Dr. Bola Adewara is known primarily as a journalist. Over the years however he has ventured into many other endeavours which has kept some wondering where to place him. In this interview with a journalist in Sierra Leone during his recent visit to that country, he speaks on the many phases of his life.. Find below excerpts .
You are one of those rare Nigerians who manage to blend ministry, writing, mentorship, and farming. Who exactly is Dr. Bọ́lá Adéwará?
That’s a hard one to summarise (laughs). I often say I’m a student of life who refuses to live on one lane. I started as a journalist, then became a teacher, later a pastor, and now an agromentor and gardenpreneur.
My life is a mosaic of disciplines tied by one thread, the desire to awaken potentials in people. I hate waste, wasted lives, wasted opportunities, wasted land. So everything I do, from journalism and writing, to teaching and farming, is about restoring purpose and productivity.
You’ve written several books. Can you take us through some of them and what they represent?
Gladly. My books mirror the different seasons of my growth. Ive written nine books before delving into the agric books. My very first work was Become an Internet Evangelist which encapsulates my initial understanding of the early days of social media for Christ. It was followed by Discover the Secrets of Mentoring and Marriage: 40 things you must know. There are others like Message to an Ignorant Church, Diary of an Angry Christian, Unprofitable Relationships, Truths you wont hear in Sunday Service, and Beyond Ignorance.
My writing career took a new dimensions when I moved to my house in Ikorodu. This house gave me the opportunity to start gardening, a dimension I had purposed all my life. I had known that gardening is no longer just rural or a pastime for retirees. With rising food costs, stress, and fast-paced living, it has become self-care, sustainability, therapy, and yes, profitable. That was what led to the first book here, Profitable Gardening. It was followed by Snail Farming: step-by-step guide for beginners. That one is more practical. It was written to help people enter agribusiness without fear. It demystifies snail farming, from pen construction to feeding, hatching, and marketing. Next is Rabbitry: raising rabbits for food and profit and now, Understanding Snakes: not as dangerous as you think. This book seeks to demystify snakes. If you read this book, you will never be afraid of snakes again.
Why a book on Snakes? This sounds funny!
I wrote this book not long after I saw a green snake in my compound, resting on a cucumber vine. For a long time, I had believe that there are no snakes in my compound. But that experience jolted me. Not long after that, I was invited by a women organisation to speak on gardening. I encouraging them to keep containers near their windows. One of them shouted Snakes nko? I laughed and asked them, how many of you are afraid to start your garden because of fear of snakes. So many of them raised their hands and immediately realised the limiting power of the fear of snakes.
I then decided to do a research on snakes. I spoke to some farmers in my Home Garden WhatsApp group living in different countries of the world. What I learnt from them opened my eyes that I immediately lost the fear of snakes. That snake in your garden is not coming after you, it is searching for what to eat. I am convinced that when people read this book, their understanding of snakes will change.
You are also into Mentoring Masterclass. What is that?
Mentoring Masterclass is a project very close to my heart. It is a system that explores how true mentorship works: how to transfer wisdom without breeding dependency. I teach that a mentors job is not to create followers but to raise thinkers, people who can question norms, activities, systems and beliefs. Many people today are confused because they never had sound mentorship; they had manipulation. My intention with Mentoring Masterclass Is to make people think and question everything around them with a view to making the world a better place.
Lets stay with the Mentoring Masterclass. What makes your concept of mentorship different?
Most mentorship programs today are motivational, full of hype, low on process. Mentoring Masterclass takes a more structured, almost surgical approach. I pick on different topics, not about giving instructions but transferring perspective. Its about mind formation. We run it under Elife Academy, where participants go through modules like The Anatomy of Purpose, Strategic Thinking, The Psychology of Work, and Leading Yourself Before Leading Others. Its interactive, people ask real questions about their lives and careers, and we dissect them. The result is usually mind-blowing. We’ve seen people change careers, rediscover calling, and even reconcile broken visions. Mentorship, done right, heals confusion.
