Marriage, Millions, and Making Waves: My 2024 Review

January 1st, 2024: Single tech founder chasing the next big win.

December 31st, 2024: Husband and father, still chasing wins — but with tiny footsteps following mine.

What happened in between? Everything.

For over a decade, I’ve documented my journey from dreamer to doer, sharing deeply personal experiences, professional milestones and life hacks that helped me navigate each year. I shared my review in the years 2013, 2014, 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018, 2019, 2020, 2021, 2022 and 2023 with you, with the hope of inspiring you to dream big, take massive action, and make each year your best yet.

Here is how my 2024 unfolded.

Big wins

I got 4 rejection emails in 2024. So before I ‘impress you’ with my wins, please know that getting into fellowships, winning grants and seizing opportunities will result in some heartbreaks.

Rejection emails are a byproduct of applying for opportunities.

That said, if you continue to receive rejection after rejection, you need to fix your knowledge gap.

If you are reading this and you do not apply for opportunities, it’s a good time to remind you that you cannot seize what you cannot see. Acquire knowledge so that you can put your best foot forward for life changing opportunities.

Now, before you conclude that every opportunity is as a result of applying for it, please note that I did not apply for some of the opportunities I got into. Someone somewhere mentioned my name and I got an email. So, it’s important you build capacity, nurture relationships and deliver incredible value so that people that matter can trust and recommend you for opportunities that matter.

Winning Big

1. I was selected for the highly competitive Mastercard Foundation FAST Program, which provides grant funding, resources and exceptional training to scale innovative businesses driving economic impact.

2. I was recognized by The Guardian Nigeria as one of 15 vision-driven professionals adding value to Nigeria’s economy.

3. I was named one of Nigeria’s top 40 CEOs under 40 by Naijapreneur, highlighting my leadership in innovation, social impact, and business growth.

One of the greatest joys of 2024 was the opportunity to uplift the next generation of leaders through mentorship roles:

4. I was selected to serve as a Business Mentor for the Women Entrepreneurship for Africa (WE4A) Program. A program jointly supported by the European Union, the Organisation of African, Caribbean and Pacific States, and the German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development.

5. I was also selected to mentor startup founders at 15Wins Academy by Zarttech (Netherlands).

2024 brought incredible opportunities to contribute to shaping the future through advisory roles:

6. I was selected to serve on the Harvard Business Review Advisory Council, providing insights to help shape HBR’s content on management and leadership topics.

7. I was selected as a Selector (that’s the actual title, I promise) for the prestigious Ellison Scholars Programme at the Ellison Institute of Technology Oxford. In this role, I reviewed applications and helped identify exceptional scholars for this esteemed program founded by tech mogul, Larry Ellison.

8. I was selected to serve on the Board of Trustees for Betharbel Foundation Free Elementary School and Zalen Foundation, providing strategic guidance and contributing to high-level decision-making to enhance organizational sustainability and impact.

These wins reinforce 2 powerful truths:

1. When you dare to play big and relentlessly pursue your vision, the world takes notice.
2. By setting audacious goals and consistently delivering excellence, you attract opportunities and recognition that amplify your impact.

Grant Master

I co-founded Grant Master in 2020 to help impact-driven organizations access grant funding. And 2024 was the year Grant Master truly spread its wings.

First, the wins: Grant Master was selected for the NVIDIA Inception Program and we secured funding from the prestigious Mastercard Foundation Fund for Alumni Start-ups in Transition (FAST) Program.

We also got funding from USADF to train 400 young Nigerian entrepreneurs on grant writing — completely free of charge to all students. They were selected through an intense selection process meaning that we could not train so many ambitious social entrepreneurs who didn’t get in. And this inspired us to do something big.

We launched Grant Success School (GSS), an affordable 4-Week online program that transforms beginners into unstoppable Grant Winners. GSS is open to anyone, anywhere in the world and we have trained students from countries like USA, Canada, Cameroon, UK, Uganda, Cyprus and UAE.

