Japheth Omojuwa: #My2012Lessons: Evolve and forget your certificate (YNaija FrontPage)

 

I am ruling the world yet but I can assure you I am on the way there and you can be too. Have my best wishes for 2013 and than you for reading my works. Blessings.

Happy holidays! This is my last entry for the year. I have written mostly about our country, and its socio-economic realities. I wish I had used more space to write on individual development and even a lot more to share my experiences so today I am going to use this column to do just that. This, for me, is a fundamental lesson in human evolution.

The year 2012 has been an extraordinary year for me. From the first day of the year when the president unleashed the petrol taxes shocker to last week when my piece targeted a Nigeria’s most crucial generation – the teenagers – went viral and reached most of the teens I intended it for, and even to today with you reading a YNaija Frontpage article that certainly did not feature in my projections for 2012.

It has been a year where dreams were fulfilled and new dreams were birthed.  I cannot state all of the things I have learnt this year but I will state this fundamental one because it has moral and economic value. If just one person goes on to be a better person, to himself, family and society from reading this, then it would have been more than worth the while.

I studied Agricultural Economics in school but during the course of the year I gave speeches on the oil and gas industry in at least three countries England, Germany, and Ghana; and at least in three cities in Nigeria – Lagos, Port Harcourt, and Abuja. I am currently negotiating a contract to train a group of people in Dubai on the oil and gas industry. Before September of 2011, all I knew about this industry was the pump price of fuel, the agitations for pre-OccupyNigeria got me to learn a lot more. In addition, being responsible for the oil and gas content and presentation of Green Deal Nigeria meant that I had to read a whole lot, research a whole lot, and interview journalists and experts. By October of 2012, my head was buzzing. I never studied a paragraph on oil and gas at the university but if my plans for 2013 are anything to go by, it will rank amongst my biggest revenue earners for 2013 because I will be developing a lot more capacity on this front and I will be creating value.

For some of us, the courses we are studying in school will not matter save for the ability to say “I am a graduate” to satisfy our society’s obsession with certificates. But listen: do not box yourself into the expectations of the public. When investors put their money into one of my projects this year, it had nothing to do with agriculture or the economics of it, it was a website. A lot more investment will be attracted on that front in 2013. Life evolves and you must be at the forefront of blazing trails and paying attention to phenomena. While many are there using modern day tools to play and have fun, some are using the same tools to make legal millions at the same time. Do not be told these stories, be the one to tell them.

Many look at those who spend a lot of time online and just assume they must be wasting time. The fact that you feel your engagement in an activity is a waste of your time does not mean that reality applies to everyone involved in that activity. While some take the 2 hours spent in watching football a waste of time, the guys playing it are on their job.

I have not shared these stories to sound good or pretend to be better than you. I wish you’d share some of your stories with me too so that I can learn. I cannot share everything because then there is a thin line between sharing your successes in the year based on your ability to evolve, and being arrogant. Our society prefers you succeed silently and once you share your steps to success, you are branded “proud” or “arrogant” or “boastful” or “complexed”.

A crucial Lesson: Be ready to learn new things. Always evolve and never find yourself surplus to requirement. If you keep developing competence and staying at the forefront of change, you will rule your world. I am not ruling the world yet but I can assure you I am on the way there and you can be too.

Have my best wishes for 2013 and thank you for reading my works. Blessings.

——————————

 

Op-ed pieces and contributions are the opinions of the writers only and do not represent the opinions of Y!/YNaija.

Comments (8)

  1. Japheth, Thanks for this message, many of us are pursuing plenty certificates.

    I studied Animal Science, but I'm a broadcast journalist and digital media consultant… good to hear a similar story from you. It's inspiring

  2. Briilliant piece. This piece is reassuring me that I m on the right path. I m a lawyer turn media/corporate development person.its an oppourtunity to learn and empower myself and others. God bless you Japheth

  3. Omojua is one of the people i have utmost respect for, he is a true patriot who wants to see a better Nigeria where people will be out of the economic bondage goverment inflicted them with, because of its failure to do what its out to do, God will continue to bless you, God love those who love the well being of others, remain blessed

  4. Do you have an idea how many people know a great deal of things and are passionately speaking out, yet get ignored, are never given an opportunity, or are even actively stymied? I am one.

    If we were there for one-another in this country and not prevent others from being "better than us," we would have been a better country by now.

    @OIbhagui

  5. Oops! Meant to write * editing wasn't done*

  6. This is brilliant! Thank you Omojuwa. Kinda reassuring to know I didn't make a 'mistake'.

    In other news, Ynaija team, I'd excuse y'all on grounds that this piece had a deadline and thus editing was done in detail.

    As always, I'm glad I stumbled upon this great cause -Y!

Leave a reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

cool good eh love2 cute confused notgood numb disgusting fail