The title above is a catchy advertising statement that keeps getting my attention in several parts of the city where I live. Each time I see the caption, I ask myself if Nigeria, as it is presently, can actually produce a millionaire at 29 as boldly stated by the advert. As an undergraduate studying Law in a Nigerian university, my dad had a solid piece of advice for me; he would say, ‘Suffer for five years and enjoy forever.’ He said this to motivate me to work very hard at my studies, get good grades and graduate with a First Class or a Second Class Upper Division.

He reckoned that whatever inconvenience one had to endure during one’s sojourn as an undergraduate should be borne gallantly, as such inconvenience would be greatly compensated when one graduates with a First Class or Second Class upper division, and thereafter gets rewarded by being gainfully employed, and ultimately enjoys the good things of life. He was convinced that a good university grade was a ‘harbinger’ of the good life the gospel of which he preached to me. I believed him because he meant well.

And ‘suffer’ I did, like most students in Nigerian tertiary institutions, where electricity outage was (is) a norm. I literally burnt candles, attended lectures in overcrowded lecture theatres, copied my notes, did my assignments, bought lecturers’ handouts and textbooks at exorbitant prices. In fact, I did everything a good student should do, and what I had to show for it five years after was a very hard-earned second-class upper degree, and a pair of recommended glasses that cannot be done without. My degree certificate, and subsequently my call to Bar certificate, were supposed to be my key to wealth and prosperity, or at the barest minimum, my key to the good life.

Now, five years after graduation and almost four years after being called to the Nigerian Bar, I have yet to ‘enjoy’ as my dad promised. This is not just my story; it is the story of many Nigerian youths. A lot of them, brilliant, smart, hard working and ambitious, whose only crime was being born in a society governed by extremely corrupt and selfish leaders. Leaders whose selfish and corrupt acts have not only weakened our institutions, but are threatening to destroy whatever good we have left.

Many Nigerian youths at some point, had lofty dreams and aspirations such as conquering the information technology world, or becoming the next Bill Gates, or being ‘somebody’ or doing ‘something’ that would affect the world and perhaps put ‘them’ and their country in the eyes of the world for a positive reason. But, like a friend once wrote on her Facebook page recently, as you grow older, life becomes less about achieving your dreams and more about making your dreams fit into reality because the Nigerian society appears not to be very dream-friendly in terms of helping her youths and the entire citizenry aspire to become the very best they can be.

Speaking of Facebook, which a Nigerian minister (who should have known better, with regard to the nature of his office) graciously thanked our President for bringing to our country. One wonders if this minister ever knew that Mark Zuckerberg, one of the four co-founders of the social network site used by almost every internet savvy and not so savvy person in the world, launched the site as a 20-year-old Harvard undergraduate. Presently, not only is Zuckerberg one of the richest young people in the world, thanks to him, social networking has taken on a whole new meaning and a new place in the state of affairs of today’s world.

Today, we wonder what a 20-year-old Nigerian can create. The question we should ask ourselves is, were Zuckerberg a Nigerian, (emphasis on born and bred, not American or British trained) would he have founded Facebook? Does the Nigerian society as it is have the capacity to develop geniuses? From all indications, particularly from our decayed educational system and the structural Nigerian system generally, it appears to me that the Nigerian society ‘kills’ geniuses rather than creates a viable environment to promote innovation and enterprise.

I attended the last convocation ceremony of the University of Lagos where the overall best graduating student was a mechanical engineering student. Today, I hear he works in a bank in Lagos. If true, how sad! How pathetic! In a sane society, the lad would have been whisked off by the government or some top engineering firm, his intellect would be have been prodded, his mind pushed until the genius in him comes to fore.

The just concluded 2012 London Olympics is a case in point too. The abysmal performance of Nigerian athletes has very little to do with the absence of talent or skill but more to do with institutional deficiencies in sport, training and development in the country.

The sad truth is that Nigerian youths are working very hard but are barely getting by. What makes the situation sadder and more pitiful is the constant and the seemingly endless reports of corrupt leaders, top government officials, supposedly senior citizens, siphoning public funds brazenly and getting away with it while Nigerian youths watch helplessly as their future is taken out of their reach.

In Nigeria, it is commonplace to find many young people between the ages of 25 and 30 years still living with their parents or older relatives, still dependent one way or the other, not by choice but by circumstance. This ought not to be! It is the young that should take care of the old and not vice –versa. It is very frustrating and psychologically debilitating for young people going through this phase.

