Category Archives: My DN Travel News

Career Development, General, My DN Travel News, My Ideas for Making Nigeria Better, Parenting, Self-Development, Writing/Blogging

Do You Want a Comprehensive Guide to Private Universities in Benin Republic?

February 12, 2014 Tayo Solagbade Leave a comment

A recent email from one of my newsletter subscribers read (in part) as follows: “Tayo, pls can u guide me on university education in Benin Republic? Ranging from the standard ones to qualifications and range of tuition fee as well as accommodation.”

Sadly, I was only able to send her links to a list of approved universities published on the Nigerian Embassy website, and to the website of a client who is a top decision maker in one of the leading universities here.

In truth, what she wanted was a WHOLE lot of information that cannot be found in one place!

Here’s the detailed response I sent to her…

“I’m not sure what your understanding of my work is, and especially how I operate here in Benin Republic.

The truth is I do not have access to that kind – and volume(!) – of information on private universities here.

Even people who OWN or work in them would struggle to give you all you’ve asked for!

My Suggestions:

1. I have a client: www.nanaarnold.com who is a top decision maker in one of such private universities.

You may contact him via his site to see if he can help you.

Note that you take full responsibility for your subsequent actions in this regard.

2. Check with the Nigerian embassy.

The ambassador once published a list of accredited institutions and their approved courses at http://nigerianembassybenin.org/?page_id=633

You may wish to contact them for additional guidance.

3. I’m an entrepreneur based here.

My work in the area of web marketing/freelance writing brings me in periodic contact with stakeholders in the industry.

I can do a detailed survey of the accredited schools along the lines of your enquiry, and prepare a comprehensive table on which the different institutions can be compared, to aid your decision making.

But that would be a lot of work, and it would be for a professional fee.

Hope this helps

===End of email reply===

After sending the above email, I realized I could have added a 4th suggestion:

4. Consider taking a trip down to Benin Republic for a few days to see things for yourself.

Plan to come in early in the week – say from Tuesday.

You would have possibly printed out the list of approved institutions and courses from the Embassy website. If possible you could visit the Ministry of Education in Nigeria to get the list.

Indeed it is likely they would also be able to give you a more comprehensive list that includes all approved courses offered by EACH institution.

Armed with that, you would then visit Benin Republic, and go to the equivalent ministry of education office here, to obtain get the full contact details of the institutions on your list.

Once you get that, the next step will be to call and/or visit each one to find out the details you want.

If any have website addresses, you could start by checking them out online.

But only START by doing that…do NOT stop there!

My experience however strongly indicates you would be VERY wise to STILL plan a physical visit to each school to establish what they really have to offer.

Or what would be the point of traveling ALL the way down to Benin in the first place, if you then did NOT visit their premises in what is such a small country?

What’s more moving around in Benin is generally not a problem. So you will rarely have to worry about traffic or any other annoyances.

Final Words: “My Comprehensive Guide to Private Universities in Benin Republic” – Coming Soon

I did not like the fact that I was unable to help that email enquirer on such an important matter. Considering that I’m based here, and engaged primarily in freelance writing online and off the web (of articles, reports and guides on different subjects), I believe I should help out in this area.

So, that email has now made me resolve to do the necessary detailed research and investigation to come up with a comprehensive guide to “Private Universities in Benin Republic”.

I’ll offer it as a new information product from my website.

This is because it’s obvious – from what I’ve seen over the past 10 months – that many people (parents and students) looking for reliable and unbiased resources to help them make their choices.

Hopefully, what I come up with will fill that need, to some extent.

If you’d like to be notified when the “Comprehensive Guide to Private Universities in Benin Republic” becomes available, fill and submit this form, to join my mailing list.

Entrepreneurship, Farm Biz, General, My DN Travel News, Public Speaking, Writing/Blogging

No. 128: Using Location Independent Multipreneuring to Achieve Public Speaking Success

February 10, 2014 Tayo Solagbade Leave a comment

I began my “Location Independent Multiprenuring Travels” across West Africa, on 1st April 2013 – about 10 months ago. The amazing successes I’m achieving (some described below) convince me one MUST be willing to take greater risks, to move to higher levels of achievement.

If I’d remained in Nigeria, I doubt I’d have achieved this much by now! (Want to know why I chose to relocate to Benin Republic? Click here).

This is why I share my experiences on my website. I want people to learn (from reading about how I use myself as a “guinea pig” of sorts) what they can do to advance towards their goals in life.

SCROLL DOWN TO READ FULL ISSUE

Home | Subscribe | About | Contact

Publication: Weekly Public Speaking IDEAS Newsletter

Date: Monday 10th February 2014

No:128

Title: Using Location Independent Multipreneuring to Achieve Public Speaking Success

Author & Publisher: Tayo K. Solagbade [Tel: +234-803-302-1263 (in Nigeria) or +229-66-122-136 (in Benin Republic) ]

Blog URL: http://www.tayosolagbade.com/blog

Archive (E-mail version started 14th May 2012): Click here to view

Archive (Blog version started 24th September 2011): Click here

Have You Downloaded Your Gifts?

As a subscriber to my mailing list, you get to access over 10 potentially useful books and reports.

Click here to view the download page:

Can’t find it? No problem. E-mail me via tayo at tksola dot com and I’ll send you another. Not yet a subscriber? Click here to signup.

**** **********

NB: This newsletter is published every Monday. Point your browser to www.tayosolagbade.com/sdnuggets to read at least ONE new post added to my SD Nuggets blog on a different category from Tuesday till Saturday (sometimes even Sundays) in line with this publishing schedule

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No. 128: Using Location Independent Multipreneuring to Achieve Public Speaking Success

If I’d remained in Nigeria, I doubt I’d have achieved this much by now! (Want to know why I chose to relocate to Benin Republic? Click here).

This is why I share my experiences on my website. I want people to learn (from reading about how I use myself as a “guinea pig” of sorts) what they can do to advance towards their goals in life.

Thanks to a New Facebook Friend for Asking Me a Question

This issue of my newsletter is an update of sorts about my Location Independent Multipreneuring, which is taking me “slowly” across West Africa.

If not for a new Facebook friend that I’ll simply call D.M, I’ll probably not have gotten round to writing it. She sent me a Facebook message asking:

“So, are you still travelling across Africa?? What are you up to?”

Her enquiry, as I told her, came in as I was contemplating writing an update on my blog about my travels. So I decided to kill 2 birds with one stone…by writing to answer her, and at the same time end up with a new article update to publish under the “My DN Travels” category on my blog.

Yes I Am Still Travelling…Across West Africa…But Slowly…

I’m working to deliberately achieve name recognition and promote my products/services to more members of my target audience, in West Africa, who may not yet be so web friendly.

And they are many – especially business owners (for some strange reason) – who are like that.

My strategy is to use what I call my Public Speaking for Business Marketing System (PSBM)™ – which I conceived/began using in Nigeria back in 2002 – to get their attention and interest at zero cost.

I’m actively creating awareness about what I can do to help groups and organisations. And I’m doing it in a way that, over time, MOVES them to invite me to contact me.

From there, as has happened in the past, some may engage me to do deliver my products and services.

Here are some of the activities I’m focussed on…

1. Zero Cost Book Publishing Information & Education for Writers

For instance, I’m trying to get the Pan African Writers Association (PAWA) in Ghana, to bring me in to speak to/coach their members.

This is with respect to using web based Print On Demand Publishing to get their physical books published and delivered to a global paying audience at zero cost.

I’ve been selling physical copies of my own flagship Self-Development manual, using web based zero cost Print On Demand publishing, since 2005 – when I met with the PAWA president during a 2 week stay in Accra.

He’d been quite excited by the idea of not needing to pay hefty fees to traditional publishers to get books in print, for sale locally or abroad.

But he wanted me to send a physical copy of my book which I’d shown him online. A few months later, I sent a copy through a friend that I stayed with in Accra, who worked with a bank.

I never heard back from him, but I mentally resolved that I’d follow up at the right time. I believe that time is now here.

See my self development bible which is physically shipped worldwide on sale www.lulu.com/sdaproducts.