We trained over 300 students across two cohorts, teaching them how to write winning grant proposals.

The success stories have been incredible:

Abulkathir Ibrahim won a N32 million grant within weeks of completing the training.

Olamide Efosa-Austin won a N1 million grant before even finishing the training!

Dr. Ifunanya Igweze, beat 1,113 startups in a pitch contest and won sponsorship to Japan!

Precious Davida landed a multinational role as an undergraduate

Happiness Edidiong Robert was Selected for 2 fellowships within one month

MUDASHIRU RIDWAN’s NGO won a grant for the first time!

Emmanuel Oluwatobiloba won a grant for his school before graduation!

David Dung won a N500,000 grant just 2 weeks into the training

Emotu Harrison Helped a company secure a massive $1 million grant despite dyslexia.

For the sake of time and space, I’ll stop here for now. If you would love to read more success stories, head here

If you are looking to win massive grant funding for your business or NGO in 2025, sign up for Grant Success School cohort 3 right now.

Epower Takes Flight

I founded Epower in 2017 to accelerate the application of digital skills to the economy.

And in 2024, Epower continued its mission of accelerating digital skills adoption. The highlight? Our Cyberhygiene App project, funded by Google’s Africa Online Safety Fund, took on a whole new dimension.

We expanded beyond just cyberbullying prevention to tackle emerging challenges in online safety, particularly around AI and digital citizenship.

We didn’t just update the mobile app — we made cyber safety education more accessible by launching a web app. We established Cyberhygiene Clubs in schools across Oyo and Osun state, training teachers and students on digital safety in partnership with the ministries of education in each state. The impact has been phenomenal: over 5,000 students now better understand how to stay safe online.

We also launched a teacher certification program, ensuring educators are well-equipped to guide the next generation in this digital age.

If you are a secondary school student, parent, teacher or school owner reading this, visit www.cyberhygieneapp.com to protect yourself and your loved ones from cyberbullying.

Movies, Documentaries & Courses

As someone totally sold on the potential and possibilities of Artificial intelligence, I completed the “Certified Prompt Engineering” course. I scored 91% in the exam and most importantly, built AI tools. I strongly believe that investing in yourself is the smartest investment you can make. By continually expanding your knowledge and capabilities, you position yourself for greater success and impact.

There’s more: Netflix, Amazon Prime and YouTube became my universities in 2024.

I watched two particularly transformative documentaries that I believe everyone should see.

1. Giannis: The Marvelous Journey on Amazon Prime is my documentary of the year. It traces the incredible rise of NBA superstar Giannis Antetokounmpo from selling DVDs on the streets of Athens to becoming a global basketball icon. There’s a scene that hit me hard: young Giannis in a cybercafe, Googling NBA player salaries and realizing basketball could lift his entire family out of poverty. That moment of clarity changed everything.

The documentary showcases powerful themes: sacrifice (his parents leaving their firstborn behind to seek better opportunities), focus (Giannis choosing basketball over soccer), and loyalty (staying with Milwaukee Bucks when bigger teams called). But what really struck me was his philosophy of being “a big fish in a small pond.” Rather than chase glamor in big cities and bigger clubs, Giannis built his legacy in Milwaukee, eventually bringing them their first NBA championship in 50 years. Two Most Valuable Player (MVP) awards and a championship later, history proved him right.

As Giannis would always ask, “What’s your definition of success?”. I am asking you to define success for yourself.

2. How to Rob a Bank on Netflix was my second most impactful watch of 2024. This true crime documentary about “Hollywood” Scott, who masterminded 19 bank heists worth $2.3 million, is profound. It’s not just about crime — it’s about choices, parenting, and the dangerous obsession with quick wealth.

Do you know what really shocked me? Scott came from a loving, middle-class family. His descent into crime carries crucial lessons:

One, wanting financial freedom is good, but being willing to do anything for money is dangerous.

