Did you know that the way to attaining real success in life is to apply knowledge gained to first solving real or societal problems, than in the selfish pursuit of riches?

Education is a mental exercise that is engaged in for the sole purpose of gaining existing and new knowledge that should benefit not only the learner but society at large. Unfortunately, the misapplication of knowledge gained through education, especially in the Nigerian setting, is quite worrisome.

When the question: 'Why are you going to school' is posed to most students, the general response is that they want to become better qualified (gain knowledge) for a good job; and by a good job they mean a job that comes with six figure digits, as salary.

Sadly, academic sponsors themselves do not think on different terms too. Most parents objective of sending their wards to acquire knowledge is not different from the above aim. In fact, it has become the tradition in Nigeria that the reason you should send your child to any institution of learning is so as to give him/her the opportunity to become successful in the future through acquiring a 'good job' and to make more money.

Unfortunately, by basing the acquisition of educational knowledge to gaining a good job has sort of made most Nigerians to become wholly dependent on the government for jobs and for their survival. They become unable to think out of the box by their inability to explore opportunities that exist in their immediate environment. In the end, unemployment rate just keeps climbing higher and higher leading to no jobs and the turning of the few employees who could find any job into slaves with meager wages and salaries. Thus, the educational dreams of many Nigerians have become defeated as many are instead enslaved by this wrong notion and application of educational knowledge.

And truly, this wrong perception of application of knowledge gained from institutions of learning has become a national problem, limiting the advancement the nation should make in an age where information (knowledge gained) is power.

Bill Gates, founder of Microsoft; Steve Jobs, co-founder of Apple; Inc., Jeff Bezos, founder of Amazon; Richard Branson, founder of the Virgin Group; and Jack Ma Yun, founder of the Alibaba Group, are just a few of the names of men who applied knowledge to solving the problems of others rather than to first benefit themselves. By so doing, because the problems of more people were solved, the path to great riches and wealth became open to them.

Here in Nigeria, there are people who apply the knowledge they have gained in the education process (in their bid to make lots of money for themselves) to dupe and rob their own fathers, mothers, brothers, sisters, relatives and other citizens through the diversion of opportunities to themselves. They become educated robbers who do not think of applying their knowledge to help solve societal or community problems, but to steal from their people. You see them exercising this evil act in governance and leadership positions they occupy. They become viruses and mosquitoes that suck the people dry as they perpetrate frauds against the masses,

It is time that Nigerians change this wrong mental state of theirs. The reason unemployment rate is high is not because Nigeria has ran out of its resources or opportunities for wealth creation, it is simply because many Nigerians are still erroneously seeking the acquisition of knowledge for a selfish purpose that is first aimed at their personal enrichment. In other words, Nigerians should put the interest of others before theirs, by first acquiring knowledge with the sole intent to use it to change lives by providing economic solutions to economic problems.

Acquiring education, in any form, with the intent to gain a good job so as to make a lot of money is a misplaced priority. Education should be beyond the quest for personal riches or wealth but should instead be pursued with the intent to use knowledge gained to advance human civilizations by promoting affordable solutions that solve current and future problems. This is the true path to acquiring great wealth and riches; not the application of knowledge for selfish benefits.

Therefore, acquire knowledge to create opportunities, not look for jobs; to first help solve societal problems before the pursuit of your interests; and to achieve positive change for the world, not selfish ones. It is only when academic knowledge gained is applied this way that you can be sure of becoming real successful in life.

#penglobaldiscourse mypublicdiscourse #education