2 months ago (December 2013), I also got paid for writing a 4,000 word agribusiness research paper for an international organisation. Apart from visiting Nigeria to conduct a questionnaire survey, I only had to sit down and write based on what I knew!

A few days ago, I got email notification that my 500 word short story titled “The Deadly High School Students Street Fight” did NOT get selected for phase 2 of an international competition I entered it for.

I sent in my submission from the competition website on the night of the very last day for entries – 31st December 2013 (while others were watching movies).

Many such online (free-to-enter) writing contests exist. A Google search will yield useful links to follow.

I argue that any writer, who feels s/he is good, and lacks “funds”, can start by entering for such contests.

There are cash prizes (up to $3,000 USD) to be won by finalists. If/when you win, you can channel such earnings to boost your writing career.

Why not? It’s better than sitting at home moaning about how no publisher will give you a chance!!

Many writers across Africa don’t know it’s possible. Even today. Yet most complain of “lack of money” to get their book ideas published/sold, or to support their writing dreams.

I aim to help them out through their organisations.

2. Farm CEOs Benefit From Connecting With Me Too!

I also use variants of the above approach to promote other solutions I offer to farm business owners (e.g. my popular Feed Formulation Handbook and Ration Formulator Software).

To get my foot in the door, I aim to visit and become familiar with the different cultures in each country. [NB: I’ve visited some in the past (e.g. Ghana and Cameroon), and I’ll be exploiting contacts made back then to achieve my goals.]

Then based on unique insights I gain from my interactions and observations, I use my writing to offer them new ideas, information and education.

Lots of real life story telling about experiences I had in places like Ghana, Cameroon, Nigeria, and here in Benin Republic, is done, to “sell myself” as credible and authentic, AND therefore worthy of trust.

Over time, this and other approaches, make business owners and organisational decision makers discover me, and they often go on to connect with me.

It IS a slow process. But it works. And it Has a Very Long Lasting Marketing Reach and Impact

For instance since starting my travels on 1st April 2013, by coming to Benin Republic, I’ve had many more prospects readily make enquiries (and sometimes purchases) of my Ration Formulator software from in and out of Africa. E.g. Tanzania, Cameroon, S/Africa, Kenya, Iran, India, Bangladesh, Canada, USA.

It’s been amazing to see how writing about what I do DAILY, on my blog, with periodic reference to my travel experiences is making more people connect with me.

I’ve had buyers from all over Nigeria (east, west, north and south).

Just yesterday I fulfilled another N12,500 order for my feed formulation software.

The buyer called my Nigeria mobile line just as I boarded a bus headed to the Benin Republic border, from Lagos (where I’d gone to attend my Dad’s 80th birthday anniversary celebration).

The best part is however that I now get email and phone requests from Nigerians in Diaspora

They often request my advice (often making it clear they’re ready to pay or offer “ownership”) on market opportunities in Nigeria/West Africa, for business ideas they’re considering investing in e.g. fish farming, milk importation etc.

A few days ago, I made a recommendation to one such group that contacted me via Facebook. If they adopt it, and choose to have me implement it, I may be going across W/African markets to conduct a survey of imported milk products, towards writing a feasibility study for the decision makers to consider.

3. Farm Products Based Micro Scale Business Development Coaching

Then locally here in Benin, I’ve developed a pineapple peel based drink and cakes range, which has gotten me noticed at the Nigerian embassy here in Cotonou.

For instance, see www.tayosolagbade.com – where my on-demand talk about using peels from pineapples (and 9 other fruits) to make drinks that can be sold.

The subject interests people here, because pineapple is a national product, sold and consumed everywhere – daily. The tonnes of peels/rinds get thrown away.

What I have done proves it can be recycled. That has significant income generation and job creation potentials/implications.

I aim to get support to travel the region giving my flagship talk and training to interested groups.

A Beninese professor was at the Nigerian embassy, when I showed the bottled drinks to a top officer back in September.

He insisted on driving me to his home (hours away) in Kasato, outside Cotonou, to meet his entire family.

After I gave a brief overview of how I began making drinks using the peels, he scolded the kids who were students in the university saying: “This man only got here a few months ago, and look what he’s already doing in our country! Why can’t you do the same?”

Later I was treated to a sumptuous meal. And when he dropped me off that night, he told me he would want me to come give talks to his students at the national language centre.

This year, I believe we’ll be able to make something happen in that regard.

The Chamber of Commerce Administrator for a certain Francophone nation here in Cotonou, has been one of my most fervent advocates.

After eating the 50% pineapple peel cakes I took to his office in December (he’d tasted the drinks 2 months before) he told me to send him all my promotional materials in French.

I’ll get around to that soon. I’d proposed going to their country to give talks on the subject.

4. Public Speaking for Business Marketing (PSBM) & Web Marketing Coaching

I’m using 1 to 3 described above, to build up to THIS number activity…

Back in June 2013, I developed (and have since begun selling on CDROM) Part 1 of a Quick & Dirty Guide to English Language for French Speakers…and to French Language for English Speakers. There are 9 other chapters planned.

I’m now convinced that I can offer live “English public/speaking conversation practise sessions” for people at the brew pub I plan to open. Sales of my language guide, and the practice sessions would attract patrons to events I organise in my pub.

Like I said, things (including ideas) just seem to fall in place over time…:-))

My various activities have led a Cameroonian (web marketing) client, who is part-owner of a Private University here, to request that I deliver talks to students in the institution.

Hopefully we’ll be able to agree terms etc.

My key offering, as a I travel, is however a “Talk on How to Use Public Speaking – & Web Marketing Systems – for Zero Cost Business Marketing”.

With the successes I now have under my belt, I’m certain this aspect of my plans will take off in 2014.

Final Words: What You Can Take Away…

That sums up the latest update on where I am in my work/travels, and what the near future looks like ;-))

But here’s something I’d like you to take away from all this…

You see, I did not start out knowing what the future held for me.

Yet I took the step to begin the journey, after realizing I needed to change my “environment” to succeed better.

Then I made sure that I never let a single day pass, without taking firm action to progress my plans.

What I found, over time, was that other things I needed began falling in place. I just had to proceed with faith and persistence.

Some Would Say I lead a Charmed Life. That I was/am lucky.

The truth is however that I have paid (and continue to PAY) my dues!

If you think doing any of the above the way I do them is easy, think again.

But I LOVE what I do, so it comes easy to me.

Find what YOU love to do, and apply a similar approach to the above – with faith/persistence. You’ll eventually find yourself succeeding, seemingly effortlessly, no matter what anyone says or does!

Get Burt Dubin’s Public Speaking Mentoring
for Africa Based Experts(PDF…Click!)

Tayo K. Solagbade*

Self-Development/Performance Improvement Specialist

*Sole Agent For Burt Dubin’s Speaker Mentoring Service In Africa

Mobile: +234-803-302-1263 (in Nigeria) or +229-66-122-136 (in Benin Republic)

http://www.tayosolagbade.com

Self-Development/Performance Enhancement Specialist – Tayo Solagbade – works as a multipreneurial freelance writer providing zero risk article and report writing support for website owners, while travelling slowly across West Africa as a Location Independent Multipreneur.

He’s presently based in Benin Republic, where he’s preparing an English-French Language Guide, City Travel Guides, and a Commercial Rabbit Farming Guide.

He earns multiple streams of income providing clients with performance improvement training/coaching, custom MS Excel-VB solutions, web marketing systems, freelance writing services, and best practice extension support services (for farm business owners).

In a previous life, before leaving to become self-employed, Tayo served for seven years as a high performing manager in Guinness Nigeria. He rose from Shift Brewer, to Training & Technical Development Manager, then later acted in senior management roles as Production Manager and Technical Manager.

When he’s not amazing clients with his superhuman skills (wink), Tayo works as the creative force behind his Self-Development Nuggets™ blog, and Public Speaking IDEAS newsletter (which he publishes to promote Burt Dubin’s Public Speaking Mentoring service to experts working across the African continent).

For a limited time, Tayo is available to speak to your group or organization for a moderate fee. Send e-mail to tayo at tksola dot com. You can also visit www.tksola.com to learn more.

Connect with him on Twitter @tksola.com and Facebook.

