The curious case of the young generations – FEMI PEDRO

Sometime in 1988, I received a call from a good friend, Mr Akin Akintoye, about an interesting investment opportunity with a few colleagues. After a series of meetings, it became very clear to me that we were about to embark on an audacious but incredibly special journey, and I was excited about the prospect of being a part of such a project. For almost 2 years, I worked alongside the likes of Akin Akintoye, Fola Adeola, Tayo Aderinokun (of blessed memory), Gbolly Osibodu, Bode Agusto and a few others on this investment project. As of 1988 when we began the journey, Fola was 34, Tayo was 33, Gbolly was 33, Bode was 33, Akin was 35 and I was 33. The objective: To own a BANK.
It was a bold objective considering our respective ages at the time, but certainly not an impossible task in our eyes. So we began to hold countless meetings at Fola’s residence in 1988, until we eventually shifted base to Tayo’s First Marina Trust office in Victoria Island. By late 1989, we were ready to put in our bank application at CBN, along with the required minimum capital. This effort was spearheaded by Fola and Tayo (the two brains behind the entire operation), and supported by about 40 persons (including myself), most of whom were in their early 30s and working for different organizations at the time. The end product? We formed arguably one of the finest financial institutions Nigeria has ever seen- Guaranty Trust Bank (known as GT Bank today). The bank was licensed on the 1st of August, 1990 and we commenced banking operations later that year. A group of young boys in their early/mid 30s OWNED a bank! We simply dreamt big, and turned this dream into reality.
I am taking the liberty to reflect on this chapter of my personal history against the backdrop of some of the criticism about the ages of some of President Muhammadu Buhari’s ministerial nominees. The argument being brandished about is that by nominating the likes of Chief Audu Ogbeh as ministers, our President is somehow blocking the destinies of younger Nigerians by preventing them from occupying such positions. People are quick to reference Yakubu Gowon and Murtala Mohammed as being relatively young when they ascended to power, and they argue that the same opportunities that young people had in the past are no longer available today. They also argue that around the same time we were forming GT Bank in the late eighties, there were also a number successful young entrepreneurs who distinguished themselves as well - Bola Tinubu (Treasurer at Mobil Oil), Gbade Ojora (ED Mobil Oil), Jim Ovia (Zenith Bank), Erastus Akingbola (Intercontinental), Dele Momodu (Publishing), Tony Elumelu (Standard Trust), Liyel Imoke (Politics), O’tega Emerhor (Standard Alliance Insurance), Aig Imoukhuede and Herbert Wigwe (Access) and Atedo Peterside (IBTC) are some of the noteworthy youngsters who made an impact in various fields in Nigeria at the time. But what some of the proponents of the argument against the older ministerial nominees fail to realize or remember is that even in my early thirties, we also had very established industrialists like MKO Abiola, Otunba Subomi Balogun, etc, who all operated during our time. We respected them, but neither felt overwhelmed by their success, nor daunted by the prospects of climbing up the ladder. We simply forged ahead with our plans and damned the consequences. The point is nobody cleared the way for us back then, so young Nigerians today should not expect that anyone would clear the way for them either.
Perhaps, at play is the venting of some on-going frustrations by the younger generation today, but it is important to put things into proper perspective. I have spent a lot of time mentoring, observing and interacting with young Nigerians. Today’s youth are no different from those of my generation about 30 years ago. They are faced with the same pressures, frustrations, uncertainties and life vicissitudes that we faced in our late twenties and early thirties. However, the marked difference is how young Nigerians apply themselves today. Most of us who made an impact in our early thirties came from modest means. We were not rich, and we did not have any noteworthy inheritance. Nobody did us any favours, and the older generation did not give us a pass or a nudge in the right direction. In fact, the military administrations at the time made it extremely difficult for us to participate optimally in business, governance and politics. We did not have social media, and there was no technology to aide our goals. We were simply big dreamers determined to make a difference. We were highly enlightened and career-oriented, so we were able to force our way through the door by working extremely hard.
So what exactly needs to change amongst young Nigerians today? First, young Nigerians have to humble themselves. You have to be willing to learn the ropes and hone your craft. Around the age of 27, I left the relative comfort of a steady career at CBN to learn under the tutelage of Otunba Subomi Balogun, the visionary and pioneer behind FCMB. Working as Otunba Subomi Balogun’s executive assistant was an experience of a lifetime. He was (and still is) a well-organized and thorough individual. He strongly promoted excellence and perfection, and did not condone indolence, laziness or poor quality work. He was also an impeccable dresser, always elegantly attired in all-white traditional wear or perfectly tailored quality suits. I picked up these virtues and adopted his style of leadership and management in my future endeavors. I was opportune to travel with him to attend corporate and other board meetings. I gained valuable and practical experiences in corporate board management and boardroom politics, which became useful tools later in my career.
Secondly, you must know your worth. Do not settle for less, and do not allow yourselves to be used by selfish political interests. Challenge the status-quo. Challenge the establishment. The youth make up a sizeable portion of the Nigerian populace. By extension, they have the loudest voices and the biggest potential. Alan Moore, a prominent British author opined that “People shouldn't be afraid of their government. Governments should be afraid of their people”. This is especially true with regards to young Nigerians. You are more powerful than you give yourselves credit for. Our current president was victorious in large part due to the votes cast by young Nigerians, and you must continue to remind yourselves of this fact, because 2019 is already fast approaching.
Thirdly, and crucially, young Nigerians have to eliminate distractions. Do not get carried away by the allure of good living, bling, fame and fortune. Stay on the straight-and-narrow path. Distractions are the proverbial pot-holes; they slow you down from reaching your destination and damage your wheels in the process. By all accounts, social media is obviously the biggest distraction. It is a powerful tool, but can also derail you from focusing on the bigger picture. The most discerning amongst you will know how to navigate social media without hindering your ability to make significant inroads in the economic and political fabric of Nigeria. I have been impressed with what the likes of Linda Ikeji, Bellanaija, Don Jazzy, TY Bello, Jimi Mohammed, Banke Meshida-Lawal and other young Nigerians have been able to accomplish at such a young age, and it should serve as an inspiration to other young Nigerians in various fields as well.
Finally, take advantage of opportunities, no matter how small or inconsequential they may be at the time. Expect no helping hands. And when these opportunities present themselves, grab what you can. During our cabinet meetings, my boss and mentor, Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu always quipped that “Power is never served a-la-carte”. This is indeed true in the context of where young Nigerians currently are, and where they need to be.
These are the sacrifices that the youth have to make today. I have a lot of faith in the youth of today, but young Nigerians need to start having

