'Mide Olubi

Turn churches into 7-days-a week community centres. Subsidize energy costs and operations through grants. Have childcare facilities, sporting complexes, libraries, free food. Watch as children make friends and break social media, gaming & substance addiction. They will read and learn. Pick up sports. Build social skills and self-confidence. Observe as parents regain bandwith and time for intentional and present parenting. Young people will observe the lives of mentors and learn to love and know Christ. Collaborations will emerge. Loneliness will reduce as people find multi-generational friendships and families. This is my vision of the modern church. A living breathing entity in the heart of urban communities.

AFRICAN BUSINESSMAN ARCHETYPES Today, I will tell you about 5 types of African businessmen (or women). They are: 1. Ruthless 2. Life of the Party 3. Competent 4. Hustler 5. Spiritual In my career, I have met all of them, and learned a few lessons along the way. The first archetype is RUTHLESS. You can probably visualize him if I ask you to name top businessmen in Africa. More than a few are in this category. They are the bankers who serve as bagmen to presidents. Industrialists with enduring monopolies. Doyens of illegal mining, smuggling and oil bunkering. These guys win at all costs. If a rule can be bent, they'll bend it. If a story can be planted in the press, they'll do so. If a government official can be influenced, he will be. They know everyone everywhere. They understand power, and constantly court and amass it. One thing about The Ruthless - they rarely go through normal channels to get justice. If you steal from them, they will use the instruments of state to kidnap you and take you to an undisclosed location. You will simply disappear until you pay back. Sadly, many young Africans aspire to be this type of businessman. They are tired of being oppressed while seeing the wicked prosper, and so want to join them since they can't beat them. But I'm here to tell you NOT to do it. There's a reason why mafia bosses sometimes go legit or why businessmen become pastors or philanthropists. They are seeking redemption. The ruthless lifestyle wrecks your soul, spirit and relationships. Too much blood has been shed and lives destroyed. And though God may forgive you, the families of the affected will keep crying out for justice, and God is just. When The Ruthless approach old age, I think it finally dawns on them that there is an afterlife much longer than their lifetimes. They worry about a reckoning, and the legacy they've left behind. But many times, the allure of power proves too intoxicating to give up. Stay tuned as I share about the second archetype, Life of the Party, later today. #DearCEO #WakingThoughts