==================

Useful Resources for Speakers

Burt Dubin works with people who want to be speakers, and with speakers who want to be masters. Click here to visit his website NOW and submit a contact form message telling him what challenges you’re facing, and how you’d like him to help you. Tell him I sent you, and you’ll get a pleasant surprise offer from him.

Burt Dubin’s monthly Speaking Biz Strategies Letter [Signup & get a 7-Part Email Course on “How To Succeed And Get Paid As A Professional Speaker“]

Get Burt’s mentoring at any of the 3 levels below:

1. Top Shelf [Click here]

2. Mid Range [Click here]

3. Budget Delight [Click here]

Publications

Burt Dubin’s latest book: “On Being a Master”

Download Chapter 1 Preview as PDF

Visit the “On Being a Master” website

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Showmanship Stratagems

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more information

How To Create a Great Program Manual

Discover how you can produce a precious memento of you and your program. Capture over 44 model pages you can easily adapt for your use. Engage proven principles that add value to the experience of sitting at your feet and learning from you.

This is a reprise of the historic presentation that launched the Speaking Success System.

No copy of this 2 CD program and 50 page Learning Guide has ever been returned.

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Download above PDF

Download above PDF

THEY WROTE…

“(Tayo Solagbade) is amazing and I think he is going to produce some impressive results online…” – click here to read full comment by Patrick Meninga (US based 6 figure income blogger who gained fame for building a $2,000 per month adsense website and selling it for $200,000).

—————————–

“Tayo, I honestly believe you are one of those who will succeed at anything he does. Your commitment and effort has been outstanding….Thanks for all your hard work since I’ve been here – you will be sorely missed. I don’t need to wish you good luck, you have the ability to make your own luck. – Andy”(R. Jones)*

*Operations Manager, Guinness Nigeria Plc Benin Brewery, December 2001 (Handwritten comments in farewell/xmas cards sent to Tayo Solagbade following his resignation to start his own business).

———————–

Click here to contact Tayo…

SD Nuggets Blog™	New posts from last week that may interest you! *
Public Speaking[Monday]:	No. 127: Master FEAR, and You’ll Achieve Mastery In Any Field
General[Tuesday]:	Happy 80th Birthday to our SUPER DAD!
Self-Development [Wednesday]:	Proof That Poverty Cannot Make People Steal…If They Don’t Want To (A True Story)
Career Development [Thursday]:	Do We Really Become More Prone to “Forgetting” As We Grow Older?
Parenting [Friday]:	Why Your Child May Need a Liberal Arts Education to Succeed
General[Saturday]:	You Can Agree to Disagree and Still LOVE (Tribute to my father at 80!)
Writing/Blogging [Sunday]:	The Deadly High School Students Street Fight (A True Short Story I Submitted to the 2013 GKBCinc Short Story Competition) Achieve Writing Success by Reading More Frequently and Deliberately
Want me to write for you? Click here…

Burt Dubin’s Public Speaking Mentoring

for Africa Based Experts(PDF…Click!)

My DN Travel News, Self-Development, Short Stories, Writing/Blogging

Achieve Writing Success by Reading More Frequently and Deliberately

February 9, 2014 Tayo Solagbade Leave a comment

Late last year, I decided to begin writing short story pieces. Click here to read my first ever (500 word) attempt titled “The High School Students Street Fight”, which I entered for the GKBCinc Short Story Competition on 31st December 2013.

I intend to write many more short stories. Most will be based on real life experiences I’ve had, but written in a language that will appeal to kids as well as adults.

My plan is to challenge myself by deliberately entering each piece for ANY available online competitions. Or offline ones that do not require much registration hassle.

Why This Interest in Writing Short Stories?

You see, I’ve noticed that people love to read stories…often fiction or part fiction. They love to read novels – be it fiction or those based on real life events.

I happen to have lots of stories from real life experiences to share.

Over the years, I’ve noticed formal non-fiction writing does not appeal to all those who stand to benefit from the lessons offered in my writing.

But I’ve observed that most people react positively to true story pieces I write.

So, I’m deliberately adopting the use of short stories, to reach out to more members of my target audience.By infusing more entertainment – and less formality – into my writing, I aim to succeed more often in getting my message across to people who need to “hear” it.

I’ll be doing it based on the categories I focus on (e.g. career development, self-development, parenting, entrepreneurship, writing/blogging etc).

To this end, I have now created a Short Stories category to aid people who may wish to search for my write-ups that fall into this new area.

I’m Also Doing It to Help My Kids Become More Competent Writers and Readers

You see, I pay a lot of attention to what my kids tell me about school. I ask them questions about what they learn, their teachers etc.

What I learn convinces me I need to help my kids learn to use self-study techniques to complement whatever they get in school.

My passion for self-education drives me to challenge them to work hard at developing self-tutoring skills.

Succeeding with self-tutoring requires forming a healthy reading habit.

The problem is traditional schools, the way they operate, often make learners develop an aversion for reading.

When reading is not felt to be pleasurable, by the learner, s/he will avoid it wherever/whenever possible. And that will happen a lot when s/he is outside school …where it is unlikely to be “formally required”.

I noticed this was affecting my kids. They did not like being told to read – except it was a comic or magazine with fun content.

So I began encouraging them to think up and write short stories of their own.

To give them ideas, I suggested they read short story books by other authors, and to refer to narratives of traditional African folk tales.

The process has been slow, but so far I’ve gotten the 14 year old to complete one short story, while the 10 and 12 year olds are working to finish their first pieces.

Starting a Parent and Children “Self-Publishing Venture”

I have decided we’ll publish – both online and off the web – a collection of our short stories as a family, in one book, that will be offered for sale.

Years of experience working with kids and young people tells me this strategy can help me boost their natural interest in reading and writing.

I believe when my kids see their names and stories in print, they’ll get excited. Then even if only ONE sale happens, it will inspire them to think of writing more!

And that desire to write more, with coaching I provide, will make them want to read more as well.

Why will this happen?

It’s because the writing process often benefits greatly from reading that is done by a person. And they will discover that, as they participate in this exercise.

Many Great Writers Are Reputed to Have Started Out as Great – Often Voracious(!) – Readers

This is true. And it makes a lot of sense does it not? Very common sense I might add!

But one thing to note is that the quality of what is read is crucially important.

When you read “junk”, your development as a writer is likely to suffer. That’s why great writers recommend reading books by great authors…and nothing else.

Again, it’s just simple common sense.

I’m going to apply that common sense in coaching my kids to develop sound reading/writing skills.

And I aim to help them acquire the ability to earn tangible income using those skills.

Publishing My First Ever Short Story Is the First Step

As I’ve mentioned earlier in this piece, I intend get “The High School Students Street Fight” published as one of a collection of short stories to appear in a book by me and my kids.

Read my 14 year old son’s article titled “The Fool Who Thought He Was Wise (A 14 Year old’s Useful Story About HIV Aids Prevention)”. It will also be included…possibly with changes to make it a more compelling read.

For now, I’ve published my first ever short story (500 words) on this blog – click here.

I’ll try and make our collection of stories have illustrations to make each one interesting, especially to kids.

Today’s advanced PC and Internet technologies make doing the above relatively easy, convenient and affordable.

In fact it can even be done very cheap or at zero cost – if you choose to use Print On Demand Publishing – like I do, and which I strongly recommend.

NB: Read my 2005 article titled “How I Discovered Zero Cost Print On Demand publishing.” AND another titled “Do You Really Have To Find A Conventional Publisher? (A Case for Print On Demand Publishing)“

That’s why I believe more parents may find it useful to adopt a similar approach, to help their kids develop more real world relevant reading and writing skills.

My DN Travel News, Short Stories, Writing/Blogging

The Deadly High School Students Street Fight (A True Short Story I Submitted to the 2013 GKBCinc Short Story Competition)

February 9, 2014 Tayo Solagbade Leave a comment

As the screenshot below shows, this piece – my first ever (500 word) attempt at writing a short story – was not short listed for phase 2 of the GKBCinc Short Story Competition that I entered it for on 31st December 2013, the LAST day for entries! But I’m glad I sent it in anyway.

I now invite you to read the 500 word story (it’s actually based on real events that happened to me), and let me have any comments, or suggestions you think can help me improve.