wow

I doubt this wil mak it to front page.
shid incase it does am second to comment.

Well Mr. pedro advise it well taken.

OVI75:
I doubt this wil mak it to front page.
shid incase it does am second to comment.

Well Mr. pedro advise it well taken.

I hope it does.

This will open a lot of minds & heads..

This is a mind lecture for the youth to regenerate their mindset. I will do more on this kind of mind lecture.

Na dis king writeup suppose enter front page.

@ishilove lalasticalical

nice one....

hasyak:
The curious case of the young generations – FEMI PEDRO

..... We were not rich, and we did not have any noteworthy inheritance. Nobody did us any favours, and the older generation did not give us a pass or a nudge in the right direction. In fact, the military administrations at the time made it extremely difficult for us to participate optimally in business, governance and politics. We did not have social media, and there was no technology to aide our goals. We were simply big dreamers determined to make a difference. We were highly enlightened and career-oriented, so we were able to force our way through the door by working extremely hard.

So what exactly needs to change amongst young Nigerians today? First, young Nigerians have to humble themselves. You have to be willing to learn the ropes and hone your craft. ....

Working as Otunba Subomi Balogun’s executive assistant was an experience of a lifetime. He was (and still is) a well-organized and thorough individual. He strongly promoted excellence and perfection, and did not condone indolence, laziness or poor quality work. He was also an impeccable dresser, always elegantly attired in all-white traditional wear or perfectly tailored quality suits. I picked up these virtues and adopted his style of leadership and management in my future endeavors. ......

Secondly, you must know your worth. Do not settle for less, and do not allow yourselves to be used by selfish political interests. Challenge the status-quo. Challenge the establishment. The youth make up a sizeable portion of the Nigerian populace. By extension, they have the loudest voices and the biggest potential.

Alan Moore, a prominent British author opined that “People shouldn't be afraid of their government. Governments should be afraid of their people”. This is especially true with regards to young Nigerians. You are more powerful than you give yourselves credit for. ....

