‎By Oluwatobiloba Gideon Oludayomi

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‎Let me start with something simple. A phone and a platform account is now all a person needs to become an influencer in Nigeria today. No training. No mentorship. No years of quiet study before the microphone is handed over. Just a smartphone, a stable network, and the courage to speak. That is the entry requirement now.

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‎I find that fascinating and frightening at the same time.

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‎Because influence used to be earned. It used to sit on the shoulders of people who had lived, failed, tried again, and could speak from a place of scars, not just opinions. Today, influence is often just a function of visibility. You do not need wisdom to be seen. You only need consistency and a good camera angle.

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‎And here is where it gets uncomfortable. Many of the people the younger generation now models their thinking after are people who never carried the weight of what they were given. Older voices, public figures, even some respected elders, have conducted themselves in ways that left no room for admiration. They shouted instead of being taught. They insulted instead of being corrected. They performed outrage instead of demonstrating wisdom.

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‎So what did the younger generation learn from watching them.

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‎They learned that noise works. They learned that disrespect gets attention. They learned that decorum is optional if the numbers keep growing. And now we sit back and wonder why the newer generation seems to be rebelling against every sense of order and respect. But rebellion is often just a mirror. Children do not learn values from what we tell them. They learn values from what they watch us reward.

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‎That line cannot be crossed anymore. Influence, real influence, the kind that shapes minds and not just algorithms, requires an objective perspective. Not an emotional one. Not a sentimental one. You cannot lead people well if your platform is only a stage for your feelings. Feelings are valid, but feelings are not always accurate. And a person with a platform owes their audience something more solid than a mood.

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‎The Bible puts it plainly in James 3:1, Good News Translation.

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‎"My friends, not too many of you should become teachers. As you well know, we teachers will be judged with greater strictness than others."

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‎That verse used to terrify preachers alone. Today, it should terrify anyone with a following. Because a platform is a form of teaching, whether you call yourself a teacher or not. Whatever you post repeatedly becomes a curriculum. Whatever you defend becomes a value system you are quietly installing in someone else's mind.

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‎Now let us talk about why the noise wins.

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‎In a country where people are exhausted, underpaid, overtaxed, and underserved, entertainment becomes a form of survival. When life is heavy, people do not always reach for depth. They reach for relief. A dance trend, a comedy skit, a scandal, a petty argument between two celebrities, these things offer a few minutes of escape from a reality that refuses to be kind. So it is not exactly surprising that mundane and vain topics catch fire faster than intelligent discourse.

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‎But here is the deeper truth, the one many will not say out loud.

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‎The system keeps rewarding what I call the Olodoism Syndrome, hence the uprising of Olodos. A culture where mediocrity is celebrated louder than mastery. Where shouting outperforms substance. Where being loud is mistaken for being right. The algorithm feeds on emotion, not accuracy. It feeds on reaction, not reflection. And so, slowly, an entire society begins to trust confidence over competence.

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‎This is not new. Proverbs 14:18, New Living Translation, says it clearly.

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‎"The simple are clothed with foolishness, but the wise are crowned with knowledge."

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‎Somebody is always wearing something. The question is what you have chosen to be dressed in publicly. Foolishness is loud and quick. Knowledge is patient and quiet. But only one of them builds something that lasts.

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‎I have watched this pattern for years, in business, in ministry circles, in community leadership, even in my own personal growth. The people who built real influence were rarely the loudest in the room. They were the ones who studied longer than they spoke. They understood that platform is not personality, it is responsibility. Anyone can gather an audience. Only a few can steward one.

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‎Here is a question worth sitting with. If your platform disappeared today, what would people say you taught them.

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‎Not what you posted. Not what went viral. What did you actually teach them about life, about faith, about character, about how to think.

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‎Influence is not a personality contest. It is a form of stewardship. And stewardship always comes with account. Luke 12:48, New International Version, says something every public voice should tattoo on their conscience.

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‎"From everyone who has been given much, much will be demanded."

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‎A platform is not a trophy. It is a trust. And trust, once abused, does not just affect you. It affects everyone who believed you knew what you were doing.

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‎So what do we do from here.

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‎We start by refusing to lead from emotion alone. We start by studying before we speak, not just reacting before we think. We start by asking, before every post, before every video, before every hot take. Is this building someone, or am I just trying to be seen. We start by remembering that our children, our mentees, our younger siblings, are always watching. Not our achievements alone, but our conduct.

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‎Because character is caught more than it is taught.

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‎Listen, a crowd will always gather around noise. But only wisdom builds a legacy that survives the trend. Influence without discipline is just entertainment with a bigger audience.

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‎Now I want to hear from you. Do you think the younger generation is really rebelling on purpose, or are they simply reflecting what they were shown. Drop your thoughts below. I read every comment, and I would genuinely love to know where you stand on this.

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‎Oluwatobiloba Gideon Oludayomi is a practical writer, a scripture addict, and a versatile entrepreneur building wealth through agriculture, real estate, and enterprise. He writes on faith, business systems, personal development, mindset re-engineering, and the Nigerian condition. He is the Convener of the Dominion Guild Network, an ecosystem of high value individuals, young and determined to becoming an empowered generation. He is also the author of "Build It to Last", "I Thought I Married a Wife" (a novel), and "Practical Love".

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The Responsibility of Influence: What Comes With a Platform.

The Responsibility of Influence: What Comes With a Platform.