends are, and I’ll tell you who you are is not a political statement” because the people around you are likely to have a significant impact on you. If you surround yourself with people of wide imagination, some of it should rub off on you.
Read: In order to spark up your imagination, you should always be asking questions like Why? Where? How? What? Who? If there are things or events that you don’t understand, ask. You might be surprised at what you find out. ,
Daydream: You can amuse yourself by speculating on these things, and it will soon become a habit. It can one day trigger an idea for a book, or for a new product that may just change your life. Personally, I never imagined writing a book until the idea was triggered by one of my mentors.
Create: Seeing something take shape even as you are contemplating your next step is inspiring, and it will drive your imagination to new heights. The problem that many people have however is, they lack belief. And with that, dreams are denied any possibility of materializing.
Think of successful people: professional athletes, business executives, and world leaders. They started off with a dream. They imagined what they wanted to become. How did they achieve it? They didn’t destroy it. They didn’t refer to it as impossible. They worked on it every day. And at some point they turned something that was once a figment of their imagination, into their reality.
When you have imagined your idea in your brain, the next step is to imagine how exactly you’re going to get it. Break it down into achievable stages. If it’s a successful career, imagine the company and the position. See yourself at the interview. Do everything you will need to do to obtain it.
Finally, build the whole story in your mind. Spend a few minutes every day just thinking about it – Only in a positive way. Tell yourself that one day you will get there. There is nothing that will stop you. The more you make this a routine, the more likely you are to act upon it. You will realize that it’s not so unachievable after all.
In conclusion, I will leave you with this nugget, Turn your intentions into actions and your dreams will become your reality.
Henry Ukazu writes from New York. He works with the New York City Department of Correction as the Legal Coordinator. He’s the author of the acclaimed book Design Your Destiny – Actualizing Your Birthright To Success. He can be reached via henrous@gmail.com
By Tolulope A. Adegoke PhD
“Progress endures on three quiet anchors: leadership that roots institutions deep, security that keeps possibility alive, and nation building that weaves the many into one lasting strength.”
Leadership, nation building, and security are not abstract ideals. Together they form the operating system that determines whether societies advance or stagnate. When these three elements work in concert, nations generate stability, shared prosperity, and resilience. When they pull apart, insecurity, exclusion, and institutional decay take hold.
Nigeria, the wider African continent, and the global community face converging pressures—multi-dimensional violence, weak institutions, economic exclusion, climate stress, and shifting geopolitics. The response cannot be piecemeal. Progress requires deliberate, solution-oriented strategies that treat leadership, nation building, and security as mutually reinforcing. This article outlines practical pathways and illustrates their impact through specific case studies that convert these inter-linkages into tangible gains for national development, continental advancement, and global well-being.
Core Principles That Guide Effective Action
Three principles underpin workable solutions.
First, security must be both protective and enabling. It creates the space for investment and daily life while drawing its legitimacy from fair and inclusive governance. Second, nation building succeeds when it expands shared economic stakes and a sense of common citizenship, rather than simply managing diversity. Third, leadership delivers lasting results when it prioritises strong institutions over personalised power and links immediate stabilisation to long-term capacity.
These principles shape the concrete measures and case studies that follow.
Nigeria: Building Security and Inclusion Together
Nigeria’s security challenges are complex and multi-theatre. Residual insurgency in the northeast, widespread banditry and kidnapping, farmer-herder conflicts, separatist tensions, and resource-related criminality all strain state capacity. These threats thrive where governance is thin, economic opportunity is scarce, and public trust is low.
A dual-track response is essential. On the operational side, sustained investment in the welfare, training, and equipment of police and military personnel remains critical. Intelligence-led policing, better inter-agency coordination, and technology-supported border management can improve results. Expanding professional state and local security structures under clear national standards can ease the burden on federal forces without fragmenting authority.