Thirdly, and crucially, young Nigerians have to eliminate distractions. Do not get carried away by the allure of good living, bling, fame and fortune. Stay on the straight-and-narrow path. Distractions are the proverbial pot-holes; they slow you down from reaching your destination and damage your wheels in the process. By all accounts, social media is obviously the biggest distraction. It is a powerful tool, but can also derail you from focusing on the bigger picture....

Finally, take advantage of opportunities, no matter how small or inconsequential they may be at the time. Expect no helping hands. And when these opportunities present themselves, grab what you can. During our cabinet meetings, my boss and mentor, Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu always quipped that “Power is never served a-la-carte”. This is indeed true in the context of where young Nigerians currently are, and where they need to be.

These are the sacrifices that the youth have to make today. I have a lot of faith in the youth of today, but young Nigerians need to start having

WORD!! I simply loved this post. I had to edit it, to bring out the salient points that struck a chord in me. The young people of those days, were able to do so much with so little.

40 of them came together from different backgrounds, worked together for 2 years to build a bank that has become synonymous with greatness, both within Nigeria and a few other African countries. If na today, those 40 would have scattered in disarray after just 2 weeks!

The young folks of today instead of thinking big, just log on to NL to rain insults and curses on other ethnic groups and perceived enemies.

Femi Pedro, in the words of the poem Abou Ben Adhem by Leigh Hunt, I say "May your tribe increase!" May your name be recorded in the portals of history, as one who spoke words of wisdom into the souls of men!

Timeless piece this is!

Wow,I'm Impressed

Nice write up. Unfortunately those who should read and learn from it are more interested in tribal bashing threads, news on the Kardiashians and their ilk and all kinds of unrewarding ventures. Some will even be waiting for someone to summarise; they can't even read!
If this doesn't get to front page, I won't be surprised, only worried that we're really losing it as far as the future is concerned.

The settlement and entitlement mentality has taken deep root obviously. May we learn to do things the right way before it's too late.

In all this, I sincerely admire the courage, creativity and initiative of some youth like Linda Ikeji, Tara Durotoye, Funke Opeke etc Young people should read the stories of successful Nigerians outside politics to understand that determination and initiative go a long way in achieving success. Attitude is indeed everything!

Things have drastically changed. First of all, The quality of education you received in the 80s is totally different from what youths of this generation receives these days. Secondly, the population of youths weren't as high as it is currently. Thirdly, the country had not fully deteriorated to the failed state it is today.

You can't compare youths back then and youths of today. Youths back were the guys who enjoyed what was left of this useless country called Nigeria. They had free meals in Universities, better lecturers and education system. They had less competition, better opportunities and generally better standards of living. Cultures, media and technologies that promote laziness and mental retardation (pornography, video games, twitter and social media etc) weren't rampant or were virtually non-existent back then.

It is totally impossible for a youth to start a bank in this dispensation. It will amount to nothing but a pipe dream.
The current state of the Nigerian youth population shows that the future of Nigeria is very dark and gloomy.

Sweetguy25:
Things have drastically changed. First of all, The quality of education you received in the 80s is totally different from what youths of this generation receives these days. Secondly, the population of youths weren't as high as it is currently. Thirdly, the country had not fully deteriorated to the failed state it is today.

You can't compare youths back then and youths of today. Youths back were the guys who enjoyed what was left of this useless country called Nigeria. They had free meals in Universities, better lecturers and education system. They had less competition, better opportunities and generally better standards of living. Cultures, media and technologies that promote laziness and mental retardation (pornography, video games, twitter and social media etc) weren't rampant or were virtually non-existent back then.

It is totally impossible for a youth to start a bank in this dispensation. It will amount to nothing but a pipe dream.
The current state of the Nigerian youth population shows that the future of Nigeria is very dark and gloomy.

That's all.

OP, please do me some favours by adequately spacing what I'll call a great piece. Please.

Sweetguy25:
Things have drastically changed. First of all, The quality of education you received in the 80s is totally different from what youths of this generation receives these days. Secondly, the population of youths weren't as high as it is currently. Thirdly, the country had not fully deteriorated to the failed state it is today.

You can't compare youths back then and youths of today. Youths back were the guys who enjoyed what was left of this useless country called Nigeria. They had free meals in Universities, better lecturers and education system. They had less competition, better opportunities and generally better standards of living. Cultures, media and technologies that promote laziness and mental retardation (pornography, video games, twitter and social media etc) weren't rampant or were virtually non-existent back then.

