Funmi Ogundare
City of Knowledge Academy (CKA) , Ijebu Ode, Ogun State, recently held its fifth Honors Day when the Chief Executive Officer of RED Africa, Mr. Adebola Williams stressed the need for Nigerian youths to believe in themselves and seek to add value to the society they find themselves in.
Williams who was Guest Speaker at the programme held at Terra Kulture, Victoria Island, Lagos, said they must be driven by their dreams to be successful rather than give in to constraints of resources.
To achieve this, he noted that they have to surround themselves with mentors saying, “ The best time to start is now . You have to be driven by your dreams and that is why you have to surround yourself with mentors. How do you get mentors? You have to work for them. Everybody has something they can give. You need to ask yourself what value you can add to earn it!â€
He said this has always been his guiding principles while recalling that as a teenager he spent time learning from adults who were his mentors , adding that the youths have to make the best use of the opportunity.
The media entrepreneur described the youths as privileged saying that with the advent of internet and social media , he used it to his advantage.
“The internet has democratized the world. Everybody can meet, there are no excuses . As a little boy, I discovered who I was and converted my talent into knowledge seeking and values. I realised that by using the social media , I could stand before a wider audience.
“As young individuals, you must believe in yourselves and believe in the power of your existence. Do not lose sight of your goals. There is a prize for everything and that is the cost of success. Nothing moves unless you move. Never stop dreaming,†he stressed.
In her remarks, the Founder of the school and Prof-Chancellor of Olabisi Onabanjo University (OOU), Ago Iwoye, Ogun State, Mrs. Mosun Belo-Olusoga said the programme was designed to imbibe the culture of diligence and excellence in its students , while describing its team of teachers and staff as its greatest asset who are committed to their job.
“For five years, we have celebrated excellence in our students and we believe we will continue to stand out as a citadel of learning, †she said.
The Head of School, Ms. Abiola Lamikanra said since the establishment of the school five years ago, it has imbibed in the students the ability to solve their problems on their own.
“We have had to talk to them about their careers and catching the next wave. They need to be armed with the necessary skills set, emotional intelligence, mindfulness, resilience, determination, diligence and hard work.â€
Awards were presented to students who have excelled in their academics literary ability, music and performance; and sportsmanship, as well as to staff for their effort in enhancing teaching and learning; and development of the school.
