Education is Not Enough

Today at the United Nations International Youth Day organized by the National Youths Council of Nigeria ( Ifako Ijaiye Chapter); I have the privilege of speaking to some selected youths in Ifako Ijaiye alongside other important stakeholders including Hon John Wesley, a one time Presidential Aspirant of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, the representative of the Chief Medical Doctor of Ifako Ijaiye General Hospital ( Doctor Mrs ...); Deputy President of Ifako Ijaiye Teachers Union, Comrade Solola, among others.

As a Public Administrator, I was expected to take the students through the basic things they need to become a successful Public Administrator from ordinary school level to real life. The basic 'O level'  subjects I listed for them include: English, Maths, Economics, Government, Biology and any of Commerce, Georgraphy, Yoruba Language.

While the Personality Traits  are:

1. Confidentiality
2. Honesty
3. Multitasking
4. Attention to details
5. Team spirit
6. Ability to work under pressure
7. Versatility
8. Ability to get along with people
9. Good oral and written communication ability
10. Selflessnes

Like the topic above said, I, however, told them, Education is Not Enough.

Education is important but isn't enough. The will to succeed is better than the skills to succeed. The world is full of people who have hardly passed through the four walls of classrooms and yet became successful.

Examples of such people include Abraham Lincoln, Bill Gate, Zuckerberg, Steve Jobs, Dangote, among others. Abraham Lincoln spent less than one year in a formal school. 

If (school) education were to be the most important, then the richest man in the world should be a professor. If education were to be the most important thing, then Dangote won't be the richest man in Africa, and President Buhari won't be in Aso Rock.

To make a success of any career, the under listed things are important writing the word: Education vertically.

E - Educate yourself. There are so many things the school will not teach you but you have to teach yourself. Financial skills. Social skills. Entrepreneurial skills. Leadership skills. Hence, education is a means to an end, not an end itself.

D - Dreams. Dream big. The farther you see the farther you go. You can't feature in the future you cannot picture. Aspire to be great and you will be great. Where you are today should not determine your dream level. Dream bigs dreams. Shoot for the moon, if you missed it, you will catch one of the stars.

U - Understand yourself. The first key to success and greatness is self-discovery. Who are you, why where you born. What assignment do you have for your generation? What's your purpose in life?

C - Character, and competence are important. Your talent may open the door to you, your character and competence are what will keep the door open perpetually. Your character is a product of your values. Your values are the product of your cultures:  exposure and information at your disposal, which are derived from society. Your attitude determines your altitude. You also need to set yourself apart through outstanding skills and aptitudes. This you can do through attendance of seminars, online and offline training. 

A - Associate with the right people. Your association determines your acceleration. How far you will be great and go in life, will to a large extent be determined by the caliber of people you relate and associate with. Show me your friend and I will show you the kind of person you are.

T - Take care of your health, your health is your wealth. Okun inu la fi ma n gbe tita. The healthier you are, the wealthier you are. There is physical health. Mental health. Spiritual health. Exercise your body. Exercise your brain. Take care of your soul. If you are going to go far in life, don't disconnect from your Maker. It doesn't matter how successful you may appear to be in life, if you lose your soul to hell, you are a miserable person. 

I - Inspire others. Don't wait till when you become the richest man on Earth before you give back to society. Don't wait till when you become President before you make an impact on people lives. You don't need a position to be a leader, what you need is a decision and compassion not to live your world the way you met, and there is always something to do better from the home to school, school to organizations. Be someone role model anywhere and everywhere you go. 

O - Opportunize your opportunity. Opportunity is everywhere, perhaps even in hell. No matter the position you find yourself today, you are someone's prayer point. Somebody somewhere is wishing if he could become who you are today. The truth we are always in the middle. There are those who are better than us, there are those we are better than.

Thomas Edison said: opportunity comes to a man who prepares for it. Someone else said, to be poor is to pass over opportunity repeatedly.

N - Never give up. Never forget your source. Challenges will come. Crises will arise. Never give up. You cannot succeed or be great until you have turned your trials to triumph, your test to testimony, and your Cross to the crown.

No matter how great you are, never forget where you are coming from. It will help you to be grateful to God and keep your egos under check. Your ultimate source is God, don't relegate him to the background no matter the heights of your success.

The event also provided me to give back to society as I donated over twenty copies of my book: Standout ( a motivational piece which can be accessed via this link - http://www.writerswatch.com.ng/book/2 ); while also received a plaque of appreciation for impactful living from the coordinator of Young Groomer in person of ...

Attached are some the pictures from the event as well as the video of my speech. Thanks for your time.