“Dumb activated ideas are more likely to impact than smart inactivated ideas” ~ Blossom Nnodim In this interesting conversation with Blossom Nnodim, we discuss her life so far; the social media drama that went down during the 2015 general elections in Nigeria; TEDxOwerri, and much more. You can download this interview on The Stroll Podcast. Here’s the transcript of our conversation: Decision to Live beyond Average… Blossom: I’ll like to trace it back to 2012. I met this young guy called Okechukwu Ofili, before then I’ve being the random average person who, instead of saying things the way they are, will always weigh …
“Dumb activated ideas are more likely to impact than smart inactivated ideas” ~ Blossom Nnodim
In this interesting conversation with Blossom Nnodim, we discuss her life so far; the social media drama that went down during the 2015 general elections in Nigeria; TEDxOwerri, and much more.
You can download this interview on The Stroll Podcast. Here’s the transcript of our conversation:
Decision to Live beyond Average…
Blossom: I’ll like to trace it back to 2012. I met this young guy called Okechukwu Ofili, before then I’ve being the random average person who, instead of saying things the way they are, will always weigh my options and try to be politically correct in everything I say. But meeting him drew me out of my shell; watching the way he writes and the way he articulate his thoughts, you could see someone that has been able to separate himself from the crowd, and absolutely enjoying himself while trying not to be politically correct or to write for some people.
He didn’t really come and say, “Blossom, be like me” but there’s this thing about social learning. You watch someone do things and you desire to do things that way, and you deliberately and intentionally work towards it.
Twitter Drama during Nigerian Elections and role of social media in Nigeria’s Democracy
Blossom: I supported the Goodluck administration, but I didn’t really support him on the merit of his own personal achievements or his administration’s achievement. I weighed the two options we had, maintaining the status quo or to blindly assume that the Buhari Government will actually usher Nigeria into an era of change as they promised. I wasn’t particularly thrilled by Buhari’s ability and that’s also where it comes to people not following the crowd.
If you check the online conversation, there were a lot more young people tilted towards Buhari and fewer voices clamouring for the Goodluck administration. If I look at myself before 2012 I would have easily succumbed to following the voice of the crowd so that I don’t become the odd person out, but I stuck to my guns and I have no regrets over it.
Yes, my candidate didn’t win. Buhari is there and I want to believe that he will do the best for the country. If he does well for Nigeria and Nigerians I also will benefit.
In a way I’ll say social media influenced in the turnout of the 2015 Nigerian general elections. Our internet penetration in Nigeria is really low, and so I’ll be really wrong to say social media made everything happen without also bringing in what traditional media did. During the period, we could see established Radio and TV stations sifting out their news from the chatter and conversation on social media, and sometimes these stories were even wrong. Social Media was relevant to the extent that it was able to provide content for traditional media.
Social Media + Climate Change =???
Blossom: Before now, study-wise not really career-wise, I majored in Biology but then I didn’t really see myself as a science-inclined person so I didn’t even bother to use that for anything. Over time, I have developed this passion to involve myself in climate-related conversations, and environmental change and all that. So what I did was to go get a Bsc in Environmental Management.
I also shaped my dissertation to align with what I was passionate about; social media and climate change itself. The basic concept was trying to find out the awareness level of the average Nigerian netizen regarding climate change, its impact, mitigation, and adaptation. We made it open source in the sense that there was an online survey in which people could fill a digital questionnaire, and that was one way of getting a lot more people to be part of the research. We had about 250 people who contributed and gave responses via our online survey. We also had the expert analysis part, where, after getting the responses from the survey and monitoring the trends of the responses, we then got experts in issues relating to social media and climate change to analyse the trends of the responses.
In summary what we saw was, a lot of young Nigerian netizens are aware of Climate change and its impact, but most of them don’t really see it as something they should go out of their way to help. They just see it as that hovering conversation in conferences and all that. Some recommendations we gave was to try to see how the private and public sector can infuse the climate change reality into their CSR; try to create more awareness; and get a lot more individuals to commit to sustainable measures. Nothing stops a young person from refusing to drive your car to go buy something in the next street. You could just stroll to that place, and in strolling it helps to keep you fit and also it helps to reduce your carbon footprint.
How the Green-White-Green can get “Greener”
Blossom: This is one area I applaud President Buhari. Most of the speeches he has given since he was elected have all included issues relating to climate change. Looking closely you can also see this consciousness on his part to actually go a long way in ensuring that Nigeria becomes part of the climate change conversation going on around the world.
Also, the current senate President in Nigeria, Senator Bukola Saraki, in the 7th Assembly he was the chairman of the house committee on environment, and I want to believe that he didn’t just spend those 4 years doing nothing, he’d have also developed a certain consciousness to push environmentally-friendly policies in the National assembly. I want to believe that now he is senate President he wouldn’t sideline that part of his participation.
On stage
Blossom: I still compere events, but not as much as I would have loved to. I’m a civil servant, and so I have only my weekends and probably my evenings to do that. This is actually what I started out doing, and the funny thing is I grew up as a very shy person, I couldn’t even address an audience, and so I don’t even know how that happened. (Laughs). You know that’s the funny thing about life, I was supposed to be the head girl in my school, back in Secondary school, we were two finalists who were invited for an interview with the school board.
The other lady was very vocal, and able to talk about what she feels and how she feels and stuff like that. As for me, I was a bit into myself and I couldn’t really bring out my best during the interview, and apparently I failed the interview. Subsequently, over the years I outgrew the fear of public speaking, and every other thing became history.
TEDxAbuja, TEDxAsoRock, TEDxOwerri, and more Ideas worth Spreading
Blossom: Yes, I spoke at TEDxAbuja in 2012, and I can’t really remember the particular theme, but it had something to do with building the city or something like that. My conversation was about sharing my own experience of when I first got into Abuja in 2007, and how I found it really difficult getting a house, and then the problems that the average Abuja resident would see or would face if they have to get a house–of course, I also talked about the ridiculous house rent.
It was my first ever experience with TEDx, and subsequently I also spoke at TEDxAsoRock curated by Ndu White. After these two experiences I felt, “Okay, this TEDx experience is quite interesting; both from the speaker perspective and being part of the audience.” So I recently applied for a license to curate the same experience in Owerri and I was successful. We’ll be having TEDxOwerri come up sometime in November 2015.
Footprints for Posterity
Blossom: I will love to remembered, first, as a human being–embodied with a lot of empathy. Secondly, as someone who is not afraid of going beyond societal expectations–or going outside of it entirely; as long as I know the truth, I don’t mind standing alone for it even if I have to fight off a lot of opposition. I think that has to do with conviction. If you believe in something, go forward and stand for it and don’t allow yourself to be distracted by naysayers or those that believe it can actually snow in Sokoto state. (Hahaha)
________
Food for the Soul: Jesus replied, “A man was going down from Jerusalem to Jericho, and he fell among robbers, who stripped him and beat him and departed, leaving him half dead. Now by chance a priest was going down that road, and when he saw him he passed by on the other side. So likewise a Levite, when he came to the place and saw him, passed by on the other side. But a Samaritan, as he journeyed, came to where he was, and when he saw him, he had compassion. He went to him and bound up his wounds, pouring on oil and wine. Then he set him on his own animal and brought him to an inn and took care of him. …” (Luke 10:30-37, ESV)
(Images Credit: Blossom Nnodim)
Visit Write Paragraphs for more interviews, and you can download this stroll with Blossom Nnodim on The Stroll Podcast.
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