Nigeria, Oct. 9 -- I keep a weekly diary, which is my own way of telling different stories about Nigeria and the world, encompassing politics, the economy, society, and our endless search for leaders who can make promises and deliver results. Sometimes, I stir the pot of Nigeria's public life.

Of course, we know about the danger of the single story, but that's not what I will address today. Stories shape societies. Compelling stories create impact that shapes the future. And leaders who fail to tell honest stories shape nothing but frustration and disappointment.

A Story from the Trenches

In 2004, in a bedroom in Kaduna, Sam Nda-Isaiah and his wife, Zainab, conceived the idea of a newspaper. She told the story before of how her husband...