It is totally impossible for a youth to start a bank in this dispensation. It will amount to nothing but a pipe dream.
The current state of the Nigerian youth population shows that the future of Nigeria is very dark and gloomy.

It seems you're missing the point.

Sweetguy25:
Things have drastically changed. First of all, The quality of education you received in the 80s is totally different from what youths of this generation receives these days. Secondly, the population of youths weren't as high as it is currently. Thirdly, the country had not fully deteriorated to the failed state it is today.

You can't compare youths back then and youths of today. Youths back were the guys who enjoyed what was left of this useless country called Nigeria. They had free meals in Universities, better lecturers and education system. They had less competition, better opportunities and generally better standards of living. Cultures, media and technologies that promote laziness and mental retardation (pornography, video games, twitter and social media etc) weren't rampant or were virtually non-existent back then.

It is totally impossible for a youth to start a bank in this dispensation. It will amount to nothing but a pipe dream.
The current state of the Nigerian youth population shows that the future of Nigeria is very dark and gloomy.

Plenty of excuses were running through your post. In what way has the standard of education received in the 80s changed from what is being given out now?? Kindly be specific by spelling it out in chapter and verse.

In the 80s, there were no longer any free meals anywhere. Squatting had become the order of the day from the mid-eighties onwards, as there was no longer any free accommodation space in the hostels. I used to visit my older siblings in the uni then, and I know what they went through to get an education.

Today, you guys have social media, internet, mobile phones, Google and all kinds of NGOs offering entrepreneurial trainings, YouWIN and all kinds of programmes. Were those things available in the 80s? No.

There is an adage that says 'he who dares, wins!" Most of the youth today lack any direction for their lives. They are too busy sagging their trousers and their brains, to think constructively outside the box, and see what kind of innovative things they can create which would etch their names in the annals of history.

laudate:

Plenty of excuses were running through your post. In what way has the standard of education received in the 80s changed from what is being given out now?? Kindly be specific by spelling it out in chapter and verse.
In the 80s, there were no longer any free meals anywhere. Squatting had become the order of the day from the mid-eighties onwards, as there was no longer any free accommodation space in the hostels. I used to visit my older siblings in the uni then, and I know what they went through to get an education.
Today, you guys have social media, internet, mobile phones, Google and all kinds of NGOs offering entrepreneurial trainings, YouWIN and all kinds of programmes. Were those things available in the 80s? No.
There is an adage that says 'he who dares, wins!" Most of the youth today lack any direction for their lives. They are too busy sagging their trousers and their brains, to think constructively outside the box, and see what kind of innovative things they can create which would etch their names in the annals of history.

You got it right! Nothing has ever really been easy. Women sold their wrappers and stuff to send their kids to school in the past. Maybe free education has rendered many lazy and dependent on government for everything.

I remember classmates in University who genuinely hustled to see themselves through school. A guy used to wake up early to do alabaru for market women in a big foodstuff wholesale market and will be back to campus in time for lectures. I know many who overcame their challenges and obstacles and are big men/women today. They didn't wait for godfathers and " connection". When you raise your hand in a positive way, God sends helpers your way or shows you the way.

It's unfortunate that most young ones spend more time analysing why they're not progressing than thinking of how to proceed and succeed despite the challenges. Impatience is not a good virtue for those who want sustainable success.

Attitude, focus and determination make a lot of difference in our lives.

What more evidence does one need really of the embarrassing situation of today. How many deemed it fit to read the story? You get to hear comments like ' it's too long',
'its boring' ,'thats in the past'. Really? Even the kind of grammar I read here sometimes makes me wonder. That is after taking typo errors into consideration.
Lets do ourselves a favour by reading biographies of successful men and women. Most of them started out without any undue advantage. They're many in our society.

Meanwhile to learn and be entertained at the same time, those who care should visit the Nairaland Picture album thread. You won't regret it.

delpee:
What more evidence does one need really of the embarrassing situation of today. How many deemed it fit to read the story? You get to hear comments like ' it's too long',
'its boring' ,'thats in the past'. Really? Even the kind of grammar I read here sometimes makes me wonder. That is after taking typo errors into consideration.
Lets do ourselves a favour by reading biographies of successful men and women. Most of them started out without any undue advantage. They're many in our society.