Compared to writing non-fiction (e.g technical agribusiness cases studies and reports) where I excel, I’m a baby in this field :-)) But I intend to write many more (click here to learn why). And I’ll take all the help I can get!

==STARTS===

The Deadly High School Students Street Fight

| 500 words (Excl. title)

It was almost 9p.m. Oyat was seeing Dele off to the train station, outside the school premises.

Suddenly, Dele said “You know, considering Dagbo’s threats after you got him suspended indefinitely, maybe you should not have come out this late. I hear someone who crossed him landed in hospital with a cracked skull, after being attacked by unknown persons!”

“I’ve heard similar stories too” muttered Oyat.

They reached the mango tree next to the ticket office. Dele went in.

As Oyat waited, he thought about what Dele said, and realised he was right.

Then, at that very moment, he felt like someone was watching him.

Looking round, he thought he saw a figure hurriedly step back into the shadows behind the mango tree. The person had a heavy set frame that, strangely enough, reminded him of Dagbo.

When Dele returned, Oyat looked back again, and saw a cat come out from behind the tree!

He felt stupid. Half-laughing, he turned to Dele saying “Now you’ve made me start imagining things. I thought I saw Dagbo hiding behind the mango tree, but it was just a cat!”

Dele laughed saying “Forget it. He can’t try anything with people around. Let’s sit. I’ve got a great story!”

Dele was a great storyteller. Though Yoruba too, he was born and raised in the famous Kano city, spoke flawless Hausa, and knew many fascinating northern folk tales. About twenty of their school mates soon gathered, as Dele mesmerized everyone.

Time passed quickly.

At a point, their school mates began leaving hurriedly, looking nervous.

Soon, they were down to just six!

Then they heard a bottle break, as a gruff voice snarled “Prefect Oyat! Today I’ll teach you a lesson!”

Their 4 remaining friends disappeared, as Oyat and Dele turned to see Dagbo, flanked by his gang members, holding broken bottles, knives, and sticks.

“So it was him I saw behind the tree!” thought Oyat. “The others ran off on seeing the gang approaching” he realised.

“Don’t say anything” Dele warned.

But Oyat, surprising even himself, suddenly screamed in anger : “Coward! Why not face me alone?”

Enraged, Dagbo began to charge towards Oyat, who braced himself, while imagining the next day’s headline reading “A Deadly High School Students Street Fight!” with a picture of him lying in a pool of blood.

Just then a high pitched train whistle rang out.

Passengers in the arriving train, and intending travellers approaching the tracks, soon saw the gang.

Knowing the police could be called in, Dagbo growled “This is not over!”, as they swiftly melted into the darkness.

Oyat heaved a sigh of relief.

Thanking Dele for his courageous show of friendship, Oyat waited till he boarded the train, then waved as it left.

Walking back to school with others, he reflected on Dagbo’s parting threat, and smiled to himself.

Having sat the final exams, he would not be coming back to this town.

Dagbo didn’t know yet, but this was destined to be: A Deadly High School Students Street Fight…That Never Happened!

==END===

Career Development, Entrepreneurship, Farm Biz, General, My DN Travel News, My Ideas for Making Nigeria Better, Parenting, Public Speaking, Self-Development, Writing/Blogging

You Can Agree to Disagree and Still LOVE (Tribute to my father at 80!)

February 8, 2014 Tayo Solagbade Leave a comment

Photo: My father – Ezekiel Oluwajimi (E.O) Solagbade – cuts his 80th birthday anniversary cake on Tuesday 4th Feb. 2014, with my mom (his wife for 43 years now). Dad is a Civil and Structural Engineer by profession. I absolutely LOVED the cake, because it was beautifully decorated to depict technical drawing tools he uses!

A little history: Before starting his consulting outfit, Dad supervised the construction of some major roads across the country, while with the Ministry of Works – in the 60’s. This meant he had to travel a lot – with my mother.

It was during one of those periods “on the road” that I was born, on 6th July 1970 in a place called New Bussa.

New Bussa used to be in Kwara State, but following the redefinition of state boundaries some years ago, it now falls into Niger State.

(NB: I still have my ORIGINAL birth certificate issued back then. The paper is all brown now, but still very legible.)

Deciding to Visit my “Place of Birth” During my NYSC Service Year (1992/93)

As a student, I’d always filled “New Bussa” in forms while trying to imagine what the place looked like. So, when the time came to go for my one year of mandatory service as a member of the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC), I wrote a letter requesting the NYSC directorate to send me to Niger state.

This was in 1992/93 (I’d completed my degree course at the University of Ibadan, in Oyo state, in 1992)

They were glad to approve my request since the scheme had always been intended to promote regional integration. Here was this Tayo Solagbade, Yoruba guy, asking to be posted to Niger state in the middle belt area of the country.

It was perfect…for them…and for me (or so I thought…LOL).

So I Got Deployed to Spend My Service Year in Niger State…In a REAL VILLAGE!

But my place of primary assignment, much as I’d hoped it would be, was NOT New Bussa.

Instead it was a remote Vatsa village (Yes, “THE late”General Vatsa’s village), on the outskirts of the state.

At the time, they were NOT connected to the National Grid!

For a guy raised in the city, this would turn out to be a perfect introduction to REAL village life…and I fell in LOVE with it!

Newspapers typically arrived 3 days late. Yep. And they didn’t always come…LOL!.

Plus, if you were still there by 5 to 6p.m, you would most likely NOT find any commercial transportation to leave…till the next day!

Sitting Out The June 12 Presidential Election Riots

You may recall the June 12 crisis happened during that service year(?)

Well, 4 fellow NYSC members and I were stuck in that village all through that crisis period!

We only heard the little news that filtered in about the elections and the riots that followed.

Then, we began to see lorries carrying the belongings of Igbos who were fleeing from their Northern bases back to their homes in the East.

The Niger State NYSC director would later come around to visit us.

I recall him telling us we were safer where we were(in the village), than we would be if we tried making it back to our various homes in the south.

Well, back then, it turned out he was right.

None of us got harrassed or disturbed by anyone.

We lived amongst the people – who were mostly farm-loving Gwaris.

I made many great friends amongs them – teachers, and students alike. We made friends with Mohammed Vatsa…the late general’s son.

He was the ONLY person (if I recall correctly) who owned a generator (albeit small – the “I pass my neighbour” type) in the entire village at the time. So we used to spend time with him watching films…poor Corpers we were…LOL!

Demonstration of REAL LOVE from a father!

However, I tell this story to paint a picture of what life was like back then, for youth corpers.

Danger was certainly not something that bothered us.

Unlike today when serving outside your region can pose real dangers – for you…sadly.

During that June 12 crisis, my father kept sending messages through a cousin of ours who owned/ran his business in Abuja (Gwagwalada was just about one hour’s drive from the village).

His Experience of the Kano riots in his younger days, made him believe I was in danger. So he kept sending messages, refusing to accept my replies that I was safe and well, until I agreed to move into my cousin’s house in Abuja.

I stayed there for about 2 weeks.

My Dad scolded me when he finally got to speak with me on the phone.

He said “Look anything can happen. You need to take precautions and protect yourself from danger.”

We all (i.e. my siblings and I) enjoyed such protective gestures from him (and my mother).

Nothing compares to it!

Final Words: We (i.e. Dad and I) Do NOT, of Course, Get Along All The Time…

That’s a fact of life.

No two people ever do.

We’ll always have our differences!

Indeed there was a time when Dad and I argued – sometimes quarrelled(!)- quite a bit 😉

But even those interactions have made me better as a person.

I’ve learnt to appreciate that people will periodically hold divergent, uncompromising views from mine…and to be OKAY with it.

The truth is we CAN always agree to disagree!

Here’s wishing my SUPER DAD, many more prosperous years filled with joy, good health, happiness, and MORE grandchildren!!!!

PS: In next Friday’s post on parenting, I’ll share a story about how he found out I was secretly keeping a baby turtle in our home – and gave me a thorough thrashing…LOL!

