By Moses Akaigwe
Recent scientific research has reinforced the strong connection between generosity and improved personal health, demonstrating that acts of kindness benefit both society and the individual.
Specifically, studies conducted by the University of California (UC) in the United States, and associated institutions, have shown that practising generosity – particularly through support-giving and altruistic behaviour – is linked to better physical health, including lower levels of systemic inflammation and reduced blood pressure.
Even more heartening is evidence from additional studies suggesting that generous people may live longer, healthier lives. This may well be the “secret” long embraced by individuals who have made generosity a way of life.
These findings further strengthen the growing understanding that generosity is a powerful force for both personal and societal transformation.
It was against this backdrop that, on Wednesday, April 29, 2026, a significant gathering took place at the Marriott Hotel in Ikeja, Lagos, where a distinguished assembly of professionals, business leaders, and heads of faith-based organisations convened for the maiden Lagos Business Journey of Generosity (JOG).
The inaugural Lagos Business Journey of Generosity, powered by the globally recognised Generosity Path, was held under the theme: “Wealth, Wisdom and Legacy: Building Impact Beyond.”
Participants were reminded that at Generosity Path, the belief that generosity is a catalyst for both personal and societal transformation remains central to its mission.
“We journey with individuals to help them discover how they can amplify their lives through generosity – healing communities and creating lasting impact. We see life and business not merely as avenues for success, but as strategic platforms for purpose, where profit is reimagined as a tool for impact and service.”
According to the Lead Catalyst for Lagos Business JOG in West Africa and the Sahel Region, Pastor Patrick Obumselu, the event was not designed merely as a giving session, but as the expression of a biblical vision: that generosity, at its core, is not about wealth.
JOG, widely referred to as Generosity Path, was founded in the United States in the early 2000s by Daryl Heald, a successful businessman with deep roots in faith-based philanthropy.
By 2023, what had begun as conversations among church leaders had evolved into a nationwide movement of kingdom impact, redefining what it means to be a businessperson even in Africa.
As the Lagos event progressed through presentations and discussions, participants were challenged to recalibrate their hearts – shifting the question from “How much should I give?” to “Who has God made me to be?”
One of the high points of the gathering was the screening of an inspiring video titled: “A Handful of Rice,” which captured the core message of the event. Much of the retreat’s discussions were deeply rooted in the timeless lessons presented in the film.
The thematic video focused on a tradition in Mizoram, India, where a typical family, despite modest means, set aside a handful of rice each day before cooking. The accumulated rice is then donated to the church for the benefit of more families.
For attendees, this powerful illustration symbolised sacrificial giving, stewardship, and the transformative effect of consistent small actions.
In one of the key presentations, a trustee of Generosity Path and co-founder of The Kindness of Strangers, Mathew Neville, explained that generosity is not a function of wealth.
Neville noted that many people wrongly assume that generosity is reserved for the rich, but argued instead that generosity is rooted in values, not financial abundance.
“Generosity is not built in one donation, and wealth is not measured by accumulation, but by distribution,” he said, and encouraged participants not to delay generosity until they become more prosperous.
“Too often, impact is postponed until ‘when I have enough.’ Occasional generosity creates moments, but consistent generosity creates movement. Generosity is often misunderstood as subtraction, but in reality, it is leverage. True generosity does not diminish the giver.”
During the panel session moderated by Pastor Obumselu himself, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Air Peace, Dr. Allen Onyema, urged people to embrace giving as a pathway to genuine happiness.
“If you are not able to share the blessing of God, your happiness is not complete. Giving is natural. If you are earning N500, you can still give. It doesn’t matter how much you earn,” Onyema stated.
He explained that his vision for establishing Air Peace was rooted in job creation and communal prosperity.
“If my brothers and sisters in my community are not invited to my table of prosperity, my happiness becomes a ruse,” he said.
Another panelist, Pastor Regina Ezenwa, also stressed the importance of generosity, describing believers as channels through which God reaches people.
