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You Are Not Educated until You can Create Ideas By Henry Ukazu
Hearty Greetings my dear friends!
Communicating and relating with you on a regular basis gives me not only joy and satisfaction but also fulfillment. As one of my positive mentors, Chief Dele Momodu, will say, ‘in order to remain relevant on social media, you must continually endeavor to feed your followers with information and updates to keep them engaged, otherwise they might lose interest in your work’. It is on this note, I try to update my tribe every week on resourceful topics that will not only inspire them, but also assist them in attaining success. This is my own little way of giving back to the society. By so doing, I’m educating progressive minds with resourceful information that has empowered me.
Today, we shall be discussing education and how it can serve as a pathway to success. We shall also be looking at various ways education can serve as a pathway to success and other component parts. Not only that, we will be discussing the contemporary and smart ways of educating oneself as opposed to the traditional style of education.
I was inspired to write about education being a pathway to success after listening to two terms former Governor of Anambra State and Vice Presidential Candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Mr. Peter Obi’s speech at an event which was organized by the Christian Covenant Centre under the auspices of Platform. Honestly, it is always good to listen to intelligent people when they speak or write because one has a great opportunity to learn from their secret of success.
Please permit me to share a word or two about the background of Mr. Peter Obi.
Mr. Obi is a trained and experienced Economist, Administrator and Politician. He sees himself privileged to have attended some of the best schools in the world such as Harvard Business School, Boston, USA; London School of Economics UK; Columbia Business School, New York and Lagos Business School in Nigeria. Mr. Obi is also the Vice Presidential Candidate for the Peoples Democratic Party for the 2019 Nigerian presidential election; He was a Governor of Anambra State, one of the most resourceful and viable states in Nigeria.
In his speech, Mr. Peter Obi mentioned education as one of the most resourceful and viable tools to stimulate the economy. That speech really resonated in me, and I thought it nice to write about education but on a different note.
The focus of this article is how resourceful minds can tap into the indirect form of education to achieve their dreams. In this twenty-first century, you cannot underestimate the power and role of education for an emerging economy, and countries that have truly distinguished themselves in the comity of Nations. Education plays a great role in shaping the life of a progressive mind. This is because all civilized countries know that the only way to stamp their feet in the global world is by planning for tomorrow, and how does one plan for tomorrow? You plan for tomorrow by investing for the future through education.
Investment in education is synonymous to your future. In the words of Benjamin Franklin, “failing to prepare is preparing to fail”. In civilized climes, they have taken education to the next level by investing in STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics). They didn’t stop at that; they try to empower their citizens through Research and Development to solve some of the challenges facing them.
I strongly believe that one of the greatest investment you can have in life is education. Education secures the future because it’s a form of security. Even the book of life states in Proverbs 4:13 “Your education is your life, guard it very well” and Hosea 4:6 “My people perish for lack of knowledge”.
That being said, we shall be looking at the component and the relative part of education as a way of leveraging oneself. There’s nothing good in life that comes easy. Every good product or success comes with a price tag. The same theory goes for education. The price of education is very expensive. I remember when I was seeking admission into one of Nigerian state universities to study Law. I met one of the admission officers who promised to assist me secure admission. I was excited about this opportunity until he told me the amount I have to pay as a kickback. The price sounded outrageous to me. When I asked him why I have to pay such amount of money as a kickback, he said: “young man if you think education is expensive, try ignorance”. That statement has always remained in my heart till date. I definitely agreed with him because if you compare and contrast the value of education and the price of ignorance, you will realize that education will definitely pay in the long run. Moral: If you are not willing to risk the unusual, you will have to settle for the ordinary.
What do we therefore mean by traditional form and style of education? It simply involves attending classes and preparing for exams. However, it should be noted that education is not only limited to getting degrees and certificates. Education also entails thinking out of the box, reading books outside your discipline, researching, learning from resourceful minds and developing oneself and also acquiring soft and hard skills.
During one of my classes as graduate student studying Taxation at the New York Law School, a particular professor had told the students; ‘it is good to get good grades like As; but networking and developing oneself and following your passion are some of the things that will give you the desired opportunity you want in addition to defining you. What I literally got from that advice is, yes, it’s good to get good grades, but there’s more to success than getting the grades. He ended the class by telling us ‘you’ll understand what I’m saying when you graduate and start exploring job opportunities’.