Ideally, in a society that has done its work and paid its dues in bringing up her youths, a 25-30 year-old man or woman should be completely independent of his or her parents or relatives in every sense and should at that age start giving back to the society. This is, sadly, not so in Nigeria; there is nothing normal about this situation and it should not be accepted! Just as a parent of a five-year-old child who still crawls and fails to walk should be alarmed and worried, our leaders should be worried, if at that age the majority of our youths have not attained full financial responsibility and are still being catered for like teenagers or children. This is really sad and portends great danger for the future of our country.

Beyond the failed political leadership and poor economic situation that have plagued our country and contributed to the pitiful plight of Nigerian youths, it seems that the society is configured to regard young people as incompetent and incapable. A little while ago, a serving youth corps member at the National Assembly in an article in a national newspaper wrote that youth corps members serving in the National Assembly were reduced to mere errand boys to carry out menial assignments like serving tea and kola nuts to the lawmakers. If true, how derogatory and demeaning! What a waste of young active minds and talents! It is time our leaders realised that young people in the right environment, with the right motivation and the right education can effectively hold positions of leadership and execute projects brilliantly. One does not have to be 50 years old before one becomes a CEO; a 28-year-old CEO can do just fine! And a 30-year-old senator can do just fine too, after all, what good have our older politicians and leaders done?

In reality, becoming a millionaire at the age of 24 in Nigeria without making recourse to ‘yahoo yahoo’ (Nigerian acronym for internet fraud), pilfering funds, or being used as a political thug or winning the grand prize in the Big Brother Africa or any other reality TV shows or becoming a pop star or sportsman, is a near impossibility.

It is possible to become a millionaire at the age of 24 legitimately (as Mark has shown us), in a society that is engineered to encourage and reward hard work. Truthfully, Nigeria is not that society yet and until Nigeria becomes that society, corporate organisations and advertising agencies need to be very mindful of the messages behind their advertisements. It is my humble submission that, to put up an advertisement with an inscription that reads ‘a millionaire at 29, that’s 5years too late’ to promote a product that is largely patronised by young people in Nigeria, is to throw existing realities into the bin in the name of creativity.

-Imosemi, a partner in the law firm of Fieldings and Grey Solicitors, Lagos wrote in via izereimosemi@yahoo.co.uk

The writer is spot on...

The Nigerian educational does not prepare the youths to be innovative. Rather it prepares them to graduate and apply for a job which is not a way of producing a millionaire at such a young age.

What an affront on Nigerian youths. What is this writer thinking about when he wrote this?

U hav truely spoken well...

Moderators pls this should be at the front page! A well researched and written article!

booked

afam4eva: The writer is spot on...

The Nigerian educational does not prepare the youths to be innovative. Rather it prepares them to graduate and apply for a job which is not a way of producing a millionaire at such a young age.

I dont think any school system in the world teaches innovation or creativeness. Ask Bill Gates, ask the guys at Google or even ask Mark himself.

How can any Nigerian youth be innovative when an average youth believes he cant do anything worthwhile with himself unless he travels abroad, or unless he has someone in high places. with such minds, how can they be innovative or creative?

However, it is wrong on the part of the writer to conclude that no Nigerian youth can be a millionaire at the age of 24 legitimately - such conclusions further brings down the psyche of the youth when they are being told by those who should know better that they cant succeed.

Most will blame it on leadership - but then, is it the government that will make you broaden your mind to see endless possibilities laid before you? I like the writer to read books on success and succeeding in life. It has nothing to do with age but on how you are able to use your mind.

With such assumptions above, an average youth is already consigned to a never do well thought process. Guys, you can make it if you want.

Nice write-up,not one atom of lie or wrong information.I cried wen I got to the part that talked about "old men". @ 25 to 30 still living wit their parent,and that's absolutely true.

My father left the village to lagos at 22,and became financially independent,bought his first car with all his mates at 23(Volkswagen).

How did we get to this pure state of madness? I don't know,but I know that "the problem of nigeria is a problem of leadership.

The worst part about nigerian leadership style is that,the latter always seem to be better than the present,the country continues to suffer,brain drain records continues to go unprecedented,and nobody thinks anything is wrong about it.

What of quota system? That is a mortuary in itself.



FRONT PAGE PLEASE!!!!!!!!!!!

Ten secrets of success.

1. How You Think is Everything.
Always be positive. Think Success, not Failure. Beware of a negative environment.
This trait has to be one of the most important in the entire list. Your belief that you can accomplish your goals has to be unwavering. The moment you say to yourself “I can’t…”, then you won’t. I was always given the advice “never say I can’t” and I’d like to strike those words from the dictionary.
I’ve found that from time-to-time my attitude waivers. A mentor of mine once said “it’s ok to visit pity city, but you can’t stay and there comes a time when you need to leave”. Positive things happen to positive people.

