Apostle Titi Oluwadare was called into ministry 28 years ago. Author of 16 books, she has a weekly TV broadcast in 16 countries. With a prophetic
* Apostle Titi Oluwadare
Apostle Titi Oluwadare was called into ministry 28 years ago. Author of 16 books, she has a weekly TV broadcast in 16 countries. With a prophetic calling to Nigeria, she is the visioner of ICEM, a group that organised the Lagos International Christian Praise Festival. The National Altar was annually held at the National Stadium Surulere for ten years, thus bringing together the body of Christ together from North, South, East and West. With a background in Political Science and a Master’s degree in Public Administration (MPA) over 35 years ago, she managed one of the first finance and investment companies in Nigeria when God called her into ministry. Her background is, therefore, in economic leadership, political training and spiritual leadership. These three areas help form her focus on nation-building and the empowerment of people today. In this interview with E-life, Apostle Titi speaks on leadership and followership in Nigeria, the political terrain and the place of the Church in all of this. Excerpts from the interview.
What are your observations on leadership in Nigeria?
There has been a vacuum of leadership in Nigeria. Spiritual leadership has been scarce. Political leadership is worse. Economic leadership is the worst.
When there is a shortage of leaders in the three pillars that uphold nation-building, we can understand Nigeria’s problems.
Looking at the generic description, a political leader pursues a passionate cause to bring fresh ideas and solutions to renew, repair, and restore people’s trust in governance.
They ought to inspire a new generation to do the right thing, lead people above primordial sentiments, and encourage community cohesion and social integration.
The leader does this by creating an enabling environment and allowing stakeholders to bring their interests to bear on governance at the table of negotiations.
A leader then goes forward to carry the entire community together while being careful to articulate and understand his people’s several aspirations and dreams.
Nigeria has not had many leaders like this. Hence the resultant community disintegration, agitations, economic disempowerment of many in society, social isolation of many, with many outside the fringe of mainstream society with no ability to earn or participate in politics.
The above leads to resultant violence, restiveness, terrorism, killings of citizens, youth hopelessness and many other ills caused by lack of vision and political leadership.
That is in the political realm. What about spiritual leadership?
We can see the same lack of leadership. Most spiritual leaders lack vision or have not received a vision for what the Promised Land is like for the people they lead.
There is, therefore, a severe disconnect of the Church in the area of nation-building, and the Church has not been the light of the world in Nigeria.
Spiritual leaders follow their own opinions and interests. They do not have laser eyes focused on God’s kingdom and what will advance His will on earth.
Many have loyalty to denominational interests above the kingdom of Christ. This has caused a lot of missteps and has caused the Church to remain in the political wilderness in Nigeria.
It is time for God to raise leaders who will lead His people to the Promised Land. Peace coming in Nigeria will precede righteousness.
The fruits of righteousness can only be sown in peace. Righteousness in a nation leads to exaltation and prosperity.
What are your views on followership in Nigeria? There is the view that though the leadership is dishonest, the followership, greedy and ignorant, push the leadership into corruption. Do you agree?
Both views are valid. They are true because the power of leadership dictates the direction of those who follow.
If leaders are selfish and only interested in self and immediate gratification at the expense of people, how will followers differ? We model to our youth the values that we hold dear.
When Christian values of openness, transparency, love, unity, respect etc., have been trampled on, the youth lose faith in political leadership and take their destiny into their hands.
When economic leaders are the richest in the Nation, and they enrich themselves by monies kept in their custody, they teach others to emulate them by thinking the end justifies the means and robbers and thieves are rewarded in the Nation.
So, if there is a followership problem, we should check the calibre of leaders. Whenever God has an assignment to do, He chooses leaders. He looks for incorruptible, upright and just leaders. He knows if leadership is right, people will follow.
On the other side, many times when people suffer, God says your leaders have led you astray. God puts the blame where it belongs – on leaders.
So many Nigerians feel there is nothing anybody can do to change things in Nigeria. Some people have said we should re-invite the colonialists to re-colonise us because we are not mature for independence. How do you respond to these?
That will be hilarious if not so sad. Nigeria can and will change. God has promised us imminent change.
Three years ago, He asked us to start the Cryout Movement in Nigeria. It has since grown into Africa Cryout Movement, with thousands of Christian leaders across many Nations of Africa joining the movement.
What God told us when Nigeria Cryout started is that change has begun. I am quoting what he told us, and I shared in 2019 at the inception of the movement. “God is calling new leaders because there is a leadership vacuum in the body of Christ.
The Reinhardt Bonkes, Billy Grahams, Kenneth Hagins, etc. have gone to rest. The ones after them, raised in Africa and worldwide, are now in their 70s and above and are also transitioning.
There is, therefore, a worldwide Christian leadership vacuum. The upper room of the Church is empty. Hence the turbulence, the pestilence, and the birth pangs.
That is what we are seeing. The baton is being passed to a new generation. Leadership is changing.
There is a shift in the spirit. The new leaders are not yet correctly aligned to their vine. The kingdom has not been correctly enthroned in the new crop of leaders.
Hence, the whole of creation is groaning for the alignment and manifestation of these sons of God. No one is occupying for Jesus Christ. People mind their things, their kingdoms and not Christ’s.
Church, as we know it, is entering another dispensation, the era of Kingdom governance. A dispensation where people are raised in Church but mature as the chosen.
Then they become the gate lifters of their generation. Psalms 24:7 “Lift up your heads, O you gates! And be lifted up you everlasting doors! And the King of glory shall come in.”
Sowing To Righteousness And Reaping Victory
SOWING RELATIONSHIP AND REAPING GRACE
National Gate Lifters and Generational Gate Lifters are being birthed on God’s quarry site. God is making weapons of war and battle-axes out of men and women.