Meanwhile to learn and be entertained at the same time, those who care should visit the Nairaland Picture album thread. You won't regret it.

Na true you talk, jare. If it was an epistle about D'Banj's new girlfriend, or Korede Bello's new hairstyle, you will see them commenting in droves. God dey!

Thanks Laudate. May God grant you more wisdom and bless your efforts in amazing ways.
We continue to pray for greater awareness and a wonderful future for our young ones as we encourage them to be more patient and focused. So many wonderful opportunities abound for those who care to learn and dare.

Thanks for your kind words, Delpee. I stumbled across another article that made my day. It was the text of a speech delivered by Chude Jideonwo at the Red Media Awards recently. Again, it reaches into events of the past to draw inspiration for the present and lessons for the future.

"We Stand on the Shoulders of Giants” | by Chude Jideonwo

..... I speak often about culture. It is my favourite topic. I speak often, and passionately about the cultures that define our nation, and how many of those behaviours appear to be at the root of our national decline.

By this I don’t mean who we are, more than I mean what we have become: the attitudes, prejudice, stereotypes and behaviours we have learnt as we have tried to survive corruption, military dictatorship and several civil and other wars.

One of those cultural anoles is the arrogant dismissal of the past. It has never ceased to amaze how every time someone wants to do something new in Nigeria, they start by dismissing what everyone else there has done before they. You hear ‘Oh, TV was rubbish! Oh radio was bad! Gosh, what have our advertisers been doing?”

There is also the epidemic of people – especially younger people – declaring that ‘XYZ has never been done before’, or ‘this is the first time this is being done in Nigeria’ or ‘I am finally going to do this right.”

I grew up hearing this from peers, but years after it hasn’t ceased to shocked me. This pervasive sense of disdain, of disrespect can only come from the collapse of perspective and the absence of history as an imperative.

And that is why Nigeria is stuck in a vicious cycle in many areas – without the benefit of history, of institutional memory, of learning what we did well and what we did not, of not knowing where the rain began to beat us, how can we know how to do better, what to stand on, where to begin to build? If we do not know where we are coming from, how on earth can we know where we are going to?

Surely the same gaps in knowledge that make young musicians feel that they are first to reach massive international audiences, and deal massive global collaborations in a country where everyone from King Sunny Ade to Majek Fashek to, of course Fela Anikulapo-Kuti have been there, done that, have the t-shirt, threw it away, bought a new one and then rocked it for years. We have a history so rich by success, by victory, by massive accomplishment in the media and creative industries.

That’s not just something I say, that’s the philosophy that underlines our work – a deep humility and abiding appreciation for the history of our country, for the leaders who worked under extremely difficult circumstances, at a time when very few people understood the media, at a time when it was yet emerging, to build this industry that we have now.

But then maybe it’s because many of us in RED grew up on ‘I am Prince Jide Sokoya, the only son of the soil and by the grace of God, the youngest millionaire in the whole universe’, on Nigerian content, and therefore we have an understanding of what makes it special, of why what our forebears did was special.

Up until this moment, I remember I felt in the public relations activation of Onyeka Onwenu and King Sunny Ade preaching the message of birth control, I remember how perplexed my young mind was that every show on TV had on its credits Peter Igho and Grace Egbagbe, I grew up interesting in knowing how my former boss Levi Ajuonuma did that magic where he spoke to the camera and everyone watching felt he was talking to you directly.

I think of the genius of the Bagco Super Sack ad and how viral it went before many of us knew what viral meant, or the forever standard that the ‘MKO is our man’ ad from Rosabel set those 22 years ago. I grew up in awe of these creators.

And I see all of them here today, and my heart swells with pride, with excitement, with joy, with love, with reverence, with awe.

We are truly standing, this generation, on the shoulders of giants.

You, our mentors and forbears, icons and legends, across television, radio, print, public relations, advertising, are those giants.

For sure, older people bear some culpability for the Nigeria that we have today, but you won’t find many of those ones in this room today.

You are a different breed, truly worth celebrating. You inspired this young boy in Ijeshatedo who grew up on the columns of Helen Ovbiagele and Mike Awoyinka, and watched Frank Olize every Sunday night. Who looked longingly at Insight when he was in Secondary School and wanted to join that company as soon as he was out. You inspired a generation.