2. Decide upon Your True Dreams and Goals: Write down your specific goals and develop a plan to reach them.
Write down my dreams and goals? Develop a plan to reach them? You mean like a project plan? Yes, that’s exactly what this means. You may have heard the old adage: A New Years resolution that isn’t written down is just a dream, and dreams are not goals.
Goals are those concrete, measurable stepping stones of achievement that track your progress towards your dreams. My goal is to start a second career as a freelance writer – what are your goals?

3. Take Action. Goals are nothing without action.
Be like Nike and “Just do it”. I took action by reaching out and started writing. Every day I try to take some action towards my goals. It may be small, but it’s still an action. Have you taken action towards your goals?

4. Never Stop Learning: Go back to school or read books. Get training & acquire skills.
Becoming a life long learner would benefit us all and is something we should instill in our kids. It’s funny that once you’re out of school you realize how enjoyable learning can be. What have you learned today?

5. Be Persistent and Work Hard: Success is a marathon, not a sprint. Never give up.
I think every story of success I read entails long hard hours of work. There is no getting around this and there is no free lunch. But, if you’re working towards something that you’re passionate about, something you love – then is it really work?

6. Learn to Analyze Details: Get all the facts, all the input. Learn from your mistakes.
I think you have to strike a balance between getting all the facts and making a decision with incomplete data – both are traits of successful people. Spend time gathering details, but don’t catch ‘analysis paralysis’.

7. Focus Your Time And Money: Don’t let other people or things distract you.
Remain laser focused on your goals and surround yourself with positive people that believe in you. Don’t be distracted by the naysayer’s or tasks that are not helping you achieve your goals.

8. Don’t Be Afraid To Innovate: Be different. Following the herd is a sure way to mediocrity.
Follow through on that break-out idea you have. Ask yourself “What would I do if I wasn’t afraid?”

9. Deal And Communicate With People Effectively: No person is an island. Learn to understand and motivate others.
Successful people develop and nurture a network and they only do that by treating people openly, fairly and many times firmly. There is nothing wrong about being firm – just don’t cross the a-hole line. How do you deal with people?

10. Be Honest And Dependable: Take responsibility, otherwise numbers 1 – 9 won’t matter.
Enough said.

http://www.pickthebrain.com/blog/10-secrets-to-success/

Dont let anyone who has failed in life tell you you cant make it at 24. Dont listen to such thrash.

Rub.bish.. So na for yankee you fit be millonaire at such a young age!? Its just one in a trillion. It just happens that, the one is mostly from yankee. Besides, in nigeria you need to know someone to push you deals through, hence the kids of the ruling class have more chances but considering how lazy they are...

Example davido, that boi can't sing for nothing, but he's at the top.

afam4eva: The writer is spot on...

The Nigerian educational does not prepare the youths to be innovative. Rather it prepares them to graduate and apply for a job which is not a way of producing a millionaire at such a young age.

i don't know about you but the Nigerian educational system i passed through thought me to be innovative. Take the unilag mech eng grad as example, is he suppose to go start a roadside workshop or what? He must have settled for the bank job because the presented him with a functioning enviroment to express himself talent-wise. The motivation simply isn't there, don't be suprised if that guy goes on to sponsor his own masters degree from what he earns in the bank.

I don't know about others but all my friends became millionaires (in Naira) before the age of 24 and these all happened between 2006 and now. Few are not maried but I can't count any that does not own a house and some cars or is jobless. The truth is that if you plan well, you'll do well and the planning starts from secondary school. You need to think of something innovative and plan to realize it before you graduate. Do not take cultism seriously or plan to get job or succeed after school through cultism. Most people that get employed on leaving University are usually the smart ones(not neccessarily 1st class but street wise) and mostly in banking. The sharp ones leave banking in less than 2years probably at the age of 23 to start self-employed ventures while others get better jobs in Shell, Total etc.

Whining leads to waning! On nairaland their are guys that are helping others to achieve the millionaire status. We all know the above, it only dampings spirit. Can any good come out of nazareth(nigeria) yes aka nairaland?. Read this two guys post and be encouraged to do sumthing-
importing and selling in your locality -https://www.nairaland.com/1116339/it-yourself-importation-guide-free
Create out of nothing - https://www.nairaland.com/994349/how-create-economic-success-out

alabiyemmy: What an affront on Nigerian youths. What is this writer thinking about when he wrote this?