My DN Travel News, Parenting, Self-Development

Why Your Child May Need a Liberal Arts Education to Succeed

February 7, 2014 Tayo Solagbade Leave a comment

“One of the benefits of a liberal arts education is that it trains the mind to think.” – Albert Einstein

Einstein was a famous “Theoretical Physicist”…who thought up amazing theories, that changed our lives.

Now Here’s Something Many People Miss About Einstein’s Achievements:

You see, he was a SCIENTIST. That means he specialised in the field of science.

…not the arts…like literature, drama, history, music, philosophy, languages etc:

Yet this great scientist – renowned for his achievements in Physics – asserted that a liberal arts education trains the mind to think!

One is (at Least I Am) Tempted to Ask: So What Do Science Subjects Do Then?

Don’t people do plenty of thinking during the study of science in schools and universities?

In truth, thinking of different kinds exist…or happen.

Studying math requires the student to accept certain assumptions in thinking up a solution. It also defines limits within which such thinking is to be done.

In other words, there are rules (sometimes strict ones) guiding thinking, and the outcome to be arrived at.

For instance, in math, physics or chemistry, you have to work with basic assimptions provided, in solving problems.

But in the arts, such as literature, emphasis is placed more on reading up material, then having learners voice their interpretations of the material read.

Rarely is there one particular correct answer.

Instead, different veiws as adopted by the learners, using their unique experiences are accepted, and reviewed for merit.

Very often, the entire class is required to engage in the process of reviewing each individual’s submission. Feed back is provided with a view to helping each person refine the thinking s/he employed to arrive at his/her voiced opinion.

Most importantly, each participant, over time, comes to discover that there is value to be had in patiently waiting to hear others out.

Even when they voice contrary opinions or dissenting views.

They learn that perspectives from which issues on various important subjects in life, can be viewed, can vary greatly from person to person.

And many times they learn that rarely will one answer cover all possible scenarios.

Learners are taught to be comfortable with challenging their own assumptions about issues. They develop a habit of constant self-evaluation.

Rigid views and intolerance, arising from narrow perspectives thus become alien: the mark of truly liberated minds!

It is this kind of mental attitude that a liberal arts education nurtures in those who undergo it.

Some of the greatest people in the world have been those referred to as “thinkers”.

They were often those who spent quality time and effort constantly reflecting on how things were, and how they could be better.

That’s why today, we still find ourselves quoting many of them, many years, decades, even centuries after they passed on.

Examples include Voltaire, Socrates, Plato, Emerson etc.

We all know Einstein came up with amazing theoretical assumptions which were proven to be accurate and on which a lot of our progress was built.

He was able to do that because he knew how to think.

His thinking was not hampered by limitations imposed by traditional society.

I believe this was the reason Sir Ken Robinson, in one of his videos about education, made the point that conventional schools all over the worlds tend to “kill creativity” in people.

We Need to Give People – Our Kids Especially – Real World Relevant Education

A real education has to give equal weight to the arts, the humanities, to physical education. ” — Sir Ken Robinson

“Kids prosper best with a broad curriculum that celebrates their various talents, not just a small range of them. ” — Sir Ken Robinson

View this useful slideshow titled “Quotes from Sir Ken Robinson’s 2013 TED Talk”

He pointed out that relative to other areas, schools put arts at the bottom of the curriculum, ranking them, by implication, least important…and according them the least attention.

The points made above, along with Einstein’s quote, and historical evidence available, indicates that arts are crucial for our evolution and progress.

That’s why I believe we need to
deliberately incorporate more liberal arts, into formal education we provide at all levels of society.

The study of subjects like history, sociology, philosophy, music, dance, drama etc must be made more integral to the completion of formal education in our traditional schools.

This will over time equip learners with the critical thinking skills that societies need, to ensure they can continue evolving/progressing.

My Opinion On This Subject is Based on Personal Experience – NOT Theory (A Confession)

I discovered great pleasure and fulfillment from attending courses in sociology, psychology, and philosophy during my stay in the university. And I came away feeling more knowledgable, even wiser about life, and the world in general from taking those courses.

Yet, I was majoring in Agricultural Extension Services at the time, so I could not afford to puruse further studies in them.

To make up for that loss, I developed a driving need to buy and read any books even remotely related to those subjects.

As a multipreneur, my core competencies are in mainly intellectually demanding vocations, that require considerable creativity and innovative thinking.

I can confidently say my deliberate self-study of the arts has been a crucial ingredient in my ability to succeed in various areas of endeavour as a multipreneur.

As you leave this article, take this thought provoking quote from Sir Ken Robinson with you, as a reminder of why you need to act on what you’ve read here:

“Many highly talented, brilliant, creative people think they’re not — because the thing they were good at at school wasn’t valued, or was actually stigmatized.”

I’ll add to the above quote by saying…

”and that probably includes your own child!”

A. Further Reading

1. This Wikipedia article explains that a “Liberal Arts Education”aims to “produce a virtuous, knowledgeable, and articulate person”.

Doesn’t that remind you of Plato, Socrates and co…?

In the early days, core subjects like “Grammar, rhetoric, and logic” were taught to students.

Today, we are told “areas of literature, languages, philosophy, history, mathematics, psychology, and science” tend to be the focus.

I recommend, strongly, that you read this article.

2. You may also find it useful to read this excellent article titled “Why Study Liberal Arts?” by Richard Sigurdson

He is a former Acting Dean of Arts, The University College of the Cariboo, Kamloops, B.C. Canada.

And he does us ALL a favour by providing a list of questions and answers that help to demystify “Liberal Arts Studies” in terms of their real world relevance/usefulness.

Indeed, his article will help ANYONE understand why Eistein said what he did, about the benefits of a Liberal Arts Education. I urge you to read it.

B. Sir Ken Robinson’s Videos You Can Watch Include:

1. How schools kill creativity(1st video)

2. How to escape education’s death valley (scroll down page to 2nd video)

3. Bring on the learning revolution(scroll down page to 3rd video)

4. Changing Education Paradigms

5. Why is Creativity Important in Education?

C. What Sir Ken Robinson Got Wrong (Huh?)

I always love to present information and education I offer on my website, in a balanced form.

That’s why when I encounter ideas that oppose those I advocate, and I feel they have merit, or are worthy of discussion/consideration, I try to highlight them.

Some people happen to disagree with Sir Ken Robinson. That’s not unexpected. Everyone cannot see things the same way all the time!

And one of them has articulated – very intelligently – the major points and areas they do not see eye to eye with him on this suibject.

I’ve read the article, and I appreciate the points he raised.

But to be fair, most of them actually do NOT prove Robinson is wrong. And I am glad someone was able to make this clarification – in the comments – to the article’s author.

You should read this article too.

If nothing else, it may help you gain a balanced perspective from which to draw your own conclusions.

Remember: What matters most is the impact in the lives of the leaners – who are, very often, our kids.

“A person who cannot “think”, and does not know he cannot “think”, will get himself – and any who depend on the output from his thinking – into lots of trouble!” – Tayo K. Solagbade

Career Development, General, My DN Travel News, Self-Development

Do We Really Become More Prone to “Forgetting” As We Grow Older?

February 6, 2014 Tayo Solagbade Leave a comment

In 2003, I wrote my popular research based article (titled “When You Grow Old, Your Brain Does Not”. It has since been republished via syndication on many websites. If you believe your mental abilities will diminish because you’re aging, think again.

Do We Really Become More Prone to “Forgetting” As We Grow Older?

In yesterday’s post, I narrated the events in which my Nokia phone got stolen in a taxi I took from the Seme border into Lagos.

I noted that recent instances of “forgetfulness” (e.g. 2 incidences in Cotonou, in which I left my Blackberry smart phone behind in public places, but was lucky to have it returned to me both times) made it possible for the eventual theft of my other phone – a Nokia double SIM handset for my two MTN business lines.

A friend who read that article via the link auto-shared on Facebook, however made an interesting contribution that got me thinking about an article I wrote 7 years earlier.

He expressed the opinion that aging, and not necessarily work pressure, was often more responsible for such seeming increase in forgetfulness, or absent mindedness.

According to him, from the age of 40 upwards, this diminishing ability to retain stuff in one’s memory becomes more obvious. Regardless of one’s brilliance, he said it would happen.

