Against the backdrop of the increase in educated youths in the labour market, former president of the Ibadan College of Medicine Alumni Association (ICOMAA), Dr. Abib Olamitoye, has charged Nigerian graduates with the critical need to hone their entrepreneurial skills as a precursor to achieving success and legitimate wealth.
He said trackable affluence and successful lives are still feasible in the country if the nation’s youth explore commercially oriented skills in addition to their educational attainments to become self-reliant.
Olamitoye, who is a business mogul and philanthropist, gave the charge on Tuesday in Ibadan, Oyo State capital, while delivering a lecture at the 75th anniversary and 2023 convocation ceremonies of the University of Ibadan (UI), which were held inside the International Conference Centre of the institution.
The institution’s Vice Chancellor, Professor Kayode Adebowale, announced during the event that 223 students graduated with first-class honours from various university faculties. In comparison, another 17 students graduated with first-class honours from the institution’s Distance Learning Centre (DLC).
He added that another 74 students also received first-class honours from affiliated institutions, comprising 6,826 graduates.
However, Olamitoye, the chairman of the Abib Olamitoye Group, which has interests in hospitals, philanthropy, the hospitality industry, and motivational book writing, noted that the country’s unemployment rate has been exacerbated by the lack of entrepreneurship training in each course.
He maintained that every fresh graduate must cultivate a saving culture for money because, “If you cannot save, you are not safe. ” He also constantly implored them to set goals and work determinedly towards achieving them.
According to Olamitoye, “every fresh graduate who is determined to succeed in life should cultivate the habit of reading, especially in the areas of new fields they want to venture into. Even as a trained medical doctor, I have read books about people from other disciplines. When I wanted to venture into the hotel and hospitality sectors, I took one year’s leave to read at least 10 books written by those who had excelled in the sector. The outcome is the remarkable success achieved that you are reading about today.
“Being successful in life is anchored on a tripod stand, including vision, ambition, and building a great life. You should set a legitimate goal, write it down, let it be comprehensive, and work towards it. Don’t be distracted by what is happening in society, and you must guide against setting a small ambition because it is as bad as no ambition. In order to achieve the set goals, you must be strategic, methodical, and progressive in your approach.
“Also, entrepreneurship training is key to a successful life. There are no longer white-collar jobs for everybody. You should learn to become employers of labour. So, the youth should study the lives of those who are genuinely successful, who are legitimately wealthy, whose wealth is trackable—that you can track and see that the life they have lived is stainless.
“These are the kinds of things that can inspire our youths to the position of eminence. Therefore, if you are going to be rich, then the path to follow must be stainless. It must be done with integrity. It may be slow, but it is possible.
“You have to think big and start small. Anywhere you are in the world, the principle of success is the same. Prosperity is knowing what you want to achieve. If it is money, how much? Then, find books on how to have money. Many people are unsuccessful because they don’t know that they can get it if they think about it.
“This means what the mind of man can conceive and believe, the man can achieve. This is the key. Most of the people in Nigeria today, as we have it, will become billionaires tomorrow. But if the youth want to do anything, they should start early. Succeeding in business is a matter of consistency and resilience. When you fall seven times, stand up eight times, “he averred.
Olamitoye was later presented with an award as a commencement speaker by the University of Ibadan management.