Parallel nation-building efforts must tackle the drivers of violence. Targeted programmes that create productive opportunities for young people and rural communities in high-risk areas reduce recruitment pools for armed groups. Transparent resource-revenue sharing, accelerated delivery of education, healthcare, and infrastructure, and practical land-use and livestock reforms can ease competition over scarce resources.
Leadership is the critical link. Clear performance metrics for both security and development outcomes, stronger independent oversight, and policy continuity across electoral cycles increase the chances of durable progress. When citizens see improved safety accompanied by rising incomes and better services, confidence in the state grows and social cohesion strengthens.
Case Studies in Impact: Continental and Global Lessons
Concrete examples demonstrate how aligned leadership, nation building, and security produce measurable results.
Botswana: Institutional Foresight and Sustained Stability Botswana stands as one of Africa’s clearest long-term success stories. At independence in 1966, it was among the poorest countries in the world. Founding President Seretse Khama and successive leaders made early institutional choices that proved decisive. Mineral rights were placed under national rather than tribal or sectional control before major diamond discoveries. Regular multiparty elections, relatively independent institutions, and prudent fiscal management channelled resource revenues into public goods rather than patronage.
The impact has been substantial. Botswana avoided the resource curse that affected several peer economies, maintained political stability for nearly six decades, and achieved consistent economic growth alongside improvements in human development indicators. The case shows that leadership decisions made before resource wealth materialises, combined with consistent nation-building around inclusive institutions and security under the rule of law, can generate broad-based and durable progress.
Rwanda: Rapid Recovery from Catastrophe Rwanda’s experience after the 1994 genocide illustrates the catalytic potential of focused leadership in extreme fragility. The government prioritised rapid restoration of security, centralised administrative capacity, and ambitious economic modernisation. Investments in infrastructure, public services, business environment reforms, and social programmes produced notable gains in poverty reduction, life expectancy, and economic growth over subsequent decades. Kigali’s transformation and the country’s improved rankings on various ease-of-doing-business and governance metrics reflect deliberate nation-building efforts.
At the same time, the highly centralised character of governance has generated ongoing debate about political space and long-term institutional resilience. The Rwandan case demonstrates that decisive leadership can restore order and accelerate development after profound trauma, while also underscoring the importance of gradually expanding inclusion for sustained legitimacy.
Singapore: From Vulnerability to High-Performance State Singapore offers a powerful non-African parallel. Upon independence, the small city-state faced severe security vulnerabilities, ethnic diversity, and limited natural resources. Leadership under Lee Kuan Yew and successors combined rigorous public order and security measures with meritocratic governance, strategic economic positioning, anti-corruption systems, and deliberate nation-building around shared prosperity and multi-ethnic coexistence.
The results transformed Singapore into one of the world’s most competitive and stable economies. High levels of public trust, efficient institutions, and sustained investment in human capital turned geopolitical exposure into a source of disciplined state capacity. The experience highlights how leadership that integrates security, institutional integrity, and inclusive economic opportunity can overcome structural constraints.
Additional African Illustrations Post-conflict recoveries in Sierra Leone and Mozambique further reinforce the pattern. In both cases, progress depended on integrating security-sector reform with political settlements and economic reintegration of former combatants and affected communities. Ghana’s record of successive democratic transitions shows that institutionalised leadership change can reinforce stability and investor confidence even under economic pressure. These examples confirm that context matters, yet the underlying logic remains consistent: security creates space, nation building creates cohesion and opportunity, and leadership aligns the two over time.
Continental Solutions: Strengthening Agency and Shared Resilience
Africa can scale these lessons through pragmatic regional action. Strengthening issue-specific security cooperation—intelligence sharing, joint border operations, and efforts against the financing of armed groups—remains essential even where broader political alignments are contested. Expanding intra-African trade, infrastructure corridors, and skills mobility creates shared economic interests capable of transcending political differences. Investing in a new generation of public leaders oriented toward institutional performance rather than short-term extraction reinforces these gains.