No doubt, education is good, and the advantages numerous. A very big advantage of education is that it is the greatest leveler known to mankind just like money. Let me explain a bit. You can study in the same classroom with the son or daughter of any great man or woman and can even fall in love with the said being, especially when you know or understand the love language of the person in addition to being compatible to the being. This opportunity can even lead to marriage if properly nurtured. What I’m trying to say is that the son of a certified pauper can be a man of means tomorrow if properly nurtured.
Let me share a practical experience with you, I was privileged to attend one of the most expensive private universities in Nigeria, and I had the opportunity of meeting the children of top government officials, politicians, businessmen, ambassadors, and technocrats. Ordinarily, I felt a little bit uneasy relating with them because of the class status, but it didn’t take me long to adjust to the system when I saw the value I was bringing to the table and knowing full well we are the same. The secret to this feat was because of the exposure I got from education. Furthermore, I have been privileged to meet high profile people in the world in the USA because of the value I bring to the table, but more especially, because I have been properly educated to speak and communicate in the language they understand.
Be informed however, that education does not guarantee success; stories abound of so many great people who have been able to succeed in life without getting the traditional style of education. For example, the wealthiest Black woman in the world, Mrs. Folorunsho Alakija; Henry Ford, Shawn Corey Carter popularly know as Jay -Z, Richard Branson and many more are accomplished individuals who believed in themselves, explored their talents and worked hard to develop themselves by learning from their failures.
Again, education creates opportunities. According to Steve Jobs, innovation distinguishes a leader from a follower. When you create a product that solves a problem, there’s a high tendency you will find people who will need your products. According to Albert Einstein, “try not to be a man of success, try to be a man of value. A good education makes you to think out of the box. It makes you creative. It broadens your mind in addition to exposing you to resourceful information. A good education is like traveling because it gets you exposed to world affairs. It’s quite unfortunate that sometimes we complain of not having time, money, or opportunities. We forget that time is like money. Whenever you say you don’t have money, it invariably means you don’t have time to read and research. It’s important to note that ideas are what creates money. Education will not literally give you money, it will open doors of opportunity for you to explore. For example, instead of waiting to get funds for a formal education, how about visiting websites, researching for online and offline companies that offer free courses and equip yourself with knowledge. Moral: Never allow an opportunity to meet you unprepared.
You might have the best of education, but you might not be as successful as someone who has empowered his/her mind. Having faith and belief in oneself is very critical to success.
According to Muhammed Ali “The man who has no imagination has no wings”. This is the reason some entrepreneurs who never had the opportunity of going to a school were able to succeed more than those who attended universities.
According to Robert Collier “Your chances of success in any undertaking can always be measured by your belief in yourself”. One story of interest that comes to mind is that of John Sculley, the former CEO of Pepsi who left Pepsi to join Steve jobs in his company. Steve Jobs told John Sculley “Do you want to sell sugar water for the rest of your life? Or do you want to come with me and change the world?” The rest they say is history. The interesting part of this analysis is that Steve Jobs trusted his innate ability to achieve success and the knowledge he had can’t be acquired within the four walls of a classroom. It was this same innate ability that made the bank to give him and Bill Gate two million dollars when they presented their ideas to them. The question now is did they go to school to acquire this knowledge? The answer is no. They developed their minds, believed in themselves and above all, educated themselves by learning from their failures.
Finally, a major form of indirect knowledge and education in our contemporary society is social media. Testimonies abound of people who have gained a lot by mere listening to a podcast, videos, and reading online messages on Twitters, Facebooks, LinkedIn, Instagram and relevant articles from resourceful minds. Education has truly gone global. Social media has made the world much closer and easier to learn. What literally took Mr. A five to ten years to acquire in the classroom can simply be gotten via researching and listening to people with authoritative form of knowledge who have expertise in the subject matter in question. But it’s quite unfortunate a lot of people spend valuable time and resources listening and watching online information that won’t add value to their lives
In conclusion, I’m not insinuating that formal education is not important, please it is very important. If you have the opportunity to get one, please do, because that alone is education itself. However, as mentioned earlier, it is not the yardstick for success.
