Fifteen years ago, I was on this very grounds to lay the foundation stone of this great institution. In less than two decades, Baze University has become a reference point for academic excellence in Nigeria. You must be proud to wear the colours of your alma mater.
The motto of your school is “Learn, to live.” The reverse of this would be something like “Don’t learn, Die” or “Don’t learn, stay dead.” Learning is simply central to a productive life. Your certificate does not signal the end of learning, it is simply a tool, an affirmation that you are now fit and ready to traverse the universe of knowledge.
Therefore, to add real value to your certificates and achieve real success, you must be life-long learners. Your further education does not have to be formal, you already have a certificate- your tool! That’s all you need. You are graduating from the university at a time of great economic turmoil and difficulty. The statistics can be scary.
As we speak, the youth unemployment rate (that’s people between the ages of 15 and the 33334) in Nigeria, according to the World Bank stands at 44.5%. That’s about nearly half of the entire youth population eligible for employment in Nigeria. So, the chances of getting a decent place to do your mandatory one year national service maybe as challenging as getting a job at the end of the service.
However, despite these odds, you are graduating at a time of unprecedented opportunities in the digital or what I call “the knowledge economy”. These opportunities did not exist some 25 years ago and far outweighs the absence of job opportunities in the traditional economy. The digital economy presents huge opportunities for growth and innovation for people with the right skill set, intellectual curiosity and rigor. This means that as you walk away from this ceremony, you must think through how you intend to upskill and upscale. Some years back, some young Nigerians like you walked that path and opened the doors for critical thinking and innovations.
Iyinoluwa Aboyeji is a young Nigerian entrepreneur. He co-founded Andela, a company that trains African developers and connects them with global tech companies.
Flutterwave, is a leading payment technology platform that simplifies transactions across Africa. Infact, Flutterwave is one of the most successful African start-ups, facilitating international payments for businesses across the continent and beyond.
ULession is also a Nigerian educational start-up that provides online educational resources and learning materials for students primarily in West Africa. Founded in 2019 by Sim Bakare, it is gradually revolutionizing online learning. HotStop.com was a popular transit app founded by a Nigerian born entrepreneur Chinedu Echeruo in 2005. The platform provided detailed public transport directions for major cities in the United States including New York, Boston and Washington DC as well as cities in Canada and Europe. In 2013, Apple acquired HotStop for $1B as part of its strategy to enhance Apple Maps service. You too can join this list of illustrious young Nigerians.
Here are a few tips:
•Acquire digital skills in high demand such as software development, data analysis, digital marketing and cybersecurity. Your service year should be a highly productive time despite where you are posted.
•You may consider online entrepreneurship, explore e-commerce, create digital products and offer services online such as tutoring or consulting. Some local entrepreneurs spend more money advertising their foundations than actually addressing youth unemployment. You may also try your luck with these foundations.
•Look for remote job opportunities with International companies. These jobs allow you the freedom to work from your home country. These companies are constantly hunting for creative minds and people with the right skill set.
•Identify local problems and develop innovative digital solutions. You can explore collaboration and partnership with like minds. Imbede yourself with people of superior knowledge and proper moral values. They will accelerate your growth efforts.
•Leverage digital tools; join online communities, forums and social media groups to connect with professionals and stay updated on industry trends. Platforms like Upwork, Fiverr or Free cancer offer services to global clients, be part of a value eco-system. Don’t waste your time on frivolous postings and skits on Whatsapp, Tiktok and other recreational Apps. You don’t need such distractions at least not now.
•But here is the most important part, you must stay positive and not be discouraged by initial setbacks and failures which will surely occur before you arrive your dream destination.
Now, I think I should say a few words on staying positive and the acceptance of failure as a necessary component of success. Often times, our greatest setback is our lack of self-assurance or self-doubt. Never doubt yourself! It is a dream killer. It has been scientifically proved that constant and consistent practice, passion and a competitive spirit are the common traits of all successful people whether in sports, business, politics or elsewhere. What that means is that you are only able to succeed to the extent you are prepared to sacrifice your time, energies and heart to that endeavour.
Do not buy into the idea that there are people whose success are paid for by other people. Please such people exist only in Mars! Enduring success demands the same gate fees and it has no exceptions. Know this and know peace.
