5 Years Have Passed: Today Omojuwa.com is 5! My Biggest Lessons

[highlight]I owe many more people my gratitude and were I to write each name, I’d have to write a blog longer than all the other ones I have written over the years put together.[/highlight]

It has been a long journey but it does truly feel like yesterday. I have been doing this for years! The blog started with my opinion on issues but it has since become a platform for anyone, from anywhere to bear his or her mind on any issue. We have readers from all the countries around the world even though the bulk of our readers click in from Nigeria, the United States, the United Kingdom, and Canada. It has been rough, it has been tough but it has been mostly fun. 5 years is a long time however you look at it but it is in the past now.

Here we believe that where we are today is more important than where we were yesterday. That what we do today supersede our actions from yesterday. That the future is even far more important but the future comes one day at a time. We are grateful for each day we do this. It has been nothing short of a privilege to reach millions of people over the last 5 years! The next 5 years we pray will herald an even wider reach while we continue to pay attention to evolving into a respectable global media brand.

I am personally grateful to Kunle Fadiora who was there from the very first day. He bought the domain name and hosted the blog. He earned my friendship for life that way. I am grateful to Yomi Balogun who saw me through some of my toughest times in those days. I am grateful to Razak Adegbite for the friendship that has helped to inspire me to be better. I am grateful to Musa Usman and Mohammed Bello who continue to show that our brotherhood is much more than geographical limitations. I am grateful to Cameroon’s Yenih Ngwabo who was the first Guest Blogger in a roll call that has now far exceeded the hundreds. I wanna thank Ifeanyi Gbemudu who is helping to raise the ante at the back end. To Bukola Ogunyemi, Onaopemipo Adebanjo, to Lanre Olagunju and all those friends who help to keep this going when travel and other engagements keep me away.

I owe many more people my gratitude and were I to write each name, I’d have to write a blog longer than all the other ones I have written over the years put together.

I cannot forget my Facebook friends in the early days; they read my Facebook Notes and encouraged me with their words. Those words were useful in helping my belief in my craft. Those Notes remain on my personal Facebook page just so you know I wasn’t this good a writer all along. Their comments and Likes remain there as a mark of honour not only to me but to their memories. With posts on International and Local platforms, this has been a very rewarding journey professionally. I have loved every bit of it.

It was not always easy. I have had really tough days, pains I kept to myself alone and went through on my own. I had countless days at the University when I had to sacrifice food and comfort to buy Internet time to post my blogs. Yes, I didn’t have 20,000 people read each post then but the few hundreds who read my works then were treated just as important as I treat today’s unbelievable numbers.

If there was one thing I did right, I never despised my little beginning. I was interviewing a C.E.O who wanted to have me work with her. One of the conditions I gave her was that Omojuwa.com would continue. At that time, no one knew about Omojuwa.com but it was just as important to me then as it is now.

I don’t know what the future will bring but I know what I am taking to that future. What I am taking to the future is far more important than what the future will bring. My faith in God remains unshaken. My belief in my God-given abilities remains unparalleled. My dedication to hard-work remains even more intense than it was on day one. There have been others blogging here but I am confident to say no one has worked harder than I have on this platform. That is understandable. This is my first true love.

One of the values that have kept me going is persistence. I never give up. I always try again. Knowing that I am on the path that I was set to take, giving up is not part of my choices. I have never betrayed my values, never collected a dime/kobo/pence/dollars/pounds/naira or any currency from anyone to slight anyone or for any opinion. God has helped me to be sufficiently blessed enough to bless others. For this I am grateful.

I just want to say a big thank you to all our readers, especially the dedicated ones. You guys have made me better, you’ve made the blog better and you have certainly made some of our contributors better. I’ve got my flaws but those who doubt how much I care for the values I defend will doubt the existence of life itself. I want to thank my friends from way back and my new friends. I want to thank my family for letting me be this person. I want to thank everyone for all the love and those who continue to say, “you can’t do it!” because without them, doing it wouldn’t have been this enjoyable. I do it better when I hear I can’t. Like Yewande Odumosu says to do, when they say “You can’t!” just take the “t” off! I should thank Jide Jacobs for @YewieDewie and for his own friendship. Bella Ndubuisi @bellanwa continues to amaze me by her sheer belief in me. Damilola Ogunleye remains the Chosen One!

I have learnt a myriad of lessons over the years. I think the lessons are my biggest reward. What is my biggest lesson over the last 5 years?

If you know without a doubt that you are on the right path, never ever doubt yourself no matter what you see or hear because people will always throw doubts on your way.

Now this is about the past, cheers to the future. Have my best wishes and remain assured of my highest regards. Happy Valentine’s Day. Japh loves y’all. Glory to God!

Joshua Japheth Omojuwa, Charlottenburg, Berlin, Germany, 14th February, 2014