. Brother, to be sincere in all ramification, the poster is so correct in his assertions. The current Nigerian environment is so hard for the youths to progress positively. If this doesnt make front page in the next 30mins then seun and his moderators must be crazy.

wait are these moderators around? or they went to church? dis should be on front page o! or better still seun please put this on frontpage faster than you cant imagine i really want to sample opinions from the youth!I sincerely weep for Nigeria

Please dont put that rubbish on the frontpage .

alabiyemmy: Please dont put that rubbish on the frontpage .

. Bros. So far as what d op posted there is the truth, it isnt a reason for anyone to limit his goals and aspirations. Quotin Ben Carson "Tough times dont last but tough people do". Seun and cohorts, frônt page abeg

If I would refer to what the writer wrote.I would say most graduate felt that when they get an office job,automaticaly they become a millionaire that why u get to see a lot of people who graduate and got a job in most big firm like shell,chevron,banks and etc,later in life when they retired at old age,most of them can't even boast of a single 3bedroom flat or a house of they own.but the sharp guys immediately they get a job in most of these top firm they work let say for 5yrs or less,save and used the money to invest and start they own business,after some years u notice that the guy has grown become popular and famous.The mindset of most nigeria is that a white collar job can make u rich,let me correct an impresion here a white collar job can't make u rich no mata how hard u work,but it can only lead u or give u a link to be a man of ur own,by these I mean equiping u to be able to start and own ur own business or rather make u to become an enterpreneur,check most of these guys like dangote,chivita,adenuga and co,most of then never work for people all they life rather they got a good job work for a while and resign to go and invest on they own business that just the fact.but what we find out these days is that most of the people that work wit big firms like shell,chevron and co most of them want to keep enjoying the luzury of life and the fat salaries,free accomodation they recive from they company,but they never want to used that opprtuinity to estabilish themselves and become a sole proprietor and estabilish they own business that why most of them retire poor at old age and the wise ones retire at a very young age save and go invest in one business or the other so life is not about hw hard u work but about hw creative u are.

BRB. Lemme read d article first. In d mean tym, this space has been booked. Touch not mods.

I think parents should expose their kids to what entrepreneurship entails earlier in life. At age 20 that drive to succeed will manifest. I'm lucky to have such parents

The article is spot on. However, let me quickly add that success is not a function of your university grade!

Unless Government provides a conducive atmosphere for small businesses to thrive, growth will continue to elude us and unemployment will continue to surge.
The solution to our problem is not far-fetched but the insincerity of our leaders has blinded them to the reality.

Recently, a lecturer of mine was talking about the life cycle hypothesis of consumption and it is not applicable to Nigeria because we have a good percentage of the population that is over 30yrs and has never worked before and still depending on their parents.

It is time for the teaming youth to take our destiny in our hands as the government has proved incompetent in tackling unemployment.

and then life will become meaningless immediately after.

set realistic goals for yourselves and learn to be content with what you have, before you turn easy prey for armed robber recruiters, scammers, and drug mules.


Godliness with contentment is great gain.

alabiyemmy: Please dont put that rubbish on the frontpage .

Ur argument holds no water

We practice capitalism without capital. How easy is it to secure a small loan to start a business? It is from the question that we can build a generation of prosperous youths in Nigeria.

Simple point, Nigerias educational system does not allow for reflecticve nd creative thinking, its just more of theoretical teaching

Why havnt These Made the Frontpage? If is crazy toto decay ass Now am sure it would have made the Frontpage. What a fuckup

Nice points....

This is the very problem of the present day Nigerian youth. They believe that the government is denying them something that is stopping them from becoming self dependent.
First off, government does not provide you with drive to be self sufficient, neither does 6 figure salary does that. Looking yourself in the mirror and taking tough decisions does this.
Again, good grades does not mean anything in the world of wealth creation. For the best, it enables one to raise initial capital to start up something.
Finally, there is something inherently wrong with the mindset that makes one to place higher value on a bank manager than that guy to goes out each money to Ladipo market on ragged jeans and t-shirt. Most of those boys in Idumota and Ladipo became millonairs before they turned 20 under their boss by saving from their feeding allowance and other many legit means. They strive for 50 million and above after being set free and they are independent, self sufficient and bouyant. But the society laugh at them as 'hustlers'
I had a hard time convincing my friend to take up his dad's lucrative auto spare parts biz in Abakaliki. This guy studied mechanical engineering but feel that bank job is the place. Today, he is doing as well as his only class mate that works in Total.
There are many start up software coys in the country today. I know one formed by UNN electrical engineering graduates of the same class and they do do projects for the major telcos. The took the tough option, denied themselves of some initial pleasure and today, they are doing better than most oil coy workers.
All these people are all in Nigeria, the same environment and the same opportunities. I can't seem to see what the government did differently for them.