Busayo Akanro - Light does not shine in light

I stumbled on this article by Nigeria’s former president, Olusegun Obasanjo on Barack Obama’s presidential victory while going through the Nigerian news online. I was quite impressed with the structure and delivery of his thoughts and even his thought pattern. Nevertheless, I would say though that I felt quite resentful knowing that such a knowledgeable man has had the opportunity to give hope and change to Nigeria twice in different generations and has successfully disappointed the majority of his countrymen while in service and in his succession plans and choices. I couldn’t help saying to myself, “if knowing wasn’t the problem, then why was doing impossible”.

Maybe I’m naive, maybe I don’t know the fine details. Maybe I’ll never know them. And maybe I really don’t care to know them. If Obama can make and change history, why didn’t he? or bringing it back home, why aren’t I? or why aren’t you? I’ll leave you with these questions as you read through the article and enjoy words a one-time leader of the most populous Nation in Africa wrote about another African who’s about to lead the world. I will react to different sections later.

Obama’s election and the needed change, by Olusegun Obasanjo (Nigerian President, 1999 - 2007), Thursday, November 6, 2008 (more…)

This past weekend was a very busy one for me. I attended quite a number of seminars as a support facilitator and facilitator alike. I went with my boss for some and one of my colleagues joined us for others.

Very early, saturday morning,  we set out from Lagos for Abeokuta, Ogun State. Our destination was University of Agriculture, Abeokuta. The theme of the seminar was Ideas, Opportunities and Wealth. The hall was almost packed full with students desirous of learning how as students they can leverage on the ideas and opportunities available to them to generate wealth. Of course,  one of the most pressing needs they had was knowing how to source or recognise opportunities around and take advantage of them. (more…)

“The only way to say it is “Thank you for the impact you have made in the lives of the people. The testimonies of yesterday, I’m sure, will be said in the next 20 years and you guys will be at the receiving end. Thanks for being a blessing to this generation. I quite appreciate.

And also for the huge cheque dropped, thank you. I know it will get better for AGESS with people like you and people like me ready to bless them with what we have.

I gat to go.”

                  - Toyin Ewuola (AGESS President)   

 Tuesday this week, I was back in my alma mater - Obafemi Awolowo University to speak to the students of Agricultural Engineering department. November, this year will make it 3 years since I left that department. I spent 7 years in that school studying for a 5-yr course. I’ll leave the gist of those 7 yrs for now…but i remember very vividly that just before I left, I opened my mouth and passionately declared

“I’ll be back in 5 years (more…)