Have a great weekend!
Henry Ukazu writes from New York. He works with the New York City Department of Correction as the Legal Coordinator. He can be reached via henrous@gmail.com
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UBA Foundation Kicks Off Festive Season with Spectacular Garden Light-Up
The United Bank for Africa (UBA), through its Corporate Social Responsibility arm, the UBA Foundation, held its annual Garden Light-Up ceremony on Monday at its head office in Lagos.
The event marked the start of the festive season with a spectacular display of lights, fireworks, and music, bringing together staff, customers, and well-wishers in a celebration of unity and gratitude.
The Garden Light-Up, a cherished tradition, reflects UBA’s commitment to spreading joy and fostering a sense of community. Speaking at the event, UBA Group Managing Director/CEO Oliver Alawuba highlighted the bank’s dedication to creating memorable experiences and expressed appreciation for the efforts of staff and customers during a challenging year.
“As we approach Christmas, a time of love, we remember the spirit of giving and community,” Alawuba said. “This ceremony symbolizes hope for the future and the goodness it brings into people’s lives. I encourage everyone to spread kindness and light as we celebrate together.”
The ceremony also marked UBA’s 75th anniversary, with Alawuba emphasizing the bank’s commitment to building a lasting heritage. Guests enjoyed Christmas carols performed by the UBA Customer Fulfilment Centre choir and a guided tour of the UBA Foundation gardens at Lagos Marina.
In addition to the festivities, the UBA Foundation reaffirmed its commitment to sustainable development through initiatives that focus on education, environmental conservation, economic empowerment, and community welfare. As part of its corporate social responsibility, the Foundation will provide meals to tens of thousands of people across Africa during the holiday season.
The event ended with fireworks, leaving attendees inspired and excited for the season of giving.
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My Economic Policies Harsh, But Yielding Results, Tinubu Insists
President Bola Tinubu has, for the umpteenth time, insisted that the economic policies that he initiated on assumption of office are now yielding the desired results.
Tinubu, who acknowledged that the policies are harsh on the people, stated that the decision became imperative in order to salvage the country from the crises facing it.
Speaking during the 34th and 35th convocation ceremonies of the Federal University of Technology, Akure, FUTA, the President, who was represented by the Vice Chancellor of the University of Ilorin, Prof. Wahab Egbewole, stated that Nigeria is now moving from consumption to production economy.
While calling for the people’s understanding and support, he maintained that his administration is open to criticisms and admiration.
The President said: “The need to salvage the future of our children and bring the country back from the brink of collapse necessitated the strategic decisions to remove the fuel subsidy and also unify the exchange rates.
“I am not unaware of the consequences of the tough decisions on our people. I sincerely wish there could be softer options.
“The macro-economy of our dear country is improving by the day and beyond expectations. The micro-economy, which directly affects our citizens, is also taking shape gradually with positive results.
“By the grace of the Almighty God, every household will experience a better life and have brighter hope for the future.
“We are working hard to ensure the safety of every Nigerian in every part of the country. Our security architecture is up to the task, and the ugly narratives of the past are changing for good. Also, we are not relenting in our pursuit of making our country a haven of prosperity for all.”
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Ademola Adeleke and Two Years of Significant Milestone
By Eric Elezuo
“We are only getting started. The journey of transforming Osun State into a state of opportunities for all is ongoing, and with your continued support, we will achieve even greater things” – Governor Adeleke
The atmosphere at the Aurora Event Centre was a clear testament that the Governor of Osun State, His Excellency, Senator Ademola Jackson Nurudeen Adeleke, is not just a man of the people, but a man, whose presence and influence command love and admiration, evidence of his passion for good governance and lucid display of affection for the plight of the people.
It was the gathering of champions; a gathering that explains that his Excellency, better known as the performing Governor, has exceeded all expectations, and delivered much more than the dividends of democracy just two years in office.
The event was the celebration of excellence; the celebration of a significant milestone that has completely changed the topography of Osun State. The excitement exhibited by the people on the day, was therefore, not surprising.
Prior to the November 27, 2024 d-day, the Osun State Government had unveiled a 16-day events to mark the grand second anniversary as governor of the state.