Two, even children from stable homes can go astray if parents don’t stay engaged during teenage years.

Three, no amount of money is worth losing your peace of mind — Scott never slept well despite his millions.

Finally, violent choices lead to violent ends. After a shootout during their last heist, Scott chose suicide over capture while his crew members faced decades in prison.

The Beekeeper starring Jason Statham was a surprising commentary on cybercrime.

The story line was pretty compelling. Statham was a retired military operative from a clandestine unit called ‘Bee Keepers’. He was a neighbor to a retired woman who had some cash in her retirement and was a signatory to an NGO with $2 million in the bank.

Scammers first infected her computer with malware that made the computer malfunction, and required her to call a number. She called the number and the scammers got her to enter the password to her main account (they had access to her computer at that point). The minute She dropped the call, the scammers wiped off all of the money in her account. She was so distraught, She killed herself.

Jason took this very personally. Jason first burnt down the call center that directly scammed the woman, and continued to track the other suspects. Meanwhile, the criminals tried to fight back and Jason unleashed a torrent of fight moves and bullets to stay alive.

As someone building in the tech space, it was a stark reminder of why we need to raise awareness on online safety and the importance of the work Epower is doing through the Cyberhygiene Project.

The BBC’s Disciples: The Cult of TB Joshua was both shocking and insightful, revealing how power and religion can be weaponized to exploit vulnerable people.

According to the documentary, T.B. Joshua raped, manipulated and humiliated his disciples behind the scenes while spreading the facade of a miracle worker and humanitarian. The documentary made strong claims, including that the miracles were staged. My late Dad loved TB Joshua, and the documentary would have saddened him immensely.

In an era of TV, social media and instant fame, we must be more discerning about who we follow and what we believe.

What did I learn from these documentaries and movies?

Stories shape how we see the world and make decisions. Choose carefully what you consume. And more importantly, be intentional about the story you’re writing with your own life. Make it one worth documenting.

Friends

True friendship isn’t just about the good times — it’s about showing up when it matters most. When a close friend lost her mother early in the year, I travelled to attend the 2-day burial ceremony to lend my support.

This year taught me profound lessons about friendship:

1. Never underestimate the ripple effect of checking in on people: When an unfortunate bomb explosion happened in Ibadan, Olajumoke reached out to check on my welfare. She even offered to mobilize support for victims. Sometimes, a simple “are you okay?” can mean everything.

2. The best gifts don’t always come wrapped: A friend shocked me with massive support for my wedding that left me speechless. Even more inspiring was seeing him build his house at a remarkably young age. It reminded me that ‘your circle should inspire you to dream bigger’.

3. Sometimes, the most thoughtful thing you can do for others is to be practical rather than ceremonial: After fuel prices skyrocketed, I was faced with the choice between spending a massive sum of money on transportation to attend a wedding or gifting that same amount to the couple, I chose the latter. Good intentions must be backed by wise decisions.

I visited my old neighborhood and spent time with a former neighbor and her family (they were kind to me while I was there). It was a humbling reminder that while we chase success, we must never forget the people and places that were part of our journey.

Speaking Engagements

I spoke on 2 topics in 2024: winning grant funding, and leveraging artificial intelligence.

I made the intentional decision to prioritize quality over quantity when it came to sharing my message from the stage. Gone were the days of accepting every speaking invitation that came my way. Instead, I focused on engagements that truly valued my time and expertise, as evidenced by their willingness to pay my speaking fee. It takes days and sometimes weeks, to prepare for a 45 mins presentation.

If an event organizer couldn’t respect the value I bring to the table, it was a firm but polite “no thank you.” This empowered me to pour my energy into scaling my business ventures and ensuring that when I do take the stage, it’s to deliver a truly transformative experience for the audience.