Speaking of E-life Academy, what inspired you to start it?
I got tired of seeing intelligent people fail. They have certificates but no competence, exposure but no execution. I thought, we need an academy that teaches life, not just literacy. E-life Academy became that bridge between schooling and living. Its a platform where we blend spirituality, strategy, and self-development. We teach people how to think critically, plan practically, and grow sustainably. Knowledge without wisdom is like seed without soil, it wont yield.
And then came Elife Gardens. How did that grow out of the Academy?
It grew naturally. I did not want Elife Academy to be theory-based. If you teach productivity, you must produce. So, when I got to Ikorodu, I started experimenting, snails, rabbits, vegetables, turkey, guinea fowls, chickens and it became a living classroom. E-life Gardens is where theory meets practice. We use it to teach urban farming, sustainability, and food independence. Its a place of peace, too, where people come to unlearn stress and reconnect with the rhythm of nature.
Snail farming seems to have become one of your signatures. What’s the attraction?
Patience and profit! (laughs) Snail farming is a Masterclass in the philosophy of slow success. Snails move slowly, but they grow surely, and profitably. Nigeria imports tons of snail meat yearly, yet the local supply is low. Through our Snail Farming project, we are changing that narrative. We show participants that they can start small, even in their backyard, and grow into commercial scale. We teach feeding, breeding, and business strategy. After our first seminar, some attendees began their pens immediately; one now sells hatchlings to others. That’s impact.
You also issue certificates of participation at your seminars. Some people might say, Its just paper. Whats your response
(Laughs) Then they haven’t understood the value of documentation. A certificate doesn’t just say you attended, it says you invested in knowledge.
In agriculture, many grants, partnerships, and co-operative ventures ask for proof of training. Our certificates are recognized by agribusiness platforms. They show you’re not a casual enthusiast but a trained participant. Beyond that, its psychological, when you frame that certificate on your wall, it reminds you that you took a step toward growth.
Your writings on social media are quite provocative, sharp, philosophical, and sometimes controversial. Whats your intent?
To wake people up! Social media, to me, is the new town square where minds gather. I use it to disturb the comfortable and comfort the disturbed. I talk about discipline, character, governance, and spiritual maturity. Nigeria suffers not from lack of religion but lack of reflection. I try to fill that gap. I’m not interested in likes, I’m interested in light. And when people write back to say a post changed how they think or act, that’s my real reward.
What has been your most satisfying project so far?
Each one gives a different kind of satisfaction. Writing satisfies my soul; mentoring satisfies my conscience; and farming satisfies my hands. But if I must choose, Id say Mentoring Masterclass. Watching confused young men and women gain clarity and courage is priceless. I’ve seen people rediscover passion, rebuild marriages, and relaunch businesses because of that program. You cant put a price on transformation.
You wear many hats, writer, mentor, pastor, agropreneur. How do you balance all these?
By recognising seasons. I don’t try to do everything every day. When its writing season, I disappear and write. When its planting season, I’m at Elife Gardens with my boots. And when its mentoring season, I teach and travel. The key is to know your rhythm and respect your limits. Balance is not doing everything at once; its doing the right thing at the right time.
What challenges do you face leading such multifaceted ventures?
Vision fatigue, that’s the biggest one. When you’re pioneering new ideas in a culture that loves comfort zones, you’ll face misunderstanding. Funding can also be challenging; many people don’t see the value of training and mentorship until their ignorance costs them dearly. But I’ve learned endurance. Every tree begins as a seed no one notices. You water it quietly until it shades others. That’s how I live.
Finally, what would you tell the younger generation who look up to you?
Stop chasing quick success. Learn to build roots before fruits. Read voraciously. Find mentors who correct, not flatter. And whatever your field, whether writing, tech, or farming, master it till excellence becomes your signature.
I always say: Don’t just live, grow. Don’t just grow, give. Life rewards contribution, not mere ambition.