You made it possible for us to dream, you made it possible for us to imagine as far as our passions could take us, you took the path less travelled at a time when your peers chose the usual and the convention – banks, politics, oil. You created something truly special.

You know, in a country where most awards are given to politicians, to billionaires, to corporate fat cats, and to anyone who can pay money for it, some of our honourees here were shocked when call we called them: “Why are you doing this?”

The underlying question obviously was: In Nigeria, why would anyone do something so obviously not for financial gain?

The answer is simple, and this is the simple answer truly: "it is a decision of the heart and not of the head, driven by gratitude rather than balance sheets. Our hearts wanted to do this. Our souls wanted to do this. Our very beings wanted to do this."

We wanted to say thank you. For courage, for chutzpah, for character, for creativity, for depth. Thank you for passion, for ambition, for purpose.

So tonight, we thank you. Red Media Africa thanks you. Nigeria thanks you. I thank you. http://www.bellanaija.com/2015/10/17/chude-jideonwo-at-the-theredgala-we-stand-on-the-shoulders-of-giants-read-the-powerful-speech/#comments

delpee:
What more evidence does one need really of the embarrassing situation of today. How many deemed it fit to read the story? You get to hear comments like ' it's too long',
'its boring' ,'thats in the past'. Really? Even the kind of grammar I read here sometimes makes me wonder. That is after taking typo errors into consideration.
Lets do ourselves a favour by reading biographies of successful men and women. Most of them started out without any undue advantage. They're many in our society.

Meanwhile to learn and be entertained at the same time, those who care should visit the Nairaland Picture album thread. You won't regret it.

+6.7

laudate:


Plenty of excuses were running through your post. In what way has the standard of education received in the 80s changed from what is being given out now?? Kindly be specific by spelling it out in chapter and verse.

In the 80s, there were no longer any free meals anywhere. Squatting had become the order of the day from the mid-eighties onwards, as there was no longer any free accommodation space in the hostels. I used to visit my older siblings in the uni then, and I know what they went through to get an education.

Today, you guys have social media, internet, mobile phones, Google and all kinds of NGOs offering entrepreneurial trainings, YouWIN and all kinds of programmes. Were those things available in the 80s? No.

There is an adage that says 'he who dares, wins!" Most of the youth today lack any direction for their lives. They are too busy sagging their trousers and their brains, to think constructively outside the box, and see what kind of innovative things they can create which would etch their names in the annals of history.

Do you want to compare the standard of education in the 80s to what obtains today? Jeez! Have you ever been to a male hostel in a Nigerian federal university in present times? I finished from one and I can tell you that is not a rosy experience. We were seven roommates in a 2 man room, it is even in a worse condition now.
Things have changed, you can say that Nigeria was bad then but the truth is that it is worse now. There is more competition in everything- there are more universities and polytechnics; more graduates;

The social media is nothing. For the most part, it has become a tool that has been used to enslave the youth into perpetual laziness and redundancy. All the NGOs and programmes you mentioned are mechanisms and tools to avert disaster, if they weren't available, the youths would burn Nigeria to the ground because of their unemployment and hopelessness. They are nothing more than paliatives. They weren't needed back in the day because job security and employment were more available than it is today.

University students back then were hopeful that they would get employment once they graduate and this was the case. That is why Femi Pedro's friends could sit in their rooms and plan on starting a bank. Which graduate would dare think of such a feat right now?

I'm not trying to make excuses but Nigeria as at 2015 is almost useless. We shouldn't try to blame the youths for being lazy, we're nothing but vestiges of a totally failed educational and social system.

delpee:


You got it right! Nothing has ever really been easy. Women sold their wrappers and stuff to send their kids to school in the past. Maybe free education has rendered many lazy and dependent on government for everything.

I remember classmates in University who genuinely hustled to see themselves through school. A guy used to wake up early to do alabaru for market women in a big foodstuff wholesale market and will be back to campus in time for lectures. I know many who overcame their challenges and obstacles and are big men/women today. They didn't wait for godfathers and " connection". When you raise your hand in a positive way, God sends helpers your way or shows you the way.

It's unfortunate that most young ones spend more time analysing why they're not progressing than thinking of how to proceed and succeed despite the challenges. Impatience is not a good virtue for those who want sustainable success.

Attitude, focus and determination make a lot of difference in our lives.