A major milestone was being invited to speak at the Biblical Billionaire Conference held at the renowned Redemption Camp. With over 1,000 people in attendance, it was an incredible opportunity to teach entrepreneurs how to secure grant funding. The energy in the room was electric, and the audience was deeply engaged. The impact of this talk was immense, with several attendees reaching out to thank me for the session.

I spoke at ALX’s Mandela ‘Washington Fellowship Application Support’, Civic Hive’s Capacity Building Training on ‘How to get your first and next grant’, Founder’s Meet on ‘How Founders and aspiring founders can win grant funding’, U-recycle’s training for young campus leaders on ‘How to Secure Grant Funding for Projects and Initiatives’, amongst others.

My sessions have been described as ‘energetic’, ‘remarkable’ and ‘game-changing’. If you want to challenge your community to win massive grant funding and leverage AI for business growth, book me here.

Family

Life has a way of surprising us with its most precious gifts when we least expect them. In February 2024, I married my best friend, Chidimma. She has been a huge blessing to my life and I am grateful for the caliber of intentionality with which we are taking our marriage.

But God wasn’t done blessing us. In April, we discovered we were expecting our first child! As we prepared for parenthood, I learned that it goes beyond just buying baby items — it’s about growing as a person and as a couple.

Then in December, our precious daughter arrived! I’m already becoming a professional at carrying her though I’m still perfecting the art of diaper changing as at the time of writing this. Our sleep patterns now revolve around her schedule — a small price to pay for the joy of watching her innocent face as she sleeps. They say nothing prepares you for parenthood, and they’re right. The love you feel for your baby is a deep, profound love.

Marriage has been my greatest teacher this year. Like any new couple, we’ve had our adjustment period — from learning to make joint decisions to navigating different viewpoints on issues like politics and house chores. But that’s the beauty of marriage: two different people choosing daily to grow together, learn together, and build something beautiful together.

My extended family continues to be a source of strength. My siblings, my mum and my in-laws have been particularly supportive, showing up for us before, during and after our wedding.

If there’s one thing 2024 has taught me about family, it’s this: family isn’t just about sharing a last name — it’s about choosing each other every single day, supporting each other’s dreams, celebrating each other’s wins (no matter how small), and being there through the challenges.

As we navigate the beautiful chaos of new parenthood, I’m more convinced than ever that building a strong family is life’s most important work.

Unleashing Your Potential in 2025

As you reflect on your own 2024 journey and journey through 2025, I encourage you to embrace these key mindsets:

1. Dream audaciously: Set goals that stretch your imagination and challenge you to become the best version of yourself.

2. Invest in yourself relentlessly: Commit to lifelong learning, skill development, and personal growth. You can’t give what you don’t have. The more you expand your capabilities, the greater impact you can make.

3. Lift others up generously: Share your knowledge, insights, and resources to empower others. You can choose to mentor others, share useful content on social media or pick another channel to give back. We rise by lifting others.

4. Pursue excellence unapologetically: Set high standards for yourself and your work. If you work in an organization, become the most hardworking and most productive employee. When you consistently deliver results, you attract opportunities and recognition that amplify your impact.

5. Cherish your support system: Surround yourself with people who believe in you, challenge you to grow, and celebrate your successes. Together, you can weather any storm and reach new heights.

Plan like Gbenga

I live by Peter Drucker’s maxim “You cannot manage what you cannot measure.” If you’re interested in my planner templates for goal setting, weekly planning, and financial tracking, connect with me on LinkedIn and send me a message. I’m happy to share them for free.

Conclusion

I hope that by sharing my story, I’ve inspired you to dream bigger, take bolder action, and make 2025 a year of extraordinary growth and impact.

Remember, no matter what challenges come your way, you have the power to rise above them and create the life you desire.

Believe in yourself, stay true to your vision, and keep pushing forward. The world needs your unique gifts and contributions. You are important. You matter.

Here’s to making your 2025 a year of limitless possibilities.

Now, go do epic stuff.

Credit

This review was edited by Mrs Chidimma Ogunbowale (my wife sabi book no be small).