To my young compatriots…
Without the kerosene lamp, some of us would not be where we are today. With the help of this lamp, we were able to study and do our assignments.
Close to four decades ago, the humble kerosene lamp was my main source of light whenever the almighty NEPA struck. Sadly, millions still rely on this lamp today for illumination.
In perspective, the first generating power plant was installed in Lagos in 1898, just seventeen years after its introduction in England. 125 years afterwards, we are still in darkness!
Against all odds, with the kerosene lamp, we passed our WAEC exams in flying colours even though we did not have enough teachers or covered the syllabus fully.
We studied on our own. My classmates here on my friends list would bear me witness. We read A. F Abbott and M. Nelkon Physics texts cover to cover. We chewed Holderness/Lambert and Ababio Chemistry texts cover to cover.
Additional mathematics was devoured whole with great ferocity on our own. Same thing for ordinary mathematics, English language, Geography, Economics, Agricultural science and Biology.
What was the driver? Well, we reasoned that the only ticket out of the quagmire we were in was to pass our exams with distinctions and escape. My WAEC result paved the way for the full Soviet Union scholarship I obtained.
My dear young compatriots, you may be feeling that you have been let down by our country (Nigeria) in terms of opportunities and better life. You are probably thinking that the older generations got a better deal and they once enjoyed good life.
Sure, some very few with rich parents did enjoy good life in the past just like some are doing right now, however most did not. Nigeria has always been a very tough and difficult place to survive in and will continue to be so for the foreseeable future.
However, once you are literate, the acquisition of knowledge is your responsibility. Most brilliant scholars are self taught.
Some of my colleagues with whom I burned the midnight oil are now professors. Some are medical doctors, engineers, lawyers, bankers etc practising their professions in Nigeria, Europe, the US, Canada etc.
You now have the Internet – a global library in your pocket. In my days, access to information was very difficult. The few libraries around had only archaic books most of which were in terrible state and often in tatters. Use the Internet to find opportunities and gain knowledge.
There are scholarships, internships, business opportunities hiding in plain sight. Seek them out and take advantage of the opportunities. There are also free educational videos from Ivy league universities in the US, Oxford/Cambridge etc on YouTube and other platforms. Find them and improve your knowledge.
Guess what? If you manage to finish successfully from any Nigerian school under these hardships, you can never fail any exam in Europe, the US, China, Japan etc even if you had already made a pact with failure itself.
Ire o!
Credit: Olobe Yonyon
