- By Kola Alhassan
The Vice Chancellor of the African School of Economics (ASE), (The Pan-African University of Excellence), Abuja, Prof. Mahfouz Adedimeji, has cautioned Nigerians, especially youths, against obsession with immediate gratification, emphasising that efficiency requires consistency and believing that reward for effort does not have to come immediately.
Adedimeji gave this advice in his address: “Learning is Relearning and Unlearning”, delivered at the opening of a two-day capacity building with the theme: “Maximising Efficiency in the University/Workplace”, organised by the university in Abuja.
The don noted that the training was to provide a platform for upskilling, reskilling and retooling for the participants, who included members of the university community and the general public, in critical areas of professionalism and development.
According to the VC, who is a Fellow of Corporate Administration of Nigeria, whatever is good and great takes some time to fully manifest.
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“It is natural law that patience and perseverance ultimately pay as they prepare one for greatness,” he said.
While calling on Nigerians to make preparations for the future by investing in their today, he stressed that students especially should learn from former American President Abraham Lincoln, who said he would study and get ready first, and someday, his chance would come.
“Let’s always study and get ready by learning, relearning and unlearning because learning is the superpower of superpowers, the one that grows the rest of them,” he said.
Adedimeji alluded to the metaphor of the Chinese bamboo tree, the seed of which he said would show no sign of growth in the first three to four years, during which it was building an intricate root system underground to support what it would be later. He added that in the fifth year, the tree would finally break through the soil and in just six weeks, it would grow to an incredible height of 80 to 90 feet.
While urging the participants at the training to maximise their time, he enjoined them to avail their loved ones of the opportunities offered through the undergraduate and postgraduate programmes of the university. He noted that ASE not only offers transnational university education but also blends theory with a practice, with a focus on producing graduates who are academically sound, professionally skilled, entrepreneurially competent and hence, globally competitive.
The highlights of the training included simulations, group presentations and award of certificates to the participants, especially from the university community and the National Institute for Security Studies, Abuja.