Global Dimensions: Mutual Gains from Local Progress
Stable and productive African states deliver clear benefits beyond the continent. They reduce pressures that fuel irregular migration, limit space for transnational criminal and extremist networks, expand legitimate markets, and contribute to global climate and food-security efforts.
External partners amplify positive outcomes by prioritising capacity strengthening over substitution. Support for African-led security initiatives focused on training, logistics, and institutional reform; investment in climate-smart agriculture and resilient infrastructure; and trade frameworks that reward governance improvements and value addition all align external resources with local priorities. Global leadership that models long-term orientation and respect for institutions reinforces these efforts.
Turning Pathways into Results
Implementation requires realism and discipline. Early, visible improvements in security and basic services build the political capital needed for deeper reforms. Transparent monitoring that tracks both security indicators and development outcomes enables adjustment and accountability. Inclusive consultation—bringing in local communities, traditional institutions, the private sector, and civil society—increases legitimacy and practical relevance.
Leadership development itself is strategic. Structured exposure to comparative experience, evidence-based design, and ethical standards expands the pool of actors capable of sustaining integrated approaches across political cycles. Civic education that connects individual opportunity to broader national and continental progress strengthens the social foundations of security and nation building.
Conclusion: From Interdependence to Shared Progress
The challenges facing Nigeria, Africa, and the wider world are serious, yet they are not insurmountable. The case studies of Botswana, Rwanda, Singapore, and other recoveries demonstrate that aligned leadership, nation building, and security produce measurable improvements in stability, prosperity, and human well-being.
National strategies that professionalise security forces while expanding economic inclusion, continental approaches that strengthen African agency and shared prosperity, and global partnerships that reinforce local capacity generate reinforcing gains. The ultimate measure of success is the steady expansion of human security, productive opportunity, and institutional trust.
When leadership, nation building, and security operate as a coherent system, they contribute directly to national stability, continental advancement, and global well-being. The pathways are practical and adaptable. Their realisation depends on sustained commitment to a simple truth: order, inclusion, and capable institutions are not competing priorities. They are interdependent requirements for lasting progress.
Dr. Tolulope A. Adegoke, AMBP-UN is a globally recognized scholar-practitioner and thought leader at the nexus of security, governance, and strategic leadership. His mission is dedicated to advancing ethical governance, strategic human capital development, resilient nation building, and global peace. He can be reached via: tolulopeadegoke01@gmail.com, globalstageimpacts@gmail.com
A 19-year-old housewife, Saudat Jibrin, has been sentenced to death by hanging for the murder of her 30-year-old husband, Salisu Idris, nine days after their wedding.
Jibrin, who lives in Kumbosto Local Government Area of Kano, was charged with culpable homicide.
Delivering judgment, Justice Maryam Sabo of Kano High Court held that the prosecution had proven its case beyond reasonable doubt.
“I hereby sentence Saudat Jibrin to death by hanging for culpable homicide. You have 90 days to appeal,” the judge ruled.
Earlier, the Prosecution Counsel, Lamido Abba-Sorondinki told the court that Jibrin committed the offence on May 5, 2025, at Farawa Quarters in Kano.
He said that at about 9pm Jibrin laced her husband’s “Zoho” drink and slashed his throat with a knife nine days after their wedding.
Abba-Sorondinki presented two witnesses to prove its case against the defendant.
The convict denied committing the offence.
The prosecutor said the offence contravenes the provision of Section 221(a) of the Penal Code.
The Defence Counsel, Abdulfatah Muhammad, presented the convict to testify in her own defence, Muhammad pleaded for leniency on behalf of his client, saying she had become a changed person while in custody, having memorised the Holy Qur’an.
He also urged the court to consider that the convict is the oldest child of her parents, adding that her siblings depend on her for their survival.
NAN
The Department of State Services (DSS) has arraigned five men over their alleged complicity in the May 15 kidnapping of pupils and teachers in the Oriire Local Government Area of Oyo State and the subsequent killing of two of the victims.
The five suspects arraigned on Wednesday before a Federal High Court sitting in Abuja are said to be members of the Jama’atu Ansarul Muslimina fi-Biladis Sudan (ANSARU) terrorist group.
