By Odunola Esther Owolabi
There was a time when Success Jimmy-Ebi believed passion was enough, armed with little more than determination, she travelled from one programme to another, speaking to young women about confidence, leadership and purpose.
She had the enthusiasm, the conviction and the desire to make a difference. What she did not have was direction.
“I began with fire in my chest and nothing else,” she recalled. “No roadmap, no strategy, no sustainability plan—just passion.”
For a while, she believed that passion alone could sustain the work.
It couldn’t.
The turning point came in 2021 when she attended her first Young Women Peacebuilding Training organised by the West Africa Network for Peacebuilding (WANEP-Nigeria).
It was there that she made a decision that would redefine her journey.
“I found the courage to say out loud what I’d been whispering to myself: ‘I want to be mentored.'”
She directed those words to the National Coordinator of WANEP-Nigeria, Chief Dr. Bridget Osakwe.
The response, she said, changed her life.
“She didn’t just say yes. She showed up.”
What followed was more than occasional advice.
Jimmy-Ebi said the mentorship gave her clarity, exposed her to opportunities she had never imagined and taught her how to transform passion into programmes that create measurable impact.
“Through her guidance, she gave me what passion couldn’t-direction. Through her support and recommendations, she opened doors I didn’t know existed.”
The transformation soon reflected in her work.
Instead of simply encouraging girls to dream, she began designing initiatives that deliberately placed women’s leadership and peacebuilding at their centre.
She learnt how to build sustainable programmes, communicate strategically and, more importantly, transfer knowledge to others.
The impact did not stop with her.
Today, she has mentored more than 10 young women, many of whom are now developing the confidence, skills and vision to mentor others.
“Chief Dr. Bridget Osakwe taught me that mentorship isn’t about finding one person to carry you,” she said. “It’s about learning to carry others along.”
For Jimmy-Ebi, that is the true measure of leadership.
One person’s willingness to invest in another can create a ripple effect that reaches families, organisations and entire communities.
“One woman says, ‘I’ll guide you,’ and a whole community starts to transform.”
Looking back, she still holds on to the dream that first inspired her—to help build a society where women thrive and contribute meaningfully to peace.
The difference, she said, is that she now possesses the tools to make that vision a reality.
“I still believe what I believed at the start,” she reflected. “The difference now is that I have the strategy to build it, the capacity to lead it, and the mentees to sustain it.”
For her, the journey can be summed up in three simple lessons.
“Passion started my journey. Mentorship gave it direction. Community will finish it.”
