The venue is largely set for the 11th Graduation Ceremony of Tekedia Mini-MBA. Our Graduation Lecture will be delivered by one of the nation’s finest in the world of finance, Azeez Lawal, a Tekedia Institute’s Finance Faculty and Managing Director of TrustBanc Capital.

Thank you Emmanuel Olusola, the Program Director of the Graduation Committee; members of the Committee; and all Graduating Co-learners.

Tekedia Mini-MBA is a world-class innovation management program which is attended by professionals, students and organizations from more than 41 countries. It has a total faculty strength of close to 350, including executives from Google, Flutterwave,  Access Bank, KPMG, Microsoft, Shell, First Bank, Bitmama, and many great local and international firms you admire.

More students attend Tekedia Institute business education programs than any university in Africa. The Institute has won Mhagic Velocity $60,000 Prize for innovation on entreprenurial business education.

President Bola Tinubu has said he will end the adoption of ineffective economic policies that result in the spending of 90% of the nation’s limited revenue on servicing foreign debts, particularly amid numerous developmental hurdles confronting the country.

The President disclosed this on Sunday during the commencement of the Annual Conference of the Nigerian Bar Association at the Velodrome, situated within the Chief MKO Abiola Stadium in Abuja.

Addressing an assembly of approximately 16,190 legal professionals present, President Tinubu posed a crucial question, “Can we continue to service external debts with 90% of our revenue?

He said “It is a path to destruction. It is not sustainable. We must make the very difficult changes that are necessary for our country to get up from slumber and be respected among the great nations of the world”.

He was speaking on the theme of the conference, “Getting it Right: Charting the Course for Nigeria’s Nation-Building.” The president emphasized that the desired prosperity for Nigerians can only materialize when the society rids itself of poverty, a goal that necessitates dedicated collaboration from the country’s private sector leaders, a significant number of whom graced the inaugural event.

He stated that challenging choices must be made to steer the country onto a path of growth, notwithstanding the initial difficulties that substantive reforms typically entail.

“We cannot have the country we desire without the reforms we have initiated. It is painful at the beginning, in the short and medium term, but we must do what we have to do to take this nation to its great destiny. It is not about you and it is not about me. It is about our generations yet unborn, for whom we must bequeath a great and prosperous country,” he said.

He tasked judicial officers and legal practitioners, whom he vowed to deal conclusively with their pressing issue of remuneration, to join hands together in solving Nigeria’s problems. The president noted on the issue of remuneration, that true justice reform must begin with world-class salaries and benefits for legal professionals in Nigeria.

“You are learned. I want to learn. Why are we so blessed and we are still lacking? We must have a change of attitude and a change of our mindset. We accuse our nation and its previous leaders. We complain a lot of the past. Is that the solution? No! Let us look forward and be determined! God has given us what we need. We must work hard with determination to make our country great and it begins with you who are seated here with me,” the President exclaimed.

In reference to the Keynote speech delivered by Mr. Tony Elumelu, the Chairman of UBA Plc and Heirs Holdings, who was commended for outlining a roadmap for economic progress, President Tinubu lamented the nation’s incapacity to eliminate poverty and address the issue of inadequate electricity supply, despite the substantial availability of gas resources in Nigeria.

Elumelu in his speech, decried Nigeria’s inability to power many of its power stations due to gas shortages when the country is blessed with abundant natural gas.

Tinubu pledged his administration’s dedication to ensuring that Nigeria produces and disseminates the necessary electricity to foster economic prosperity

“Yes, it is a shame not to have adequate electricity for the mass majority of homes in Nigeria and to power our industries. How can we address poverty without electricity? We can take many people out of poverty with uninterrupted electricity supply. Poverty is not acceptable, and we must banish it,” President Tinubu concluded.

Let me congratulate the Nigeria Governors’ Forum and the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) for the three-day retreat for Nigerian governors in Kigali, Rwanda from August 24–26, 2023. Sure, great speakers must have presented development cases which the Excellencies  are expected to take back to Nigeria, to advance our citizens.

Nonetheless, let me add three things as part of my unsolicited contributions on what makes Rwanda amazing:

1.Pursuit of Zero Corruption: Rwanda has done well on building institutions and those institutions are designed to be supreme, above the citizens. If you walk into the Rwanda Development Board, you may think you are in Goldman Sachs, on their quality, and execution capabilities. I had the privilege of contributing to their technology roadmap. They have a clear playbook to make corruption insignificant on the affairs of the nation. (Message: kill corruption in states)

2.Pursuit of Diaspora: Rwanda possibly knows every Rwandan studying abroad, and has a plan on what that person could do for the nation upon graduation. As you might have seen, most of the young Rwandans running the government came back because the government has a plan for them. (Message: what plans do you have for the youth of your state?)

3. Accumulation of Capabilities: This is where Rwanda is unparalleled in Africa. They look around the world, enticing capable people to come and help them. Nigerians are always available. From Carnegie Mellon University Pittsburgh, I was on for the Rwanda campus extension. Prof Egiebor was the deputy vice chancellor of the University of Rwanda. Prof Ogwu was the rector of Kigali Institute of Technology, Rwanda. ETC. (Message: look for capable people because every Nigerian could be an Abian, Lagosian, etc and use the best to advance shared prosperity in your state)

Please add these three components as you transform our Nigerian states.

Comment on Feed

Comment 1: What is the strategic reason for Nigerian Governors’ Forum to have a retreat all the way in Rwanda??

Comment 1R: it was important for them to see a live case of an African country that actually works. It’s different from speaking about these things like it’s a dream or fantasy. Hopefully they got the point

Comment 1R: I want to believe it’s for Environmental influence on human psychology reasons,it’s a welcome development,going outside your common ecosystem to learn,see and witness something uncommon to your usual terrain. Rwandan being one of the fastest growing African economies isn’t a bad place for such,I hope they also do same by visiting Egypt and even inviting the Leaders of UAE ?? to such gatherings to help change their leadership mentality and switch priorities from what it use to be to what it’s supposed to be.

Comment 2: Insightful points! Rwanda’s approach to corruption, diaspora engagement, and attracting capabilities is indeed remarkable. These lessons hold immense value for advancing our Nigerian states. Thank you for sharing this perspective.