Then he offered suggestions/tips on how to cope with it.

I saw the point he was making…

However, I knew from my demonstrated abilities even alongside persons half my age, that my experience was different.

What I know about aging, and how it affects the brain, is something I have often used so effectively, that it’s gotten many clients to compliment me, and younger persons to marvel.

This is NOT an attempt to brag or exaggerate. Just a simple statement of facts.

People Need to Know The Truth About The Brain, and How Aging Affects It!

While working in paid employment, with a large corporate manufacturing multinational, I reported to an expatriate Senior Manager, who was about 65, if I recall correctly. One of the things he was well known and respected for, was his amazing ability to remember/recall anything and everything said in meetings, written in reports, emails or discussed verbally.

For an “old” man, he had an exceptionally sharp mind and brilliant memory. You could not say one thing to him this week about why your department failed to meet the brewery target, and get away with changing ANY fine detail next week, if the matter came up again.

But he was not the only one. During the seven (7) year period I spent in that company, I worked with a number of over 50 to 60 year olds, at various levels in the organisation. Some were colleagues in the brewing department; others were junior staff/process operatives who were assigned supervisory roles.

A few were highly skilled technicians with specialties in areas where the company struggled with manpower. This made it necessary for this last group to constantly be on demand on site – leading to near round the clock duty runs on some busy days when plant problems required their presence.

What struck me was that they often delivered performance at par with what the rest of us who were younger.

I was then LESS than 30 years old at the time...

You could rarely fault them for “forgetting” things. Indeed, many times, WE depended on them to remind us of what was to be done, how etc.

As evidence of their abilities despite aging, some of them, upon formal retirement, got formally engaged as external consultants or on contract basis to serve the company in the same role they played before leaving!

The company’s decision makers wisely assigned younger, less experienced hands to formally undergo coaching at the hands of these “veterans”. This equipped the former to step into competently step into the latter’s shoes.

The above observations led me to do some SERIOUS investigation about retirement, aging, and how it relates to work performance.

I read stories and dug up research findings.

What I discovered was shocking.

And it changed my thinking about aging, as it relates to the brains ability to perform it’s key functions – an important one being memory recall.

I could not keep what I learnt to myself.

The knowledge enabled me liberate myself psychologically, in terms of how I believe aging would affect my brain power.

And I felt others needed to know, that what we were being told about aging was mostly untrue.

That was why – in 2003 – I wrote my article titled “Your Company May Be Losing Money By Retiring Employees When They Clock 60 Years – And Above!“

In 2007, I decided to publish it online as a PDF – downloadable from the members-only section of my website. That version – with the contents remaining basically the same – was re-titled “When You Grow Old, Your Brain Does Not“.

My article has since been republished on others websites, by owners – indicating its message resonated with readers.

I Now Invite YOU, to Read The Article Yourself: One of the things you’ll learn about is “Brain Training”, and how it helps to keep the brain “fit” no matter what age a person arrives at!

Read it, and have your eyes opened to the amazing power your brain will continue to possess even when you enter your late nineties!

Below: Screenshot image of the cover of the PDF version of the report. To get a copy, signup to join my mailing list. An auto response containing download link and instructions (for 10 reports, one of which is this PDF on Aging) will be dispatched to the email address you provide.

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Proof That Poverty Cannot Make People Steal…If They Don’t Want To (A True Story)

February 5, 2014 Tayo Solagbade Leave a comment

One minute the phone was next to my elbow in the space behind the hand brake, the next minute I was looking all over the taxi to find it. The driver asked “When did you last see it?” “I called my mother just before we left the border” I replied in a puzzled voice. (The events described here occurred between 7 and 9p.m yesterday, Monday 3rd February 2014).

(I’d told her I was taking a taxi, and would need some Nigerian naira, since banks had closed, and I could not change the Euros I had with me.)

As I said this and continued searching for my phone, the two young Nigerian girls in the back, whose conversations had revealed they were returning from a university they attended in Benin Republic, giggled repeatedly.

Their male colleague remained silent. I did not look back, but wondered how anyone could find what I’d said funny.

I had my Blackberry in my hand, but the SIM card in it was for my MOOV/Etisalat line in Benin Republic.

Once we’d left the border, the Internet Service on it had stopped, as usual. Normally at this point I would have switched the SIM card for my MTN Nigeria line on which I also subscribe to the Blackberry Internet Service.

But that SIM card was in the missing Nokia double SIM handset – as was the SIM card for my MTN line in Benin Republic. Both lines were the ones listed on my website i.e. my business lines (+229-66-122-136 and +234-803-302-1263).

So, I could not make calls on my Blackberry, as it was not possible to purchase airtime or load it from the Nigerian end (I still struggle to wonder why. Maybe I need some coaching…???). The driver offered me his handset, so I could call the MTN Nigeria line. I tried and was told “The number you’re calling is switched off. Please try again later.” I handed the phone back to him saying “It’s been switched off. I never left the car, and yet it’s gone. This is rather strange.”

The young ladies in the back, whose nauseatingly shallow line of conversations had continued, once again began giggling, just as I made that pronouncement.

I’d been tempted to think they had something to do with the phone’s disappearance. But I’d pushed the thought out of my mind.

However, their continued giggling, as if on queue, made me think back to when I last saw the device. It was about 10 minutes before the girls and their male student friend came in.

I tried remembering how they got into the car. I concentrated and played the scene back in my head.

That was when I recalled that the girl in the middle had found it necessary to pile three sachets of pure water, on the compartment behind the hand brake – just between my seat and the driver’s seat.

That was where I’d placed the phone in order to shut the door, when the driver quickly jumped in to move the car forward in the motor park. It was after that, that the trio got in.

It occurred to me that the water sachets were probably used to cover the phone, so they could withdraw it from beneath, without being noticed.

One thing was certain. I’d never stepped out of the car since getting in. So if the phone was not in the car, there was a very good chance it had been taken by these young people. .

But I kept this thought to myself.

Why?

Because past experience (from observation) has taught me, that people who choose to stoop that low to do things like that, can be quite good at hiding (or disposing of) what they take.

Demanding to search them would create a scene. And if one was unsuccessful in finding it on them (e.g. since it was night, it could be thrown out the window in a flash!) they would turn around to claim they’d been falsely accused.

I’ve been around enough, especially growing up in Nigeria, to have seen this happen. Suddenly, the thief is telling the accuser, who is actually in the right, to apologise to him for the false accusation!

So instead of starting a war, I chose to deliberately engage the driver in a conversation meant to pass a message across to the young people.

Whether or not they chose to take it did not matter to me.

I told him how, on two separate days – just last week – in Cotonou, I’d left my Blackberry smart phone in two difference public places in Benin Republic, and nothing had happened to it. (Don’t get me wrong. Stealing happens there, but much, much, MUCH less readily!)

The first time I forgot the Blackberry, it was in a hotel I stayed in – specifically on the counter at the reception.

This was a very small hotel in Cotonou. I’d checked in for a 24 hour blitz, to churn out some writing that was overdue, and also put finishing touches to the new mini version of my Poultry Farm Manager.

I’d paid the reception, picked up my receipt and gone upstairs to my room.

Matthias, the receptionist, a very warm and friendly chap had wished me a great stay.

I never knew how much he meant that, until one hour later when I searched my trousers, then bag, and was unable to find the phone. That was when I recalled I’d placed it next to me on the counter just as I was filling in the form.

Apparently, I’d left it there!

All sorts of thoughts began running through my mind. I was almost sure it would be gone by the time I got there. When I arrived reception, I asked Mathias if he’d seen my smart phone. He looked me right in the eyes, smiled, and reached down under the counter and gently placed my phone before me!

Barely concealing my surprise, I thanked him and left. The next morning I gave him a tip. He responded by saying “C’est rien!”(i.e. it’s nothing), in reference to what he’d done.

This man was NOT even close to being well paid. Yet he carried himself with an unmistakable sense of dignity and pride. I felt honoured to know him!

The second time, it was in a Cyber Café I frequent a lot:

I’d met there with a client who came to pick up a draft Functional Requirements Specification I’d prepared for a Web Marketing System to be developed for his university. In a bid to print the document, I’d removed the memory card from my Blackberry, and placed it in a USB modem, to access it via the printing terminal.