There would have been no electric light today if Thomas Edison did not fail 99 times before he found the formula for the light bulb.
There would have been no Micheal Jackson without the long hours of dance practice and rehearsals that sometimes spanned days without sleep.
There would have been no Tiger Woods, Micheal Jordan, Bill Gates or even our own Aliko Dangote without the endless pursuit of perfection, grinding hardwork and old fashioned resilience and courage.
The next subject I would like to touch on is fear. Yes, fear. We all have them. Fear of dogs, fear of flying, fear of the unknown. There are two types of fear- rational and irrational fears. Rational fears are necessary part of our existence, they help us stay safe, manage risks and weigh our options in every situation. Then there is the irrational fear, which we sometimes refer to as our phobia. This fear is the most dangerous because they limit our potentials and diminish our vision. So you must overcome your fears. The only way to do this is to do that which you are afraid of until you are no more afraid of it. Irrational fear is a coward, so you must learn to manage it or it will manage you.
Trust me on this one- succeeding is tough and succeeding against all odds is even tougher. But remember the old saying- when the going gets tough, the tough gets going. Here is the good news; there is always room at the top; it’s only the ground floor that is always crowded and you know why, don’t you?
Now I must address an issue which is important to helping young people leaving school to make an easier entry into the labour market.
The NYSC Scheme was established in 1973 by the then Head of State- General Yakubu Gowon to foster national unity and cohesion among young Nigerians leaving the university. The scheme has over the years helped close the social and political gaps amongst Nigerians from various ethnic groups. This was during an era of no internet, mobile or wireless communication. There was no social media. It was a time people traversed the length and breath of this vast country by road. There were few air connectivity; air travel and even land phones were only for the rich.
Today, the situation is almost a reversal of fortunes. Banditry, kidnapping and killings are so common an occurrence that it is no longer considered news worthy.
The explosion in social and political communication in the past two decades has turned the world into a global village. Nigerians know each other more through the prism of social media, culture and ethnic marriages. So the scheme is in dire need of course correction. The focus now should be on the urgent need to integrate the thousands of young Nigerians graduating every year into our workforce.
I propose the following changes:
• The practice of requiring participants to source places of their primary assignments for posting by the scheme should stop. It defeats the primary aim of the scheme. It is obvious that the managers of this scheme are no longer able to provide places of primary assignments to all participants and the limited “choice” places are reserved for the privileged who may not even participate actively in the scheme. Therefore, the scheme should be re-organised to provide the “vocational” as well as “remote” service.
The scheme with a little effort can work with tech-based companies and start-ups, to engage participants with these companies. This “virtual” scheme will have the participants log in from their various locations for upskill and upscale training programmes. These trainings must target areas that will provide solutions to common community problems and assist participants with a desire to re-tool for better job opportunities after the scheme. This will enable the authorities of the scheme post participants to locations requesting them and are able to provide them with decent accommodation and allowance.
•Nigerians graduating from Universities abroad should no longer be required to return to Nigeria to participate as they can bring tremendous value if they are allowed to work with our government agencies to provide the skills and competence they have acquired.
This will be online and at no pay to them. All it requires is the ability to set up the digital platforms. All other countries are tapping into the skills and competence of their citizens residing abroad especially the Chinese and Koreans. We cannot afford to be stuck in the past in the age of digital economy and competition.
•There should be no age limit for service. Service to one’s fatherland is a lifelong mission and no one should be excluded. Whenever anyone is able to acquire university education, that individual should be allowed to serve Nigeria in any way possible.
Finally, as we consider the role of technology and innovation in shaping the future, we must also pause to reflect on the importance of ethics. The future may bring incredible advancements, but it also poses significant ethical dilemmas. Issues of privacy, equity, environmental sustainability, and social justice will only become more pronounced and political tensions will exacerbate.
The future needs leaders who can balance progress with responsibility. The technologies of today, like AI and genetic engineering, are powerful tools, but they must be wielded with care. The decisions you make as leaders will have far-reaching consequences, not just for your immediate circles but for society as a whole.
This means that as you shape the future, you must also consider the kind of future you want to create. Will it be a future where the benefits of technology and progress are shared equitably? Or will it be one where divisions deepen? The choice is yours, and it begins with the decisions you make today.
• Odom is former Minister of State for the Federal Capital Territory (FCT).