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By Henry Uche, Lagos
The Chief Executive of Stanbic IBTC Holdings, Dr Demola Sogunle, has charged students of the University of Lagos to prioritize knowledge acquisition and its application above paper certificates.
Stanbic IBTC boss made this charge at a multi-purpose hall of the University yesterday during a Youth Leadership Series put together by the Financial institution with the theme: ‘The Growth Code: Unlocking the Secrets and Strategies to Personal and Professional Success’.
Projecting his personal life experience, the Chief Executive told the students how he navigated the rigorous routes in pursuit of his desired academic status and building a career in the banking industry with; resilience, perseverance and doggedness.
Sogunle urged them to seize every opportunity to learn and maximize their potential for their personal and national development. “You must maximize your capacities for your personal and national development. You must not stop learning. Bear in mind that certificates are not as important as the knowledge you acquire and its applications in solving problems. I have been working for nineteen years before I went to collect my PhD certificate.
“More importantly, you must not be afraid to share your failures, it makes you learn and grow. Learn from every environment, every person and from every opportunity, while you uphold the values and strong character as you relate with people”
He charged corporate leaders to prepare their successors who would perform better than them in the future, and never give excuses for failure. He added that building trust and confidence endeared many Nigerians to the Stanbic brand. “There is power in imagination, as you imagine, you keep practising and never miss any opportunity to impact knowledge in others.
“We must flock together with the right people, never tolerate mediocrity strive to deliver beyond targets and don’t under-promise in everything we do. You should never reject assignments, instead embrace every task given to you as an opportunity to grow, moreover be candid and forthright” he admonished.
More so, panellists at the forum charged students to look beyond the current situation in the country and social media distractions and pursue their academic dreams with vigour and determination. According to them, every success story comes with sacrifice paid even as no good thing comes easy. “You should not be deterred by mundane events in the society. You must be intentional and purposeful as you journey through your academic pursuits. There are rewards for every hard work at the end” they maintained.
