Career Development Open Letter Article to VDM & Nigerians
Dear VeryDarkMan,
In a time when silence is profitable and truth is dangerous, you chose the hard path: to speak. The urgency of this moment cannot be overstated.
To question. To confront. To dare.
From the comfort of the diaspora, I have watched you storm digital gates that once protected the powerful. Your voice—raw, thunderous, undiluted—has become a beacon to young Nigerians searching for someone brave enough to reflect their anger and pain.
And for that, I commend you, not just as a coach but as a fellow Nigerian who dreams of a nation we do not have to flee from.
But I also write to challenge you—with love, strategy, and vision.
🎯 Focus: Building the Architecture of Accountability
Activism without structure burns out. Passion without preparation loses power. You are more than a disruptor now. You are a movement. And movements, if not guided, scatter.
The aim now is this:
To evolve from a viral digital activist to a visionary national reformer who holds institutions accountable and builds the civic capacity to outlive corruption.
Like Captain Ibrahim Traoré of Burkina Faso, who stood up to imperial influence with military courage and civic intention, you too are standing against entrenched powers. But what makes Traoré powerful isn’t just his boldness—it’s the way he has channelled youth energy into system change, reframing leadership around sovereignty, purpose, and pride.
What Traoré is to state sovereignty, you can be to civic sovereignty.
But only if you structure the storm.
🧭 Refining the Path – Activities & Structure Suggestions
1. Create a Personal Manifesto
Clarify your long-term leadership purpose beyond exposés and reactions.
Do you want to:
- Run for public office?
- Build RATEL into an African-wide civic accountability hub.
- Lead civic education at scale?
Write it. Own it. Share it. This will become your compass.
2. Formalise RATEL Group
Turn RATEL into a registered civic organisation with internal roles:
- Legal & Research Desk – fact-checks all claims
- Education & Policy Desk – create simple civic resources for the public
- Digital Security Desk – protects whistleblowers and your team
- Diaspora Desk – connects with Nigerians abroad, ready to support
3. Develop a “#KnowYourPower” Toolkit
Just as citizens know how to open a bank account, they should know how to:
- Submit Freedom of Information requests
- Track local government budgets
- Report misuse without fear
This can be mobile-based, translated into local languages, and shared in markets and schools.
4. Launch the VDM Civic Fellowship
Train 20 youth annually in content creation for accountability, fact-checking, community mobilisation, and ethical activism.
Give them what Nigeria never gave us: purpose-driven skill-building.
📚 Skill-Up Recommendations to Support Your Growth
Here are skills to move from viral voice to visionary vanguard:
| SKILL | WHY IT MATTERS |
| Strategic Communication | Speak truth in ways that persuade, not just provoke. |
| Civic Tech & Data | To build a legacy beyond personality or trend. |
| Policy Analysis | Translate anger into actionable demands. |
| Mental Resilience | Mental Resilience: Burnout is real. Movements need long-distance runners. |
| NGO Leadership | To build a legacy beyond personality or trend. |
Take short courses from:
- YALI Africa
- UNODC’s anti-corruption eAcademy
- Coursera’s Leadership in Public Life
- The Ibrahim Index (Mo Ibrahim Foundation)
🌍 For the Diaspora: How to Stand With VDM & Nigeria
We in the diaspora have privilege and power. But without impact, both are wasted. We have the power to make a difference and the responsibility to use it wisely.
🛡️ Mental Health, Security & Sustainability
VeryDarkMan, remember this:
You are not a machine. You are not alone. You are not replaceable.
- Take breaks. Let silence be a strategy.
- Invest in cybersecurity. Your digital house must be protected.
- Build a succession plan. Leadership should outlive the leader.
🌱 Final Words: From Fire to Future
VeryDarkMan, your voice has stirred a nation. But Nigeria doesn’t need another martyr. It requires a strategist—a builder. A curriculum of courage includes not just speaking out but also strategic planning, skill-building, and sustainable leadership.
This is your Traoré moment. Just as Traoré’s actions in Burkina Faso reshaped the country’s political landscape, your strategic leadership can reshape Nigeria’s civic landscape.
Lead not just with fire, but with form. Be the reason Nigeria rewrites its civic DNA.
To all Nigerians—at home and in the diaspora—let us not merely clap from afar. Let us co-create by offering our skills, resources, and support. Let us coach by mentoring and guiding the next generation of leaders. Let us commit by actively participating in the fight against corruption and injustice.
The future is watching.
And we must give it something worth watching. Your role in shaping this future is significant and cannot be underestimated.
With purpose and partnership,
Sam Soyombo
Careers Coach | MetaSkills Mentor | MaxME Creator
