20 Years for Just 115 Seconds
Jamaican athlete, Usain Bolt won nine gold medals in three consecutive Olympic Games, amassing stupendous fame and fortunes in the process. Yet, the entire time he spent on the track to win those medals at the finals of three Olympics was no more than 115 seconds. But behind those 115 seconds that catapulted Bolt to sports immortality were about 20 years of hard work and rigorous preparations.
That was how the Speaker of the House of Representatives, Hon Yakubu Dogara simplified the message for the teenagers who attended the 2018 edition of the RCCG TEAP Teens Career Conference last Saturday. To succeed, Dogara told the hundreds of teenagers who were at the session, they must imbibe the virtues of hard work, self-discipline and sacrifice. Above all, they must also develop their character.
On his part, the Deputy Head of the European Union Delegation to Nigeria and ECOWAS, Mr Robert Young advised his audience to read books. According to Young, the only way by which dreams could be inspired, nurtured and actualised is by reading widely. In an age when teenagers spend most of their free time on mobile phones and social media, that is instructive. Borrowing from ‘How will you measure your life’, an article by Harvard Professor Clayton M. Christensen, Young asked the teenagers to ponder three questions: What are you going to do in your life to be happy? How are you going to ensure that your relationships are a continual source of happiness? And lastly, how can you stay out of jail?
In her presentation, the Executive Vice Chairman of Famfa Oil, Mrs Folorunsho Alakija defined dream as a cherished aspiration and an imagination of that which one would wish to happen. She then identified three categories of dreamers. The first are the wishful dreamers otherwise called day dreamers--people who indulge themselves in mere fantasy. The second are the night dreamers who sleep and remember that something that does not necessarily bear any semblance to the reality of their existence happened in their subconscious. Mrs Alakija then focused on the last category, comprising action dreamers. These are people who stretch their horizon beyond every conceivable limitation. They are most often considered unrealistic, eccentric or erratic but they know where they are going and nothing would stop them from reaching their goals.
Citing her 12-year legal battle with the federal government over OPL 216, Mrs Alakija said a certain level of tenacity is needed for those who dream big. “Dreams motivate, inspire and improve us. Dreams are important because without them, life would be meaningless”, she said before admonishing that for dreams to be actualised, they must be S.M.A.R.T: Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Realistic and Time bound.
In his intervention, Japheth Omojuwa posed several questions but the most profound was asking the teenagers why is it that the man who expend so much energy, digging everywhere in the process of constructing a road, would end up earning only a small fraction of what another man, sitting in a nice office somewhere earns because he designed the road? The difference of course is knowledge.
From the breakout session for three groups of about 250 each where the discussions were lively and frank to the presentations by the invited guests, we had a successful conference. That much was reflected in the feedback forms submitted by the teenagers last Saturday. I therefore thank Speaker Dogara enough for honouring us with his presence and staying to the end. Perhaps the person I need to commend is his Special Adviser on Media and Public Affairs, Turaki Hassan, an unassuming young man and thoroughbred professional who-- unlike many of the spokesmen we have around that behave more like errand boys--has the authority of his rank. When I sounded him out that I would like the speaker to attend the programme, he simply replied: “He is your friend so he will come, just do me a formal letter to him.” I took Turaki’s word for it and never had any contact with Dogara throughout yet the speaker made himself available last Saturday for almost four hours.
I also thank Mr Young of EU office in Abuja who I practically conscripted a few days to the conference and he also stayed till the end. My aburo, Japheth, who arrived Nigeria around noon last Saturday missed the allotted time for his session but he agreed to come back the next day to speak at the Sunday morning service in the Teens church. Surprisingly, many of the teenagers who attended the previous day still turned up to their delight.
However, it is Mrs Alakija that I owe the biggest gratitude. All I did was Google her company’s address, DHL a letter of invitation where I introduced myself and then asked whether she would agree to speak at the conference. About two weeks later, her office got back to me to accept the invitation. I met her in person for the first time last Saturday at the airport where I received her and the large entourage numbering about 20. Of course, they came in her private jet!
Why what Mrs Alakija did is significant is because most prominent Nigerians have not imbibed the virtue of giving their time to mentor others as they consider themselves too big to do that. I am on the governing board of the Kashim Ibrahim Fellowship instituted by the Kaduna State Government. After drawing up a list for the Speaker Series (successful people who will come and share their experiences with the Fellows) expected to run throughout the calendar year, it was reported that only the Emir of Kano, Muhammadu Sanusi II, has responded positively while some said they would send representation, an idea that we rejected outright.
It is sad that philanthropy for most prominent Nigerians does not go beyond dolling out some miserable cash, mostly at public events where they expect generous publicity. Yet, real philanthropy is creating time to share ideas, especially with young people who have no means to pay back. That is why I consider what Mrs Alakija did worthwhile and we need more of such civic engagements from people like her if this society is to develop and thrive.
Meanwhile, to successfully host the conference where everything is free with snack-break and lunch afterwards, I also called on a few public-spirited individuals for financial support and they responded. My appreciation goes to all of them. The idea of the conference was borne by the need to bring together teenagers to listen to expert advice on career choices in today’s dynamic and challenging world. The objectives include teaching the teenagers to take responsibility for their future; having their imaginations fired through interaction with accomplished professionals in the society; making them to realise that no matter the odds, they can reach their goals and finally, letting them know that God still intervenes in the affairs of men.
However, aside my leader, Ms Elizabeth Ekpenyong, a meticulous event planner whose uncommon attention to details helped in making the conference a success, the overall credit goes to my pastor, Eva Azodoh, a retired colonel and medical doctor who, in his closing remarks, admonished the teenagers to make wise plans concerning their future and formulate the necessary steps that would help them in achieving their dreams.