Students should start early to have an entrepreneurial mind-set; that way,<\/p>\n
they open up other options for gainful employment when they are ready to
\njoin the job market, says Tony Elumelu, Chairman Heirs Holdings, UBA Plc
\nand Founder of the Tony Elumelu Foundation (TEF).<\/p>\n
In an inspiring speech, which he gave to students at the Loyola Jesuit
\nMemorial College, Port Harcourt, he told the students that the world has
\nchanged in a way that students should also respond to by changing their
\nexpectations after leaving school from seeking a job to creating jobs.<\/p>\n
The Jesuit Memorial College (JCM), Port Harcourt was set up to honour the
\nmemory of the 60 students of the Loyola Jesuit School in Abuja that lost
\ntheir lives in a plane crash in Port Harcourt on December 10, 2005. The
\nschool serves as a beacon of hope, where children are given the
\nopportunity to get a sound education and have a chance to contribute to
\nbuilding a brighter future for this country.<\/p>\n
Speaking on behalf of the school, Aleruchi Cookey-Gam, a former Rivers
\nAttorney-General commended the Tony Elumelu Foundation, being promoted by
\nMr. Elumelu, and its impact on the lives of our young people.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe students are at an impressionable age, and we saw this as a unique
\nopportunity for the Tony Elumelu Foundation to share their message of
\nAfricapitalism and the entrepreneurial spirit. These students will always
\nremember this message\u201d<\/p>\n
Elumelu also commended the Catholic educational system, as it not only
\nemphasizes academic excellence but also builds in students a sense of
\nresponsibility to humanity.<\/p>\n
In a statement made to the students, he said: \u201cI was once a student, and
\nin my time, things out there were even rougher than they are now. But the
\neducation and training I received in my youth helped me a long way. In the
\nsame way, I urge you not to take your quality education for granted. You
\nwon\u2019t always see immediate gratification, but you should rest assured that
\nsuccess will eventually come as long as the following are in place –
\n(purpose, hard work, discipline, check-ins to periodically check yourself;
\nresilience and humility.)<\/p>\n
\u00b7 Purpose: What would you like to be in future? What are your dreams
\nand aspirations? However, purpose is nothing if you don\u2019t work towards
\nmaking it come true.<\/p>\n
\u00b7 Hard work: Hard work is important to achieve your true purpose in
\nlife. Good things don\u2019t come easy.<\/p>\n
\u00b7 Discipline: Discipline means you stay focused, and stay on the
\npath. Discipline will allow you realize your purpose.<\/p>\n
\u00b7 Check-ins: identify and set milestones that lead to the
\naccomplishment of your chosen purpose. And you should (need to)
\nperiodically check yourself. Ask yourself if you\u2019ve achieved milestones,
\nand if you are on top of things.<\/p>\n
\u00b7 Resilience: You need to be resilient. You need to have staying
\npower even during the tough times. Remember tough times don\u2019t last.<\/p>\n
\u00b7 Humility: Above all, you need to embrace humility. Internalize it
\nand run with it because as you become more successful, the propensity is
\nthere for you to forget where you\u2019re coming from. Be disciplined and
\nhumble enough not to let your success control you, but instead control
\nyour success.<\/p>\n
Your education, training and discipline will help you in the long-run just
\nas it helped me in my own life.\u201d Elumelu said.<\/p>\n
He explained that it was his belief that the younger generation can
\naddress Africa\u2019s development challenges and catapult the continent into
\nbeing a strong player in the international community that led him to
\ncommit $100 million to identify, train and fund 10,000 African businesses,
\nover the next 10 years.<\/p>\n
Responding to a question by one of the students on how to balance being
\nfinancially successful with family life, Elumelu maintained that it is
\nimpossible to create sustainable wealth without balance and stability in
\nthe home.<\/p>\n
In his conclusion, he reminded the students that though their benefactors,
\nthe 60 departed that brought the school to life, were victims of
\ncircumstance, the best way to immortalize them was to be very successful.
\nHe said \u201cI pray that all the souls of the departed rest in peace, and I
\npray for the students of Jesuit Memorial College, that their light may
\nnever dim, and that they (and all youth in the coming generation) shall
\nmake Nigeria and indeed Africa, great again.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cAmong you, could be the next Steve Jobs, Bill Gates, Jay-Z, Mark
\nZuckerberg or Tony Elumelu. You are the future leaders. I believe in this
\nstatement, because I believe that you will be able to help us transform
\nour country, improve humanity and bring about prosperity. I want you all
\nto see yourselves as messiahs that have been unleashed into the world.
\nYou are young today, but you can and will play a significant part in
\nshaping the future\u201d.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Students should start early to have an entrepreneurial mind-set; that way, they open up other options for gainful employment when they are ready to join the job market, says Tony…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":50741,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_lmt_disableupdate":"","_lmt_disable":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[5],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-50740","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-news"],"yoast_head":"\n