Count your blessings when you are honored at home, because only a few receive that privilege. My alma mater, Federal University of Technology Owerri (FUTO), and the uncontested (lol) Africa’s finest technical university has honored me many times, and I remain deeply grateful.
When I received the IGI Global “Book of the Year” award, the University invited me to deliver the Public Lecture, making me the first alumnus in its history to mount that podium. That moment was profound. Yet, even more special was when my professors and alumni community recommended me to return to deliver the 32nd Convocation Lecture. Standing before men and women who helped shape my professional journey was truly humbling.
I recently came across a publication where the University documented that speech, and it brought back many memories. FUTO gave me confidence, discipline, and a belief in merit. The system we experienced was deeply rooted in excellence and merit. When companies came to recruit, Heads of Department presented their very best, and we knew that hard work would open doors to organizations like Shell and Schlumberger.
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I still remember when Prof. S.O.E. Ogbogu raised the bar even higher, requesting that top students be hired without interviews, out of respect for FUTO’s standards. Indeed, many of us received job offers months before graduation, without sitting for a single interview. That was the power of institutional credibility built on merit.
“Ekekwe, I have accepted a job for you,” Prof. Ogbogu told me. I received it, nine months before graduation. Then came another instruction on another job: “You must go to Trans Amadi and formally decline the offer.” That directive gave me my first flight, from Lagos to Port Harcourt, just to turn down a job, all to protect the reputation of our school.
FUTO, I sincerely appreciate all you have done for me. Next year, I will return to honor this journey by investing in the next generation, contributing in a meaningful way to deepen excellence and expand opportunity. I came as a village boy from Ovim, and you prepared me for the world. Now, I will play my part in ensuring the rise of many, not just a few, in Nigeria.
Nigeria worked for me; Nigeria is working for me. It MUST WORK for all.
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