After handing the printout to the client, and seeing him off, I simply rushed back to the inner room where I was working on my laptop…leaving behind the Blackberry smart phone on the window sill!

About 15 minutes later, the young Beninese girl who worked as café operator, (and had helped print out the document) came into the room and simply handed the device to me, without saying a word!

I was shocked beyond words.

For one thing, I was so drawn into my work that I probably would not have remembered to check for the phone till hours later. So, to have her return it to me that way truly touched me. I thanked her, feeling embarrassed for being guilty of such absent mindedness again.

That happened last Saturday.

Yesterday afternoon, just before I left for the border, I visited the café to send out my newsletter for the week.

On my way out, I handed the young girl a bottle of Coke I’d bought from a nearby store on my way in as a gift for her. I said “Merçi pour Samedi”. She took it and nodded in appreciation.

Again, there was no attitude of subservience or patronage. For her, what s/he’d done seemed to be no big deal. Wow!

The students went completely quiet as I narrated these stories…

Not long after, they got off at their stop.

As we continued to my parents’ place, the driver told me he strongly believed the students were the ones who took the phone.

I told him I also considered it a possibility right from the start. “Why did you not tell me, so we could search them?” he exclaimed.

I told him my reasoning that they could have tossed it out and claimed we’d falsely accused them.

He thought about it and said “Okay, maybe you have a point there.”

Reflecting on that experience as we drove on in silence, I wondered why things had to be so different in Nigeria, and with Nigerians!

These young girls who’d taken my phone schooled in the same country – Benin Republic – that I’d had the above positive experiences. But they’d obviously not imbibed those good attributes from being there!

Indeed, from my travels to other African countries (e.g. Ghana, Cameroon, Benin Republic), and interaction with their citizens, I’ve discovered that many of our fellow Africans are much more Emotionally Intelligent than we are.

For instance, they are much more averse to gleeefully doing wrong to (or hurting) one another – be if physically, emotionally or otherwise.

And that’s sad. Very sad.

I know you may be thinking “Why did I keep forgetting my phones?”.

The truth is this has not happened to me in a very long time.

For over 2 years now. I’m always extremely careful when it comes to handling my phones, which I consider very important for my work.

But in the days approaching my father’s 80th birthday celebration, I had a mountain of outstanding work to finish, in order to free myself up to visit Nigeria. This added psychological pressure, is what made me so prone to making this mistake.

The thing is in other societies, people seem willing to “forgive” you for making it. But in Nigeria no such consideration is given you, most times. Slip up, and they’ll “hit you”…HARD!

This is common knowledge. That’s why everyone in Nigeria I’ve told about this experience said they were not surprised.

And that’s without a single exception – including my sister who came in from London.

Amazing isn’t it? That we know ourselves to be so capable of doing wrong/evil so readily!

Yet, just next to us, in a much poorer, but better organised black African society, people still consider fidelity to high moral standards a worthwhile endeavour.

And most of these people lack material wealth, when compared to the average Nigerian!

I honestly believe we have so much work to do on ourselves in Nigeria.

My phone did not get “stolen” by “bad government”.

It was taken by a very emotionally unintelligent group of young Nigerian undergraduates visiting Nigeria from their Beninese University. One day, they’ll complete their studies and return home…in Nigeria.

What does that tell you about this country’s future? Not something good, that’s for sure…:-((

I’m determined to make sure my kids never descend to that level of insanity.

I hope you resolve to do the same thing too…for the sake of OUR country!

PS: I’ wrote this piece at 7.33a.m Tuesday 4th February 2014 (the morning of my father’s birthday). If any persons on my phone contacts lists have received – or receive – strange calls before I’m able to get MTN to disable and recover both lines on that missing phone (i.e. +229-66-122-136 and +234-803-302-1263), you can be sure they did NOT come from me.

Career Development, Entrepreneurship, Farm Biz, General, My DN Travel News, My Ideas for Making Nigeria Better, Parenting, Public Speaking, Self-Development, Writing/Blogging

Happy 80th Birthday to our SUPER DAD!

February 4, 2014 Tayo Solagbade 1 Comment

By the time you read this, I’ll be in Lagos with my siblings and the rest of the “Luwaji Solagbade family” to join in celebrating with my father, on his 80th birthday anniversary, at the University of Lagos. [Update (12th Feb 2014): Dad’s 80th anniversary celebration went perfectly! Click here to read about/view photos :-))]

Wow….80 years. We’ve come a long way as a family.

I’m going to share a story in my next post about how he found out I was secretly keeping a tortoise in our home – and gave me a thorough thrashing…LOL!

PS: By the way…I’m typing this post at 3.32p.m from here in Cotonou, to auto-schedule it to appear 12 noon tomorrow(that’s TODAY…for YOU, reading it now). You can therefore imagine just how much work I’ll have to do to make up to my siblings/family for arriving soooo late. Pictures will follow….

Happy 80th Birthday to our Super Dad!

One more thing: Big thanks go to www.mydelightfuldesigns.com for the Super Hero designs I customized above for use with Baba’s photo…LOL!

My DN Travel News, Public Speaking, Self-Development

No. 127: Master FEAR, and You’ll Achieve Mastery In Any Field

February 3, 2014 Tayo Solagbade Leave a comment

What are you afraid of? Fear is experienced by everyone. And that includes experts – be they self-employed or in paid employment. Sadly, traditional schooling teaches us little about how to handle it successfully. This issue of my newsletter offers practical insights that can help you.

You could be trying to launch a speaking service, as an expert in your field. Or maybe you’re a prospective retiree, and considering what venture to invest in.

SCROLL DOWN TO READ FULL ISSUE

Home | Subscribe | About | Contact

Publication: Weekly Public Speaking IDEAS Newsletter

Date: Monday 3rd February 2014

No:127

Title: Master FEAR, and You’ll Achieve Mastery In Any Field

Author & Publisher: Tayo K. Solagbade [Tel: +234-803-302-1263 (in Nigeria) or +229-66-122-136 (in Benin Republic) ]

Blog URL: http://www.spontaneousdevelopment.com/blog

Archive (E-mail version started 14th May 2012): Click here to view

Archive (Blog version started 24th September 2011): Click here

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NB: This newsletter is published every Monday. Point your browser to www.spontaneousdevelopment.com/sdnuggets to read at least ONE new post added to my SD Nuggets blog on a different category from Tuesday till Saturday (sometimes even Sundays) in line with this publishing schedule

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No. 127: Master FEAR, and You’ll Achieve Mastery In Any Field

You could be trying to launch a speaking service, as an expert in your field. Or maybe you’re a prospective retiree, and considering what venture to invest in.

Stop letting thoughts of possible failure, or loss, hold you back. Start small if necessary. Then gradually scale up your efforts. You’ll be better off in the end.

Here’s How/Why I Know This is True

Last week I spent time watching some of Sir Ken Robinson’s videos in which he talks about the need to overhaul our traditional schooling system to meet the needs of today’s fast changing world.

Nothing he said in those videos was essentially new – to me at least.

Like I read somewhere, degrees are now a dime a dozen.

If we, especially here in Africa, were to be honest with ourselves, we would admit the fact that universities from Europe and America are NOT just discovering potential students with intellectual competence abound in Africa. Instead, their rapidly increasing focus on recruitment from here, is (partly) a reflection of the drastic drop in enrolments happening in the societies they are based!

The truth is traditional schooling is no longer as attractive as it used to be.

Young people today have grown up with enough tools and resources to discover that on their own. Especially those in the developed societies who have ready access to eye-opening information. They are refusing to be shoved down the same paths their parents and grandparents were sent decades before.

This resistance is not simply due to typical stubbornness of youth. Instead many have increasingly observed that so many of their peers are adopting new strategies to developing real world competence, Indeed, very many have modified the original definition of success to suit their own preferences.

Like a home-schooled American teenager told his audience at TEDx, to him, success means being happy.

That (i.e. happy) is what he wants to be when he grows up.

So the purpose of the education he’s chosen (in collaboration with his parents) to get, is to identify what he can do to be happy – while being able to cater for his needs and those of any dependants.