The leadership and generational shift will be in all areas of leadership in Nations. God is raising disciples this time, not only pastors.
He needs disciples in politics, in the economy and spiritually. He needs leaders who will stay under His command to carry out the Kingdom agenda.
One of the challenges facing us is recycling the old generation in the power penumbra. Nigerians talk of youth empowerment, the young generation is taking over political power. Is this feasible? Are these youths not in power already?
The youth are not yet in power, but it is inevitable. They will crown those in power and take control. The wind is blowing.
Remember Joshua’s revolution and take over had only two older people, Joshua and Caleb. All the others were youth. God showed us, and we made a generational shift in all our ministries, and I am doing it now in my businesses.
The youth of Nigeria have ignited already. The destiny of Nigeria rests on their shoulders. The destiny of the black race rests on their shoulder.
The destiny of the Church of Christ rests on their shoulders. We must empower them. The leaders must invest in them, mentor them and empower them. It is time for a change.
* Apostle Titi Oluwadare
Change means a new Nigeria, a new workforce, a new breed of leaders, a new level of morals and ethics, new humanity, new parenting, new values and orientations, a new generation.
As a close observer of the current trends, can you speak to Nigerians on how to save Nigeria?
All hands have to be on deck. All Nigerians must be politically empowered.
The women’s issues must be addressed. Youth issues must be addressed.
Seventy per cent of the world’s poorest people are women; they own only one per of the world’s property.
Fifty-five per cent of those not enrolled in school are girls, sixty-six per * cent of illiterate people are women and nearly fifty per cent of all sexual assaults worldwide are against girls aged fifteen years or younger.
Domestic violence is the most significant cause of women’s injury and death, leading to more deaths and disability among women aged 15-44 than malaria, war, traffic accidents, and cancer. It is estimated that one in three women in Africa experiences violence in the home.
The World Health Organisation (WHO) estimates that female genital mutilation (FGM) has affected as many as 138 million women and girls. The numbers continue to rise at approximately two million per year.
Twenty-seven per cent of girls aged 15-19 in sub-Saharan Africa have been married, and 28% have given birth by age 18. There is a lack of women’s role in decision-making in community affairs and local institutions.
Women in Africa are generally excluded from decision-making in the home, communities, and society. African leaders must change this eye-sore caused by traditions and religious bondages. Christ hates oppression. The leaders, especially spiritual leaders, should let the change start here.
For the youth, from experience, lack of work, absence of skills, lack of societal support and misunderstanding sets the stage for angry and violence-prone people.
Nigeria is the most populous country in Africa, with one of the largest populations of youth in the world, comprising at least 38,652,424 members. Almost 40 million youth in one Nation.
Nigeria continues to grow faster than many other countries of similar size. Therefore, despite all the efforts in youth economic empowerment and poverty alleviation schemes, it is a daunting task that needs all hands to avert the impact down the line of the above basic facts.
Lack of family, social support, poverty, absence of skills, lack of societal infrastructures and misunderstanding sets the stage for angry and violence-prone youth. Nigeria is literarily sitting on a keg on gun powder without innovative and brilliant leaders who can turn this around fast.
We have almost seventy per cent of our population under the age of 35. Therefore, it is of utmost importance for all leaders to shape the direction of the majority of their population.
Starting from the grassroots, refusal to engage will be too costly, as we see in the tribalism, banditry, cultism and other anti-social behaviour that the youth engage in.
Youth without an identity, without direction or image of who they are and what their national identity is, are tools in the hands of terrorists who give them ideologies and reprogram them.
Or politicians who sow discord of tribalism and sectionalism instead of building community cohesion and social integration.
Therefore, the paramount trust of community integration needs to be recalibrated to focus on the youth, women, and children in Nigeria.
They are usually the underprivileged, vulnerable and prone to economic disengagement and social isolation. We need leaders to lead Nigerians into the promised land.
Leaving the lucrative world of finance for soul winning, what exactly has God called you to do at a time as now?
God has called me as an Apostle with a prophetic calling to Nigeria for over 28 years.
My main focus is the Cryout Movement, and I am working in Nigeria with a brilliant team of Captain Henry Simeri, Rev Shehu Lucas, Pastor Zephaniah Ndaja, Pastor Dapo Sonola, Pastor Ayo Okeleye, Pastor Peter Ikporo and many others.
The Diaspora Team has leaders like Pastor Tim Oladipo, the National Coordinator for the UK. The movement is now in 25 nations, both in Africa and in the western world.
I have an apostolic calling to the body of Christ. I serve the Lord in extending the frontiers of his kingdom and operates under a gate breaking anointing of Christ to liberate men and women from the prison houses of darkness.
I operate under an apostolic teaching and Prophetic ministry, where those in the valley of life are raised and built up to become a giant army for God. I am an avid church planter who breaks the grounds and hands over the souls to Pastors.
The primary focus of my ministry is fishing for souls and equipping and empowering the souls to be influential members of Christ’s kingdom.
I am also the Vision Coordinator of these organisations: His Grace Evangelistic Ministries (HISGEM); Kingdom Women International Congress, a ministry that builds up all Christian women. KWIC holds annual conferences in Lagos, Kenya, South Africa and London.
KWIC has also done several meetings in Harare, Zimbabwe and other African Nations; Youth Ablaze Group and Magazines; Spirit Ablaze Prayer School; Spirit-Ablaze Press and Publications; Spiritablaze Media – Telecasts and Cryout movement.
Others are Africa Cryout: All Nations Of Africa; Nigeria Cryout; South Africa Cryout; Kenya Cryout, Nigeria Cryout Youth Initiative; Nigeria Cryout Ventures (Economic Empowerment); Nigeria National Christian Coalition (Political Engagement).
COMMENTS