Your Certificate Can Still Make You Poor

 

The ultimate dream of every Nigerian parent is to see their children pass through school, earn a degree, get a high paying job and of course have a happy family.

When we were kids, the dream had always been to graduate and get a good job which seems like the only dream we had to make come through.  But unfortunately the dream of go to school and secure a good job is now fast becoming a fairy tale and a total waste of time to an average Nigerian youth. With over 40 million unemployed graduates in Nigeria, most youths are now waking up to the reality that having an educational certificate or degree is not the doorway to escape the hardship and struggles of life. However, what displeases me is the fact that as Nigerians we are yet to learn from our predicament.

It troubles me a lot knowing that parents still believe the only way to make it in life is by getting an educational certificate, therefore going on advising their kids to go to school so that they can get a good job. I see multitude of teenagers struggling year after year to gain admissions into their higher institution and the most agonizing part is that these admission seekers are being exploited by the various institution as they are still being denied admission.

Just in case some of our parents haven’t notice, some of the richest men in the world are either school dropout or those that didn’t go to school at all. I would have love to name them but because they are white you might say the economy and system of the white is total different from the one we have here, I am going to dwell on those Nigerians that didn’t finish or didn’t even attend school yet they are super super rich.

At this point I would love to say this, I am not saying going to school to get a certificate so you can have that dream job is a bad thing, what I am saying is that, parents shouldn’t see that as the only way a child can be successful in life. The key point of this article is the fact that success is a product of hard work. Going to the best university and having the best grades doesn’t mean you can’t be poor.

As for the youth it is time we stop depending on the government, it is time to wake up from that dream of once I make first class I get an automatic job, this is the time to take your destiny into your hands by been self dependent. What education does is to give you false confidence, makes you relax by trusting in the power of the certificates rather than working hard.

Below is a list of rich and successful Nigerian that never attended school or didn’t have the chance to finish

1.      Late Alhaji Alhassan Dantata: He was a Kolanut trader and was the wealthiest man in West Africa during his time. He started the Dantata dynasty and his descendants are some of the richest people in Nigeria (Dangote / Dantata family).

2.      Olorogun Michael Ibru: He is the founder of the Ibru Organization and head of one of the richest family in Nigeria.

3.      Orji Uzor Kalu: I mean who doesn’t know this man, a former governor and the founder of Slok Group.  Kalu is a billionaire who was rusticated from university for his participation in a student protest.

4.      High Chief Olu Benson Lulu Briggs – silent billionaire founder of Moni Pulo.

5.      Femi Otedola: Chairman of Forte Oil and SeaForce, he is the largest diesel importer in Nigeria and also owns the largest fleet of ships.

6.      Rasaq Okoya : He is the founder of the famous Eleganza Group makers of Eleganza biro and co. Chief Okoya did not attend any university.

7.      Cosmos Maduka: He is a dropout of elementary school and he is the founder of Coscharis Group (sole distributor of BMW vehicles in West Africa)

8.      Mrs Folorunsho Alakija: She didn’t attend any university and now she is the richest woman in Africa and also the owner of Famfa Oil.

9.      Sir Tony Ezenna: Sir Tony Inherited a patent shop from his father and grew it into a conglomerate. He is the CEO of Orange Drugs

10.  Michael Collins Ajereh (aka Don Jazzy): He dropped out of Ambrose Ali University Ekpoma after his first year and he is now a famous music producer and CEO of Marvin Records with lots of endorsement deals.  

This piece was written by: Adekunle Adewale