After NYSC,What Next?

Let me start by congratulating you( the outgoing batch B 2011 gentlemen corps members) on the successful completion of your one year service to your father land.

A saying goes thus,” to whom much is given, much is expected ”.first ,the degree you have bagged today irrespective of the discipline is the greatest weapon to escape poverty. Second , You have been taken through some rigorous and imparting training such as entrepreneurship, Para-military, how to impart in people through the different CDS group and so forth. The basic reason for all these is to make you a better individual who can be self reliant most especially in this present critical and epileptic condition of Nigerian economy.

What is next for you is to go out there and succeed. Remember, life is never boring to an exploring mind and that anyone and everyone can expect to achieve by thinking big (Robert Schuler). While you think big,set a goal for yourself and follow it with commitment and tireless efforts because the road to success is very narrow and it takes only those with strong and dogged will to get there. It's a big world out there crammed with possibilities, ideas to explore and truths to discover.

Robert collies in his words says “success is the sum of small efforts repeated day in day out”. Even if it seems not coming as expected, all you need is determination, commitment and dogged strong will. In no time, you'll get there. Tell yourself today that” I can make it, and I'll get there!

Sometimes ,thinking big and achieving success in life involves risk taking. This is in other words referred to as being adventuresome.

Doing what you think is right even when you have no assurance of the result is worth it. Just have faith and be positive minded at all time. Success is a journey not a destination friends!A glance into the world of the likes of Dangote, Otedola, Adenuga and others too numerous to mention will inform and awake our consciousness that these billionaires have been through hard moment too. But through determination and hard work, they are there today. You too can be there only if you make up your mind today. Ben Carson in his widely sold motivational book Think Big (1992) quoted his own mother” you can do anything they can do-only you must try to do it better!”

As you pass out of the NYSC today, remember Federal allowance is no more, the token you receive from your employer if there is any is no more either, except the lucky ones among you who have secured employment before today or those born with silver spoon. So pending on when the door to a gainful employment will open, there'll be need for you to discover your talents, I mean what you are good at. Let me borrow the words of Carson, if you recognize your talents, use them appropriately, and choose a field that uses those talents. You will rise to the top. Carson shares a story of one Shirley who is a copy editor who has an extraordinary ability to catch the little mistakes that many editors and readers overlook. She enjoys checking grammar or adding and deleting punctuation marks. Because she's so skilful at what she does, Shirley has received several opportunities for advancement in her publishing firm.

The man Dele Momodu, publisher of the popular Ovation Magazine studied Yoruba education in the university (OAU, Ile Ife). Anybody would have thought of him end up a class room teacher. Apologies to teachers, it's a noble profession. But today, he produces one of the best magazines from the African soil and it's appreciated globally. What about the popular musician Tu face Idibia whom many say does not speak good English, he is recognized number one hip hop singer in Africa today. We have seen engineers turn bankers, bankers turn great writers, if you check the media, you'l find that best communicators are not those that actually studied mass communication or English language.

Make up your mind today if you are yet to. Take up one idea,make it your life,think of it ,dream of it,live on it. Let your brains, muscles,nerve, every part of your body be full of the idea and leave every other one alone. This is the way to success. That is the way great giants are produced.

Don't go out there to join the multitude of job seekers, be a job creator. You have all it takes to be great. Being successful means striving for excellence no matter what the work. Don't be afraid to make a mistake because anyone who has not made has not realy tried anythig new. Remember the entrepreneurship studies for two semesters in the university was to prepare you for these challenges. You were engaged in same during the 3 weeks orientation exercise in camp. So maximize the limited opportunities out there. No dulling guys.

As I round off,I'll leave you with Franklin Roosevelt's words “the only limit to our realization of tomorrow will be our doubt of today.

Let us move forward with strong and active faith”.
Tiamiyu Abiola Jamiu(kaduna)