Keynote Speech at the IG Aguowo Health and Academic Foundation 2nd Education Seminar and Fourth Phase of Scholarship Award Ceremony, “Education: Ticket to a Better Future,” by Frank O Igbojindu (Akpoazaa), CEO Best Brain Contest on September 8, 2023.
Good afternoon, your Excellences, Distinguished guests, Students, ladies and gentlemen.
Greatest Nigerian Students!!!
I am grateful to Ichie Ignatius Aguowo, Chairman and Founder IG Aguowo Health and Academic Foundation for inviting me to participate in this 2nd Education Seminar and Fourth phase of Scholarship Award Ceremony. At a moment in our national history when we pay far too little attention to the transformative impact of education on our children and youth, families, and communities, I commend you for taking the time to invest in education. You recognized that by investing in these children today, you are building the society we hope to see in our future. I quote, “Investment in Education indeed is an indirect way of storing wealth for future use” (Frank Igbojindu 2020). May God bless you sir. I also would like to thank all who have dedicated their life’s work to the education system: teachers, administrators, volunteers etc. And finally, I would like to recognize you (students) the beneficiaries and your families. I thank you for being here, and I applaud your commitment and dedication knowing that Education is a ticket to a better future
Meaning of Education
Education is made up of the word “To educate” which means to tell, to transfer knowledge. The more knowledge you gain, the more opportunities you are being opened up to and these opportunities will expose you to better possibilities in life, career and personal growth. By knowledge, I don’t only mean your academics but everything you need to know today including academics.
Education can be formal or informal.
Formal Education: Formal education initiates at the basic level. It continues till the college or university level where people study bachelor and master courses. It comes under a certain combination of rules and regulations and it may provide a formal degree after the completion of the course. This type of education is provided by the teachers that are highly qualified and educated and are under strict discipline as well.
Informal Education: Informal education is the type of education where people are not studying in a specific school or a college. Education begins at home.
They do not use any specific learning method or technique. When a father teaches his son how to ride a bicycle or a mother teaches her daughter how to cook food, then these learnings fall under the category of Informal Education. You can also get informal education by reading some books from any library or any educational website on the internet. However, unlike the formal education, informal education has no particular syllabus or any specific time period for learning.
Education whether formal or informal, the most important thing is that the person acquires the knowledge, ideas, skills, and attitude: Education equips you in all ramifications.
Importance of Education in the Life of a Student
The importance of education cannot be overemphasized. Education equips one with the requisite skill he or she needs to be of value to oneself and to the society at large. (explain). The general idea of getting education is to be a solution provider. Eg carpenter, business, nursing.
Education provides the student with financial freedom.
Education helps the students in using the technology in a better way in this era of rapid technological development and transformation.
Some of the Challenges of Education (So many but I will like to speak on one of the most important)
- High cost of education: the cost of education is going high everyday. Income of some parents could not enable their ward attain quality education. Some that manage to finish from primary or secondary school could not further or acquire tertiary education.
Solution to this Challenge of high cost of education is why we are here today. IG Aguowo Health and Academic Foundation has made this easier and simple for our parents. The burden of not attaining quality education has been reduced to a barest minimum. Now the ball is in your court. This particular scholarship award by IG Aguowo Foundation is full packaged. It will see you through from your present class till you finish from your first degree in tertiary institution.
How can you have a better future through Education?
- Personal development: this is very important to one’s future. Education contributes to one’s personal development by introducing them to different perspectives. It will help you develop various problem solving skills, and good interpersonal relationship. It shapes a person approach towards life, leading to an increase in confidence and success.
Most of us tend to live uneducated lives, in spite of our education thereby leading to unsuccessful future.
Education is key to success. In other words it is essential and a ticket to a better future. You may argue it but the statement is legit. Name one man who succeeded without education. Ha, I know many will be quick to mention people like Mark Zukerberg or Bill gates because zukerberg had never being to any higher learning of institution but he made a fortune for himself but hold on, he may not have had formal education but you will be wrong to say he had no education. Remember, Education is simply the process of knowledge and skill acquisition. There are several ways to reach to a better future and school is just one of many such creations. Yes I agree that school is not the only means to attain a better future but I ask what viable skill do you have to succeed in real life?
Many have continue to say that education is scam and some say education is not a key to success or not a ticket to better future when clearly you have no viable skill beside playing around. You call names like bill gates and zukerberg who dropped out of school to buttress your claim that education is not the key to success well bill gates didn’t need the key, he literally made his own doors and windows to success, so unless you got skills like zukerberg, stay in school and play around.
The cracks of my message is simple: add VALUE to yourself. Engage yourself with skill acquisition during holidays. Equip yourself with a requisite skill, knowledge and training that sells in the real world. Being in school doesn’t exempt you from this. Business owners employ skills and not thermometers. So just your degrees is not enough. No greater master exist than the master that carries the things that you were not taught in school. - Power of Thought: Education is not just limited to knowing or learning known things, it’s about creating, testing and re-learning. With good education, you can be able to plan for the future. As it will open up many opportunities to explore, grow and enhance living along with freedom of mind and body.
Proverb 23 vs 27: “For as he thinketh in his heart, so is he”. The word heart is interchanged with mind. It didn’t say so it will be, it says so it is. That means the mind equates your thought with the realities.
Most people who desire to prosper through education will guide their thought about life.
Your thought, your mental state has a lot to do with you having a better future. So as it is in your mind, so will it manifest.
Everything in life is built twice. First in your mind, and then physically. Build your possibilities: Nothing is impossible with education. Let your mind start building for tomorrow.
The law of mental transformation: your mind is an extraordinary fertile garden. It will grow any seed planted therein and give you an abundant harvest of the seeds.
Seeds are ideas you allow. Such seeds can be failures, limitations, success, victory etc.
Your mind on his own does not have ability to reject any seed.
Drop limitation, it will grow
Drop discouragement, it will grow
Drop success, it will grow.
You must pay attention to what you drop there.
As a student what kind of seed do you plant in your mind? So many of you have filled your minds with impossibilities. Tell yourself that it’s possible. I shall have a better future. Then work towards it.
Your future is more of a product of your philosophy than the economy. That means it’s not the economy of your territory that determines your future but your philosophy.
No matter what changes in the economy, if you don’t change your philosophy, you will still remain poor.
Finally, Education is a privilege and something that is taken for granted by those who have it. IG Aguowo Health and Academic Foundation want to help make it accessible to as many children as they can. Many children do not have an education due to financial restrictions as they are unable to afford it. Don’t take this kind gesture for granted. Take this great opportunity very serious as it leads you to a better future.
Remember, Education is not limited to going to school but also cover every other aspect of your lives.
Food for thought:
An illiterate is someone who cannot read and write, so
What do we call someone who went to school and still cannot read and write?
And what do we call someone who never went to school but can read and write? Never give up on your dreams. Be focused.
Keep those thoughts to yourselves but I will leave you with one quote from Albeit Einstein. “Education is what remains after one has forgotten what one learns in school”
Frank O. Igbojindu (Akpoazaa), CEO Best Brain Contest
Keynote Speech on “Education, Ticket to a Better Future”
September 8, 2023.
