The Journey Didn't End

How a road accident changed my life and the future of Journeying Storyteller.

I came into the year excited about executing the plans for Journeying Storyteller. I had just finished the branding, incorporated the business, built the website, and was moving into the next phase: bringing together a community of storytellers.

Then, on 21 January 2026, I had just posted my 2025 Year in Review and was heading home from work when everything changed.

The Accident

I was in a keke napep. As we approached a junction, I saw the keke heading straight towards a car. In that moment, the thought that came rushing into my head was, “And the journey ends.” I felt my body hit the car before being thrown across the road with the keke. I was ready to lose consciousness, but it never happened.

For some reason, I remained aware of my surroundings. Everybody in the keke, including the keke itself, was on top of me. I was alive. In that moment, I realised how easily your life can change. Is this the point where I have to continue my journey on crutches? Then I found my voice and screamed, “Carry the keke off my leg!” The people with me rushed out and lifted it, and to my surprise, I could still walk. Just a few injuries.

I had been given another chance to continue the journey. But surviving the accident wasn’t the same as moving forward. Before I could carry on, I first had to overcome the constraint in my own mind.

The constraint 

That night, I was taken to the hospital. The doctors examined my legs for fractures, but there were none. Just a few injuries that needed treatment. Once they were treated, I was told I would have to limp for the next few weeks. Those were the longest two weeks of my life. Living alone in Abuja while everyone I knew was at work, I had to fend for myself. I couldn’t cook or clean, so I ordered food and paid to have my apartment cleaned.

But the hardest part wasn’t the physical recovery. Something had changed in my mind. I was no longer excited about the journey I had started at the beginning of the year. For some reason, I felt defeated. I felt lonely. It felt as though, if I were going to carry on, I would have to do it on my own. So I didn’t create for three months.

Then it hit me. My motivation to create had changed. For the previous ten years, pain had been my fuel. I created because storytelling helped me make sense of difficult moments. But something shifted in 2025 when I finally started living the life I wanted. I found a bit of happiness, and without realising it, that happiness had become the fuel behind everything I created that year. So when pain returned, I expected creativity to return with it. Instead, I found myself unable to create. That’s when I realised I wasn’t looking for inspiration anymore. I was looking for happiness again.

The Pursuit

In my small room in Abuja, I contemplated relocating back to Lagos. I’m not a fan of Lagos. The noise, the traffic, and its hatred for cameras. But I wanted to go. Maybe being closer to my family would help me find happiness again.

I was almost convinced. Then, in the middle of making that decision, I came across a flyer for a trip to Gurara Falls in Niger State. I decided to go. Maybe being outside again would help me find that happiness.

It turned out to be more than just a trip. I documented the road to Gurara Falls through Zuma Rock, the hike to the falls, and the water crashing over the rocks. The water was refreshing, but more importantly, it did something to me.

Somewhere between the hike and the sound of the falls, I felt something I hadn’t felt in months. Curiosity.

The part of me that wanted to explore, observe, and tell stories again. It became more than an exploration trip. It became part of my pursuit of happiness. I had found a part of myself that needed to continue the journey.

So I made the video, The Road to Gurara Falls. Thousands of you watched it, and it reminded me why I do this. I love telling stories that matter. Stories about people, places, and organisations making a difference in the world.

The change

Something had changed. I was excited to create again.

After The Road to Gurara Falls, I made another story from my journey to Tarkwa Bay in Lagos. The Crossing to Tarkwa Bay went beyond the parties, the beautiful beach, and the jet skis to explore the history that has passed through this place. More than 900 of you watched it on Instagram and over 7,000 on TikTok. That was encouraging.

Then came The Walk to Change the World. I had seen a flyer on Instagram for a walk called Creator Mode, organised by Creators for Change. We walked 5 kilometres from Wuse 2 to Millennium Park in Abuja, picking up litter along the way.

But for me, it became more than just a walk.

I asked creators one question: “What is one thing you would change about the world?”

What followed wasn’t just a walk through Abuja. It became a conversation about the kind of world we’re building and the kind of people we’re becoming. So far, more than 11,000 of you have watched the video on Instagram and over 7,000 on TikTok.

Then something unexpected happened. I won the Hollyland Lark M2 from the organisers for creating a video that resonated with people.

The microphone was encouraging, but it wasn’t what stayed with me.

What stayed with me was the confirmation that I was finally telling the kinds of stories I wanted to tell. Stories that resonate with people. Stories about people, places, and organisations making a difference. Stories that don’t just document change but invite us to become part of it.

The Invitation

If there’s one thing this year has taught me, it’s that the journey was never just about the places I visit. It’s about the person I’m becoming along the way.

The accident reminded me that life can change in an instant. The months that followed taught me that healing isn’t just physical. Sometimes, it’s finding your way back to the things that make you feel alive.

For me, that has always been storytelling.

As I write this, the journey continues. I’ve been to places that have challenged what I thought I knew. At Ibom Resort, I stumbled on a story hidden in plain sight: the preservation of a slave boat, a piece of history that so many visitors walk past without ever hearing about. There are more stories like that waiting to be told.

I’m also building something beyond the camera. Journeying Storyteller Academy is taking shape, a space where I’ll share what I’ve learnt about storytelling, documentary filmmaking, content creation, and using stories to create change.

If you’ve followed this journey this far, I’d love for you to keep walking with me.

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After all, the journey didn’t end that day. It simply found a new direction. And we’re only just getting started. Subscribe; let's go on an exciting journey.