34—Vanguard, THURSDAY, JANUARY 31, 2013
JABU VC urges NUC to make SIFE mandatory BY VICTOR AHIUMA-YOUNG
ICE-CHANCELLOR, V Joseph Ayo Babalola University, Ikeji-Arakeji,
Professor Sola Fajana, has called on the National Universities Commission, NUC, and other educational supervisory agencies to make entrepreneurial activism and Students in Free Enterprise, SIFE, membership mandatory for all Nigerian students at the tertiary education level. He gave the advice in his welcome address during the SIFE Annual Team Leaders/ Faculty Advisors Training Programme held in JABU. Themed Top 10 Leadership Training Programme 2013: Building Leaders, Inspiring Change, the programme had in attendance no fewer than 400 student leaders from over 30
universities who were accompanied by their Faculty Advisers (FAs). Fajana also stressed the need for courageous, intelligent and dedicated leaders who were receptive, saying the training programme engaged in open discourses with diverse topics, and that it would challenge other participants and develop group dynamics. He reiterated JABU’s commitment to the development of entrepreneurship in Nigeria by empowering the youths with the necessary skills and values which would enable them become concerned citizens, forward thinkers, and persons of integrity. The Country Director of SIFE, which was rebranded in October 2012 as Enactus, Mrs. Adesuwa Ifedi, noted that SIFE did not comprise only students, but also academics, business leaders and other people with passion for entrepreneurship and youth
empowerment. She described how great leaders such as Folu Ayeni of Tantalizers brought about a change in the fast food area by introducing African dishes to the public; also Steve Jobs and Mark Zuckerbarg, founder of Apple International and the founder of Facebook respectively, who changed the world through their exceptional ideas and were so celebrated. She encouraged the participants to take up leadership skills, create ideas and make their lives and Nigeria better. SIFE (ENACTUS) is an international non-profit organisation which works with leaders in the corporate world and academics to organise tertiary institutions students to make an impact and a difference in their environment.
*From left: PTA chairman, Dansol High School, Mrs Adepeju Dinyo; Chairman, 9th Inter-House Sports Competition, Dansol High School, Mr Feyi Dinjo; Mr. Akintunde Akinyemiju, chairman and Guest of Honour and Mrs Susan Onwudinjo at the 9th inter-house sports competition of the school at Agege Stadium, Lagos. Photo: Diran Oshe.
Lagos, Pan-African varsity sign MoU on devt BY OLASUNKANMI AKONI
HE Lagos State Government, has T signed a Memorandum of
Understanding,MoU, with the Pan-African University aimed at improving the development of the state. Under the agreement, the institution will consistently carry out studies on the challenges and successes of the key sectors of the state‘s economy and provide implementable recommendations. Governor Babatunde Fashola, at the signing of the agreement at State House, Alausa, said the step was an indication of readiness of his administration to subject its processes to the scrutiny of experts and share knowledge and experiences with them for the benefit of the state. Fashola said; “Our willingness to be open is to
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prove voodoo economists,who have always raised unnecessary concerns about the state‘s economy wrong. “The scope of the cooperation,is one that will clearly show that any issue that is a matter of debate can actually be put under a microscope and
analysed in conformity with the practice in other parts of the world. “The relationships that great cities like London and New York have with their business schools and universities are of common knowledge, so this MoU should have
come much earlier in view of its importance.“ The governor stressed the need for universities and governments at all levels to constantly interact to develop the country‘s human capital and bring more developments to the country.
Firm pioneers electronic/biometric scholarship mgt service BY DAYO ADESULU
N line with its promise to deliver Ibased top class innovative computersolutions across board, Dragnet Solutions, Nigeria’s foremost Computer-Based Testing and Talent Management firm, has added the Scholarship and Bursary Management Service (SBMS), Nigeria’s first electronic and biometric-based scholarship and bursary management solution, to its bouquet of services. According to Mr. Robert Ikazoboh, the Managing Director of Dragnet Solutions, SBMS will change the
face of scholarship and bursary management in the country. “The SBMS was created to address the frustrating problems that both private and public institutions face when awarding scholarships and bursaries. Issues like multiple scholarships and bursaries awarded to the same individual, scholarships and bursaries awarded to non-existing persons, delays arising from the processing of applications from applicants and other bottlenecks, combine to make scholarship and bursary management a problematic affair in Nigeria,” he said.
The starting point of all achievement
I
magine two men doing the same kind of work in an establishment. One was more competent than the other on the job. However, in less than thirty years, the other man with less competence became the world’s richest man while the other man with a higher competence was still doing the same kind of work; barely making ends meet, still striving to survive financially. What is the distinguishing factor between those who succeed and those who fail? Why do multitudes struggle to earn a living while a few others seem to have a Midas touch? What makes a life extraordinary and the other ordinary? The answers to these questions lie in the concluding part of the story about the two men stated above. The man with less competence on the job was drawing a wage of $11 a week, working 10 hours a day on his job but he added something “little” that made him extraordinary. At the end of each day after returning from his job, he dedicated the evening hours for three years to create his first car. Henry Ford’s extraordinary quality was Definiteness of Purpose. He discovered himself; his gifts, talents and potential. He had a vision of where he was going; he developed a definite and sound plan for getting there and he acted upon that plan. And he reaped the rewards of his organised efforts and became the richest and most powerful man in his generation. On the other hand, his former colleague who had a higher competence but still remained on the lower rung of the ladder lacked a definite aim. I believe the man’s vision was about holding on to his job; he set up self imposed limitations on his mind that hindered him from thinking high and invariably from rising high in life. Multitudes, perhaps millions of people drift aimlessly through life; going to jobs they don’t like; living a half-hearted life yet they do nothing about it but complain and make excuses. Yes! Everyone wants to be successful. But being interested to succeed is quite different from being committed to succeed. Being committed to succeed entails applying yourself to principles or laws governing success. To succeed you must look inwards and discover your area of uniqueness; gifts and talents. You must sit down and think out your definite purpose in life and develop a sound plan to attain it. You must make your chief aim a burning desire; whip it up until it becomes a driving obsession. Let your purpose drive you day and night. I hasten to add, your definite purpose must be constructive, it should never bring misery to another but rather, you and everyone else should benefit from it. It is also needful to engage in a job that utilizes your God-given talent, if not you make plans to eventually be engaged in doing something that utilizes your area of uniqueness as Henry Ford did. Do what you love and love what you do. Throw yourself into your life’s work; give it your best. The key to becoming outstanding in your life’s work is concentration of effort. As the saying goes, “jack of all trades master of none”, doing many things indifferently will only lead to failure. Be known for something. Bill Gates is known for Microsoft, Larry Izamoje is known for “Talking Sports”. Practice, develop, and improve on your gifts and talents until you become a master in it. Put your heart and soul into what you do. Give your work quality; a stamp of royalty rendered with a positive mental attitude. To be at the top in your calling, you must work hard and intelligently. This requires that you assume great responsibility and discipline to work for longer hours in order to deliver great quantity and quality of product or service that are widespread in nature in order to excel. Ponder on the words of Napoleon Hill, “If your aim in life is vague, your achievement will also be vague, and very meagre. Know what you want, when you want it, why you want it and how you intend to get it.”