The Secretary to the State Government, Mr. Teslim Igbalaye, who unveiled the ceremonies, rated Adeleke high in terms of service delivery, grassroots development and human capacity development.
The 16-day fiesta, according to Igbalaye comprises a health walk, novelty match, Jumaat, church service, state awards presentation, and projects commissioning.
Commenting on the achievements of the administration in the past two years, Igbalaye, said Adeleke had surpassed expectations, assuring that an increase in political activities would not distract the governor from completing all ongoing projects.
Among the projects commissioned was the dualisation of the Old Garage-Okefia Lameco Freeway, which was done by a former President, Chief Olusegun Obasanjo, which much gusto and fanfare with other dignitaries in attendance including representatives of the eight assembly – Senator Dino Melaye and Lanre Tejuoso. Others were Juju music maestro, Sir Shina Peters, notable traditional rulers, members of the executive council as well as state assembly members.
In his address at the commissioning, Obasanjo lauded Adeleke’s steadfastness in the discharge of his constitutional duties of providing good governance, reminding him that there are two more years from the present midterm, to unleash more his human faced policies, programmes and projects.
Other dignitaries that commissioned many other projects during the period included the Governor of Oyo State, Mr. Seyi Makinde, who commissioned the Osogbo Ring Road; the Minister of Works, Engr. Dave Umahi, and the Minister of Aviation, Festus Keyamo, who laid foundation for the proposed Osun Airport, and performed turning of sod for emerging projects, and a host of others.
It is worth noting that inaugurated projects spanned across the 30 local government areas in the state.
Presentation of bond certificates to contributory pensioners and presentation of award to Governor Adeleke by the contributory pensioners was also done.
As early as 10am, the event venue was a beehive of activities with groups, market men and women, political associations and students unions among others, singing the praises of the administration and the person of the governor. It was the grand entrance of the governor, flanked by aides and associates, that set the stage for what later become the mother of all events.
In their various speeches, all represented groups lauded the giant strides of the governor, highlighting areas of staunch improvement including Healthcare, Education, Investments, Entertainment, Sports, Rural Electrification and Technological advancement.
Additionally, awards were presented to outstanding individuals who contributed significantly to the growth and development of the state just as long awaited CofOs were released to deserving citizens of the state.
While addressing the mammoth crowd of happy indigenes, Governor Adeleke thanking them for their support and promised to continue his administration’s efforts in education, health, and infrastructure.
However, it was the governors speech that gave vent and flesh to the myriads of achievements that the brief two years of the Adeleke-led administration has bestowed on the people of Osun State.
He therefore, rendered his stewardship, a catalogue of immutable achievements that everyone has come to agree on.
He said, as broadcasted:
My good people of Osun State, today marks my two years in office as your popularly elected Governor. I start this broadcast by paying glowing tributes to elders, women, youths and residents of Osun State.
I convey my deep appreciation for your strong support and prayers. From November 27th, 2022 to date, Osun residents have demonstrated unshaken faith in our government. Your prayers for me and my team have strengthened us significantly. Your regular counseling have enhanced our intentional drive to deliver on good governance.
My people, you are well aware of what Osun was on and before we took over two years ago. We all recall the pains and sufferings of the public servants and pensioners. We remember the huge infrastructure and policy deficit in transportation, health, education, water, ICT, environment, agriculture and commerce and industry. We cannot forget in a hurry the deep gap between the state leadership and the people.
To revive the state and deliver on good governance, my administration launched out with a five-point agenda. We targeted specific areas of needs of the people which form the major components of the clearly defined agenda.The goal principally was to address the aspirations and immediate needs of our people.
In line with norms of accountability and responsibility to the electorate, I am obligated to render my stewardship midway into the life of our administration. It is, therefore, with praises to God Almighty and the universe that I address you on major advances our admnistration has already recorded across the sectors.
We pursue a preventive health care policy which places emphasis on access to health care. By today, our administration has upgraded 200 primary health care centers out of almost 400 with solar power, boreholes and medical materials. We are now shifting attention to the six general hospitals for upgrade and refurbishing.
In the same vein, we conducted two major Imole medical outreach with over 100, O00 beneficiaries. The third edition is upcoming, even as we have enrolled 29,000 pensioners in the health insurance scheme to bankroll their Healthcare.
