By Millicent Ifeanyichukwu
Thank you for reading this post, don't forget to subscribe!Lagos, Sept. 5, 2023 (NAN) Dr Sulaimon Ogunmuyiwa, Chairman, Board of Trustees (BOT), First-Class Muslim Foundation, has urged first-class degree holders to make best use of it, within the first two years.
Ogunmuyiwa gave the advise in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on the sidelines of a three-day leadership training for 30 muslim first-class graduates, organised by the foundation, on Tuesday in Lagos.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the leadership training had various professionals as resource persons, among whom were Faheed Olajide, Sanusi Ahmed and Dr Ganiyah Tijani-Adenle.
They all took their turns to speak to the graduates on issues bothering on Critical Thinking, Core Competence, Relationship and Marriage among others.
According to Ogunmuyiwa, the annual programme is part of efforts by the foundation to sharpen the skills of first-class muslim graduates and to set in roads for them in the world of great people.
The BOT Chairman stated that getting a first-class degree was not enough, rather, only a ticket to get to a place, hence the need to step up efforts in utilising it within a space of two years, before it becomes worthless.
He warned participants at the programme not to rely on their qualifications alone, as getting a first-class degree was not enough to succeed in life.
“We do not want their prestigious degree to be a waste. Our goal is to add value, make them better and high-flying personalities, having obtained this impressive performance.
“We also aim to make every muslim youth in Nigeria a first-class product, not just in academics, but in every endeavour of life.
“So, now that they have attended this programme without paying a dime, they now understand what is called patriotism and service.
“To whom much is given, much is expected, you must give back to the society and the expectations is that in the next 10 years or more from now, these muslim youth will turn things around.
“It is not about you acquiring money for yourself, some people payed for you to attend this programme, so you have come back to see what you can do for the younger ones, so that they can also be better,” he added.
He, however, called on government to also make the university system attractive to first-class graduates, noting that there were brilliant ones among them that could bring about the much desired positive change in the country.
“The citadel of learning has to be attractive, technology has to be there and funding, to retain these first-class graduates which some private universities are putting in place to attract them.
“To this end, I must say that what we are missing out is that a lot of these brilliant heads are going to places, where they think they can do better.
“This is what is going to make out economy to stand out and be number one, we can get it all right, if we can retain the best brains,” he said.
He appealed to beneficiaries of the leadership training programme not to disappoint themselves, their parents, the foundation and the nation at large.
One of the participants, Islamiyyah Abdullateef from the Obafemi Awolowo University, who said she gained a lot from the programme, applauded the foundation for the opportunity and quality of resource persons that piloted the training.
Abdullahi Alaka, also a first-class Economics graduate from the University of Lagos, on his part, described the programme as rich and transformative, noting that it had broadened his knowledge on critical thinking, competence, networking and others.
According to him, the knowledge he has gained in the leadership training will guide him on his career project in the next five years, which is one of the major plans they were asked to share.