As a mother back in the day, you could sell your wrapper and jewelries to see that your kids have get educated but if you're doing that today, you're wasting your time and money. Back then, the chances and hopes of your kids getting employd after graduation were very higher than they're today. The unemployment situation in Nigeria today is absolutely terrible. For example, look at the NIS recruitment scandal that happened last year? Are there any records that over 5 million people tried to apply for jobs that were available in not less than 10000 postions back in the 80s? NO!

You can't compare the 80s to today. Nigeria today sucks! I wish I was born in the 70s.

Sweetguy25:
Do you want to compare the standard of education in the 80s to what obtains today? Jeez! Have you ever been to a male hostel in a Nigerian federal university in present times? I finished from one and I can tell you that is not a rosy experience. We were seven roommates in a 2 man room, it is even in a worse condition now.
Things have changed, you can say that Nigeria was bad then but the truth is that it is worse now. There is more competition in everything- there are more universities and polytechnics; more graduates;

The social media is nothing. For the most part, it has become a tool that has been used to enslave the youth into perpetual laziness and redundancy. All the NGOs and programmes you mentioned are mechanisms and tools to avert disaster, if they weren't available, the youths would burn Nigeria to the ground because of their unemployment and hopelessness. They are nothing more than paliatives. They weren't needed back in the day because job security and employment were more available than it is today.

University students back then were hopeful that they would get employment once they graduate and this was the case. That is why Femi Pedro's friends could sit in their rooms and plan on starting a bank. Which graduate would dare think of such a feat right now?

I'm not trying to make excuses but Nigeria as at 2015 is almost useless. We shouldn't try to blame the youths for being lazy, we're nothing but vestiges of a totally failed educational and social system.

Guy, I really do not have the time or energy to take your points apart piece by piece, but trust me...you guys have it much easier now than it was in the 80s, when there was no mobile phone, and you had to queue for hours to make a 3-minutes call, if you were lucky to get a dial tone on the analogue sets.

There was no internet then, and no way to call up information at the touch of a button. Now you have all sorts of software programmes that are easily accessible. Now there are iPads, android tablets and all kinds of communication gadgets. Can you imagine what would happen if the world wide web were to go out of existence now, for just 48 hours?

And in the 80s, the quality of hostels in public universities was just as bad as it currently is, now. Flashback to 1985 when as a young kid, I used to go with my older relatives to visit my older siblings, in the universities. They had 6-8 people in a 2-man room, so what you are saying is nothing new. Free meals ended in 1979/80. So in the 80s and beyond, you had to pay for your meals. Accommodation on campus was NT guaranteed, even if you came from Kafanchan to school in Unibadan. And there were no jobs on graduation at that time, either. The communications sector had not been deregulated and neither were the banks.

Government controlled almost everything. NGOs providing training for the youth were non-existent, and career counselling was done in trickles as most people did not have access to such services. Today there are private universities in many states, and if your parents or relatives are rich enough to pay your tuition and accommodation costs, at least university education is guaranteed. This is why we urge folks like you to go back into history and conduct some research. Be thankful for small mercies, as things could have been worse.

Today, you have mobile apps for transferring money online and ATMs that can dispense cash on demand. What did those youths have then? Today, there are online job portals like Jobberman, CareerNG etc. to aid your job search. Did anyone have that in the 80s? Whosai!

Yet they were still able to think constructively outside the box. The Femi Pedros of those days, were working hard at their day jobs, and brainstorming at night, on how to create a great bank that would change the face of the industry.

Innovation does not depend solely on how much cash you have in your pocket, but how much creativity resides in your brains!

Sweetguy25:


As a mother back in the day, you could sell your wrapper and jewelries to see that your kids have get educated but if you're doing that today, you're wasting your time and money. Back then, the chances and hopes of your kids getting employd after graduation were very higher than they're today. The unemployment situation in Nigeria today is absolutely terrible. For example, look at the NIS recruitment scandal that happened last year? Are there any records that over 5 million people tried to apply for jobs that were available in not less than 10000 postions back in the 80s? NO!

You can't compare the 80s to today. Nigeria today sucks! I wish I was born in the 70s.

You guys are still missing the point, the opportunity then are different from what's on ground now. you should look at the opportunity now and apply yourself, the Internet is here and the opportunities are limitless, even this platform is one. You sound defeated even before you start Thinking. there's always opportunities somewhere you only need to try it out