Ezenwa, a community pharmacist and Managing Director of Rozec Pharmacy, revealed that her ministry, The Roses Ministry, has empowered approximately 3,000 widows.
Despite the harsh economy, Ezenwa also said that the ministry usually donates rice, clothings, household items, vegetables, toiletries and other items to persons who need them as part of giving.
The popular pharmacist, who was accompanied by her husband, Engr. Obidi Ezenwa, disclosed: “We also give through healthcare and take care of those who have hypertension and diabetes every quarter by providing a three month stock of drugs.
“We also sponsor children of the widows. We have had 25 graduates who we sponsored. We are working together to build a community of generosity.”
Earlier in his welcome address, Obumselu urged business leaders to integrate generosity into leadership practice, describing it as a catalyst for sustainable impact and inclusive growth.
He characterised the gathering not merely as an event, but as a movement designed to reshape how wealth, influence, and leadership are deployed in society.
Addressing attendees, who were mainly entrepreneurs, investors, industry leaders and heads of faith-based bodies, he stressed that generosity should not be perceived as an occasional act for the wealthy, but as a disciplined mindset grounded in stewardship and responsibility.
Using the “A Handful of Rice” story as a metaphor, he highlighted how small, consistent acts of generosity can accumulate into transformative societal change.
According to him, the Lagos Business JOG symbolises continuity, movement, and a long-term commitment to generosity-driven leadership.
He challenged leaders to extend their influence beyond profit-making into societal transformation, calling them “architects of hope” capable of bridging gaps in opportunity, dignity, and access.
He also identified practical pathways for impact, including public education support, entrepreneurship funding, and inclusive employment structures.
“The true measure of leadership is not how many people work for you, but how many people are better because you lived,” he concluded.
In another major presentation, African Contact Director and facilitator of Generosity Path Nigeria Business JOG, Elvis Githinji, delivered a report titled “Sub-Saharan Africa 2025: Global Impact Report.”
Githinji presented data demonstrating significant regional growth, return on investment, and catalytic multiplication across 12 African countries.
According to him, $84,000 in regional cash mobilisation activated substantial local resource deployment, while 168,000 beneficiaries were impacted, alongside 16,197 documented salvations.
He emphasised that empowering local generosity is not merely an operational strategy, but a continent-wide movement.
“Nigeria has so much to offer—not just to Africa, but to the world. She has people with the capacity to lead transformation,” Githinji stated.
For him, local generosity remains the ultimate multiplier of global mission because it is scalable, sustainable, and efficient.
“Generosity is not an act, but a posture. This gathering is not just another meeting, but a conversation starter,” he added.
Expectedly, many participants applauded Obumselu and his team for successfully organising what was widely regarded as a pioneering and highly impactful event.
One of them is the General Overseer of the Christian Life Gospel Assembly (CLGA), Oke-Afa, Isolo, Lagos, Apostle Samuel Nwaire, who lauded the organisers, saying: “Pastor Patrick and his team did a great job.”
An inveterate philanthropist himself, Nwaire said he has always derived joy from participating in generosity as a call or ministry right from childhood, adding:
“Prior to my maturity in life, I had been inadvertently a crusader and strong disciple or advocate of ‘Generosity Movement.”‘
The CLGA general overseer, commended the organisers for their vision and execution, stating: “The Journey of Generosity Business Conference in Lagos was a practical gathering of high-end personalities in the ministry and market place, to review wealth creation impact to kingdom service.
“This, in my opinion, is a way to go – though it requires further engagement on ways, means and Kingdom Strategies of deployment.”
Other participants who extolled the hosting of Lagos Business JOG and the organisers included the Chairman of Abagana Welfare Union (Lagos branch), Barr. Peter Ozobialu (Ezeugo); Barr. Frank Ezekwueche and Chief Ejike Anigbogu.
So impressed were many of the participants with the event that they expressed the desire to be part of subsequent editions.
This, Obumselu acknowledged, had been taken note of.