On water supply, we developed three structure plans of immediate, short and long term template to resolve the acute water shortage inherited in 2022. Immediately, we delivered 332 boreholes across the 332 political wards in the state. Another 332 is ongoing. Simultaneously, we commenced the rehabilitation of the water works in major towns by relaying the rusted pipes laid in early 70s. Additionally, the abandoned 10 mini-water works are being revived while the project for Ora water scheme is also under implementation.
In the agricultural sector, we started the farm mechanization plan by purchasing 31 tractors in the first phase. Farm inputs were regularly distributed and I am launching the youth agropreneur programme across the 30 local governments and the area councils. We are reviving the farm settlements. We are implementing the new Cocoa and Cashew expansion initiatives.
For the education sector, the University of Ilesa has become a reality with take off grants and accredited courses. Rehabilitation of its internal roads are now ongoing. For the Osun State University, four abandoned projects were completed and a new anatomy laboratory was started and completed by our administration. We rehabilitated 99 secondary schools, restarted the upgrade of the six technical colleges and are about to issue letters of appointment to new teachers.
For the public service sector, our government has paid about 12 billion pension debt in two years compared with 11 billion paid by the opposition for its 12 years in the government of the state. We restored normalcy within the public service with permanent secretaries and regular promotion exercises. Half salary debt is being paid in phases, and a new minimum wage has just been approved for the state workers. Ours is an openly pro-workers government.
In Science and Technology, we gave Osun its first ICT policy, innovations policy and Startup legal framework. We introduced the first digital economy agenda for the state. Implementation of these policies and programmes are ongoing.
For the power sector, our government is finalizing a policy and legal frameworks for the electricity market system. With the devolution of the power sector, the passage of the electricity bill into law in Osun state will enable us to regulate stakeholders in the sector. An electricity regulatory commission will be set up to license generators of powers among others.
My dear people of Osun state, our administration has constructed over 120 kilometers of roads across the state. Several inter- state and intra-city roads completed are to be commissioned during this 16 days anniversary. Two major flyovers are also progressing to completion at Osogbo while works are progressing at the Ile Ife Flyover and Ilesa dualization.
I have redirected our efforts and plan at the completion of Iwo-Osogbo road. We have added the dualisation of Odoori – Adeeke road inside Iwo to be executed in two phases. The first phase will reach Post -Office and Oluwo Palace while the second phase will take off from Post Office to Adeeke Junction.
Our government has enhanced the local economy, not just through its local content policy, we have also expanded access to financing for artisans and small businesses through the cooperative societies. Several millions of naira have been advanced to the state cooperative movement as revolving loans, the first time since the First Republic. We encouraged creation of ward-based artisans cooperative societies across the 332 political wards. Another millions of naira have been advanced to the 332 business groups as revolving loans. During this anniversary, another set of small businesses will get microcredit cheques. Osun money is truly revolving within Osun State economy.
I want our people to note for the record that for all our projects and programmes, we did not obtain any loan. We only block leakages in the state finance and employ local content to moderate project cost and enforce high standards. We never discriminate on inherited projects and we never sack any contractors engaged by our predecessor. We run an open transparent government.
For the second half of our government, I reassure all sons and daughters of Osun State that the government under my leadership will complete all ongoing projects. We will continue to address the infra and social needs of our people. We will strike a balance between hard and soft infrastructure.
Going forward, we will deepen our consultation and interactive mechanism with the citizenry. As we have acted only in public interest in the last two years, we will sustain our responsiveness and respect for the wills and aspirations of our people.
Therefore, I invite you to join me as we commence the anniversary with town hall meetings and commissioning of projects and programmes.
Once again, I thank Osun elders, sons and daughters for your support and prayers. I remain your Governor who is ever committed to service to the high and the low, to the poor and the rich, and to all our citizens and residents.
I thank you for listening.
HE, Senator Ademola Jackson Nurudeen Adeleke, Executive Governor of Osun State.
Governor Adeleke, on July 16 2022 defeated the incumbent administration of Adegboyega Oyetola, and was sworn in as governor on November 27, 2022 to begin a four-year term.
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