They were identified by the DSS as Mahmud Muhammad (aka Abu Bara’a, Abbas Mukhtar); Abubakar Abbas (aka Isah Adam, Mallam Mahmuda Al-Nigeri); Abdulrazak Umar (aka Abu Khalifa/Abu Khalid); Yunusa Musa (aka Abu Yunusa Bin Musa); and Shamsu Adamu Sani (aka Abu Itisar).
In count one of the charge, Muhammad and Abbas were accused of ordering their foot soldiers in the Ansaru terrorist group, including Umar, Musa and Sani, to, in the event of their arrest, kidnap people and kill them in all parts of the country to compel the government to accede to their demands.
In count two, the DSS alleged that the May 15 kidnapping of pupils and teachers in the Oriire Local Government of Oyo State and the killing of two of the victims were in furtherance of the order allegedly given by Muhammad and Abbas between 2025 and 2026.
In count three, the five suspects were accused of concealing information about the Oriire kidnapping and killing incidents without reporting the same to any law enforcement or security officer.
In count four, Umar, Musa and Sani were accused of conspiring with Muhammad, Abbas and other leaders of the Ansaru terrorist group, sometime between January and May 2026, to carry out the Oriire kidnapping and killings.
In count five, Umar, Musa and Sani were accused of aiding Muhammad, Abbas and other members of the Ansaru group to effect the Oriire kidnapping and killings.
In count six, Umar, Musa and Sani were accused of concealing information about the Oriire incidents and failing to report the same to any law enforcement agency or security officer.
The five pleaded not guilty when each count on the charge sheet was read to them, following which the prosecuting lawyer, Dr. Caliatus Eze, applied for the defendants to be remanded in the protective custody of the DSS, a request the trial judge, Justice Salim Ibrahim, granted.
The judge ordered that the defendants be accorded unhindered access to their lawyers and two members of their immediate families.
He also ordered that they be given adequate medical attention and adjourned the matter till September 25 to commence trial.
Counts in the charge, marked FHC/ABJ/CR/438/2026, read: “That you Mahmud Muhammad (aka Abu Bara’a, Abbas Mukhtar) and Abubakar Abbas (aka Isah Adam, Mallam Mahmuda Al-Nigeri), adults, males, sometime between 2025 and 2026, within the jurisdiction of this honourable court, did order your foot soldiers of Jama’‘atu Ansarul Muslimina fi-Biladis Sudan (ANSARU) terrorist group including Abdulrazak Umar (aka Abu Khalifa/Abu Khalid), Yunusa Musa (aka Abu Yunusa Bin Musa) and Shamsu Adamu Sani (aka Abu Itisar), that in the event of your arrest by the government, to kidnap and kill victims in different parts of the country in order to compel the government to accede to your demands and in obedience to your order, your foot soldiers and cohorts, including the ones mentioned above, on 15th May, 2026 did kidnap some pupils and teachers of Community Grammar School, Baptist Nursery/Primary School, and L.A. Primary School, Orire LGA, Oyo State, numbering about 46 victims, and thereby committed an offence contrary to Section 24 of Terrorism (Prevention and Prohibition) Act, 2022 and punishable under Section 24(2)(b) of the same Act.
“That you Mahmud Muhammad (aka Abu Bara’a, Abbas Mukhtar) and Abubakar Abbas (aka Isah Adam, Mallam Mahmuda Al-Nigeri), adults, males, sometime between 2025 and 2026, within the jurisdiction of this honourable court, in furtherance of your order stated above, foot soldiers and cohorts of Jama‘atu Ansarul Muslimina fi-Biladis Sudan (ANSARU) terrorist group, including Abdulrazak Umar (aka Abu Khalifa/ Abu Khalid), Yunusa Musa (aka Abu Yunusa Bin Musa) and Shamsu Adamu Sani (aka Abu Itisar), after above kidnap on 15th May, 2026 at Orire LGA, Oyo State, did cause the death two (2) persons, Michael Oyedokun and Deacon John Olaleye, by decapitating them and thereby committed an offence contrary to Section 2(3)(g) of Terrorism (Prevention and Prohibition) Act, 2022 and punishable under Section 24(2) of the same Act.
