A real estate practitioner, Dr. Babatunde Adeyemo, has advised Nigerian youths to allow the life of Aliko Dangote and Femi Otedola inspire them to renew faith in the country’s potentials to make them great and successful in their legitimate endeavours.
Babatunde said with self confidence, goodwill, patience and perseverance, greatness awaits any youth who make honesty, consistency and integrity his pillars in the way he pursue his life dreams.
The Daily Crucible reports that Dangote is a Nigerian billionaire business magnate of northern extraction, founder, chairman and CEO of the Dangote Group; the largest industrial conglomerate in West Africa and worths an estimated US$18.7 billion dollar as of January this year, according to Bloomberg Billionaires Index. This placed Dangote as the richest man in the continent of Africa and the 78th richest person in the world while the 60 – year – old Femi Otedola is also a Nigerian businessman and philanthropist of yoruba extraction.
Otedola is the founder of Zenon Petroleum and Gas Ltd, and still owns a number of other businesses touching on shipping, real estate and finance.
Both Dangote and Otedola nurtured their brands from cradle to prominence and success through years of perseverance, integrity, doggedness and faith in the country’s greatness.
Addressing a gathering of young Nigerians under the aegis of Junior Chamber International(JCI) on Sunday at Continental suites, Abeokuta, the Ogun state capital, Adeyemo who is the CEO of Pelican Valley Nigeria Limited, noted that Nigeria needs hope and people who can help change the narrative and make the country a better place for the citizens and residents.
The realtor, however, expressed the confidence that the country – Nigeria, will be great and better again with good ideology, leadership skills and faith in her potentials for greatness.
He expressed concern over the youths’ crave for drastic revolution and tendency to leave the country for overseas in search of greener pastures, saying the developed nations luring Nigeria’s youths and intellectuals away with carrots do not have long term good intention for the country.
Citing himself as an example to encourage the younger generation to persevere, be patient and honest, he said it is still quite feasible for one to succeed in Nigeria without stealing, cutting corners or engaging in dubious activities, noting that there are wealthy Nigerians today willing and ready to support worthy ventures if only they could find people of honour, integrity and honesty to handle or manage them.
He recalled that he started Pelican Valley estate with barely N2.5m and nurtured it to the vibrant brand it has become today, to the extent that it keeps growing steadily from strength to strength 15 years after take off.
He described JCI as a grooming ground for leadership ideology and skills for the youths, and said it gladdens the heart to know that despite the impression being created by the world and the media that the best of the youths had left the country for greener pastures abroad, there are still young Nigerians with faith in the capability of the country to be great as exemplified by JCI members.
He also lauded them for bestowing on him, the body’s 2023 Award of ‘Personality of the Month,’ pledging to partner with JCI on any worthy cause in future.
“However, it is very unfortunate that average Nigerian youth is not patient. They talk about revolution, revolution. I’m not against revolution. In fact, I’m a revolutionist and I believe so much in revolution but revolution is meant to be systematic because if you had a drastic revolution and there is change in regime suddenly, which youth is going to take up the mantle of power or leadership? Is it the Yahoo Yahoo youths we have now? Is it the Japa youths? Is it the brain drain apostles? Is it the impatient youths who want to ride G – Wagon immediately? Is it the drug addicts generation? Average Nigerian youth wants to experiment with drugs and gets hooked?
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“let’s renew our faith in Nigeria. You can be the good person you want to be and achieve what you want to achieve in. If I can do it with Pelican Valley without stealing, any young Nigerian can do same if you have the patience and perseverance. Nigeria is full of wealth and resources. Look at Dangote, look at Femi Otedola. They attained great success by perseverance and believing in Nigeria,” Adeyemo said.
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