“That you, Mahmud Muhammad (aka Abu Bara‘a, Abbas Mukhtar) and Abubakar Abbas (aka Isah Adam, Mallam Mahmuda_ Al-Nigeri), Abdulrazak Umar (aka Abu Khalifa/ Abu Khalid), Yunusa Musa (aka Abu Yunusa Bin Musa) and Shamsu Adamu Sani (aka Abu Itisar), adults, males, sometime between 2025 and 2026, within the jurisdiction of this honourable court, did knowingly conceal information about an imminent acts of terrorism by Jama’atu Ansarul Muslimina fi-Biladis Sudan (ANSARU) terrorist group which led to the 15th May, 2026 kidnap of about forty-six (46) persons and killing of two (2) persons, Michael Oyedokun and Deacon John Olaleye, knowing the information to be of material assistance in apprehending and preventing the commission of acts of terrorism, but failed to disclose the information to any Law Enforcement or Security Officer, and thereby committed an offence contrary to and punishable under Section 16(1) of Terrorism (Prevention and Prohibition) Act, 2022.
“That you, Abdulrazak Umar (aka Abu Khalifa/ Abu Khalid), Yunusa Musa (aka Abu Yunusa Bin Musa) and Shamsu Adamu Sani (aka Abu Itisar), adults, sometime between January and May, 2026, at Suleja LGA, Niger State, within the jurisdiction of this honourable court, committed an offence when you conspired with Muhammed Sani, Jibril Mohammed, Ibrahim Khabab, Mahmud Muhammad (aka Abu Bara’a, Abbas Mukhtar), Abubakar Abbas (aka Isah Adam, Mallam Mahmuda Al-Nigeri) and others at large, to kidnap school children and teachers in Orire LGA, Oyo State. You thereby committed an offence contrary to Section 26(1) of the Terrorism (Prevention and Prohibition) Act, 2022 and punishable under the same section of the Act.
“That you, Abdulrazak Umar (aka Abu Khalifa/ Abu Khalid), Yunusa Musa (aka Abu Yunusa Bin Musa) and Shamsu Adamu Sani (aka Abu Itisar), adults, sometime between January and May, 2026, at Suleja LGA, Niger State, within the jurisdiction of this honourable court, committed an offence when you aided Muhammed Sani, Jibril Mohammed, Ibrahim Khabab, Mahmud Muhammad (aka Abu Bara’a, Abbas Mukhtar), Abubakar Abbas (aka Isah Adam, Mallam Mahmuda Al-Nigeri) in the kidnap of school children and teachers in Orire LGA, Oyo State and thereby commited an offence contrary to Section 26(2) of the Terrorism (Prevention and Prohibition) Act, 2022 and punishable under Section 26(3) of the Act.
“That you, Abdulrazak Umar (aka Abu Khalifa/ Abu Khalid), Yunusa Musa (aka Abu Yunusa Bin Musa) and Shamsu Adamu Sani (aka Abu Itisar), adults, sometime between January and May, 2026, at Suleja LGA, Niger State, within the jurisdiction of this honourable court, committed an offence when you knowingly concealed information about an imminent acts of terrorism by Jama‘atu Ansarul Muslimina fi-Biladis Sudan (ANSARU) terrorist group which led to the 15th May, 2026 kidnap of about forty-six (46) persons and killing of two (2) persons, Michael Oyedokun and Deacon John Olaleye, knowing the information to be of material assistance in apprehending and preventing the commission of acts of terrorism, but failed to disclose the information to any Law Enforcement or Security Officer, and thereby committed an offence contrary to and punishable under Section 16(1) of Terrorism (Prevention and Prohibition) Act, 2022”