This is the way I have always felt!

It’s why over 12 years ago I announced to close friends (and to my Montessori certified mother’s horror) that I would not let any of my kids start school before they clocked 5 years old.

I also said they would all be challenged to think outside the box, and engage in extracurricular aimed at helping them identify and nurture any talents or unique skills they possess.

My argument was that I had found very little use for my excellent academic credentials in the real world I chose to enter.

In other words, outside the controlled environment of paid employment, I discovered most of what I knew did not serve much useful purpose.

So, I had to put them aside and learn all over again.

But what really struck me was that I successfully did that, without needing to go back to a formal schooling environment.

I also noticed that while I was in paid employment, what made me most successful was NOT my academic ability, but (mainly) my ability to use my spreadsheet programming skills (developed in my spare time) to solve real life problems faced by my company.

And I noticed that the better I got at it, the greater the recognition I got.

So much so that I got sent on assignments and given opportunities that people who joined the company many years ahead of me had not been considered competent to handle.

It happened again and again.

The company apparently valued people who produced results they wanted – not just credentials!

All of that convinced me I did not need to go back for a Master’s degree.

Funny enough, I was working as a Brewer, and later Training Manager in Guinness. But I’d studied Agricultural Extension Services. So there was also the issue of what area I’d be able to obtain a masters degree in, since the company (Guinness Nigeria), had recruited and trained me as a Graduate Trainee Brewer.

That process took about 12 months.

And subsequently I sat and passed the professional Associate Membership Examinations of the UK’s Institute and Guild of Brewing (a certification I later discovered to offer ME little value outside the company!).

So when my colleagues (fellow brewers) at the office began to tell me they were running Masters Programmes, I often asked them what use they felt it would serve.

Of course they looked at me as if I was crazy.

Yet they never gave me an answer that really made any practical sense. As far as I could see, getting a Masters degree would not make them do their jobs better (in most cases anyway). Only they could decide to do that.

Many times the knowledge or information to help them do that, was available in the workplace.

Therefore the idea of going back to get an extra degree never really cut it. But they did/do it anyway.

(NB: I’m NOT saying an M.Sc I useless. Just that it’s not everyone who really needs one.)

And they closed their eyes to the glaring evidence that those of us who refused to get extra qualifications still out-performed them!

This was the most amusing part of it for me.

I thought going to school was supposed to make us think smarter?

But how come well schooled people fail (or refuse) to see this consistent trend and learn from it?

I believe it’s because they are afraid.

They are afraid to be different. To think different, and to act along those different lies.

They afraid of doing so and failing. To be seen to have been wrong. To be laughed at for being wrong…

To have their mistakes (or attempts to succeed via unconventional channels) criticised by close friends and relatives:

Example 1: “Haha, imagine Tayo thinking he could get paid any decent money to build Excel workbooks for people. See where that landed him!”

NB: Today, I (Tayo), get decent money to build Excel software for clients in different industries, and also sell my own custom Excel software.

Example 2: “Oh, have you guys heard? I just learnt Tayo’s saying he’s working to get paid 2,500 Euros write a research paper online while still based here in Nigeria. Does he know how many writers there are online? How can he be sure he’ll get chosen? And even if he is, will he ever see the money? What writing qualifications does he even have? Come to think of it, does he even have a Masters degree?”

NB: Today, it is on record that I DID get paid for writing that 4,000 word agribusiness Case Study by the international organisation based in Holland.

Even if no one asks them such potentially disempowering questions, they subsconsciously ask themselves!

In other words, they either sabotage themselves, or let people do it for them.

Why?

Because that’s what traditional schooling teaches those who pass through it.

You are taught to think getting the approval of others is important to your well being. That if you do not get it, something is wrong with you. That if you go alone, you’re not normal. That if you think and act different from everyone else, you’re a wet blanket…or a freak.

Dear reader, let me tell you a secret: All those things I just outlined above are myths!

Totally false and misleading stuff. And if you’re honest with yourself, YOU have always sensed it. The truth has periodically picked at your conscience. You’ve always felt something was not right about what you were being told. But that fear kept you from acting on your feelings.

As an expert in your field today, the programming done on you decades ago is very likely still working its limiting effects on how you think and act.

That’s why you want to do what others experts in your market do. You don’t want to rock the boat by trying something new, or unusual.

It’s why you put your creativity on hold so often.

It’s also why you’re scared to purchase solutions your colleagues show no interest it, but which you “feel” can help you (e.g. Burt Dubin’s mentoring service and products).

Those bright ideas you have scare you so much. You wonder what others would think if you used them.

Less (or UN) Schooled People Have Proven That Mastering Your Fears Can Yield Mastery in Life

Burt Dubin has coached some of the world’s highest paid and most successful speakers (like this one).

However, before becoming a mentor, he’d built highly successful careers in different fields (e.g. real estate, sales/sales management and public speaking).

He’s been around for over 3 decades, and has always been in the top leagues.

Yet, he points out on his website that he is a high school drop out!

The logical question for all of us who are NOT drop outs, but have had to learn from him is often:

Where did he get all this knowledge, know-how and wisdom he’s come to be renowned for over the last 3 decades?

That’s what tells us that we have MORE inside of us, waiting to be discovered, than we know!

The best educational system is the one that will help us unearth those hidden truths buried deep inside our subconscious.

The truths about ourselves in terms of the true abilities we have.

And of course the truth about fear…the fact that it only holds us back if/when we let it.

That we can, from today, learn to consciously put it aside and think/do anything we set our minds to.

The day we learn to do this, we’ll begin to effortlessly achieve mastery in any undertaking. Burt Dubin is just one example whose life demonstrates this truth. So many others exist in various fields.

You can be the next example that will inspire others.

Pursue additional schooling if you feel the need. But NEVER let fear be the reason you do that.

Otherwise, it will be an exercise in futility – and the mastery you seek could elude you…perpetually!

Have a great week :-))

Get Burt Dubin’s Public Speaking Mentoring
for Africa Based Experts(PDF…Click!)

Tayo K. Solagbade*

Self-Development/Performance Improvement Specialist

*Sole Agent For Burt Dubin’s Speaker Mentoring Service In Africa

Mobile: +234-803-302-1263 (in Nigeria) or +229-66-122-136 (in Benin Republic)

http://www.spontaneousdevelopment.com

He’s presently based in Benin Republic, where he’s preparing an English-French Language Guide, City Travel Guides, and a Commercial Rabbit Farming Guide.

For a limited time, Tayo is available to speak to your group or organization for a moderate fee. Send e-mail to tayo at tksola dot com. You can also visit www.tksola.com to learn more.

Connect with him on Twitter @tksola.com and Facebook.

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Useful Resources for Speakers

Burt Dubin’s monthly Speaking Biz Strategies Letter [Signup & get a 7-Part Email Course on “How To Succeed And Get Paid As A Professional Speaker“]

Get Burt’s mentoring at any of the 3 levels below:

1. Top Shelf [Click here]

2. Mid Range [Click here]

3. Budget Delight [Click here]

Publications

Burt Dubin’s latest book: “On Being a Master”

Download Chapter 1 Preview as PDF

Visit the “On Being a Master” website

177 Wow! Wow!

Showmanship Stratagems

Discover these secrets of making your programs more interesting and valuable to your clients and audiences now.

more information

Burt’s Flagship Album

This is the product to own if you can own only one. Why? Because in it you discover principles of platform mastership available to you nowhere else at any price.

With its Money back if not delighted Guarantee hardly any are returned.

Find out why

Presentation Magic

Presentation Magic Manual with new pages added plus 3 audio CDs.

more information

How To Create a Great Program Manual

This is a reprise of the historic presentation that launched the Speaking Success System.

No copy of this 2 CD program and 50 page Learning Guide has ever been returned.

more information

Download above PDF

Download above PDF

THEY WROTE…

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*Operations Manager, Guinness Nigeria Plc Benin Brewery, December 2001 (Handwritten comments in farewell/xmas cards sent to Tayo Solagbade following his resignation to start his own business).

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Click here to contact Tayo…

SD Nuggets Blog™	New posts from last week that may interest you! *
Public Speaking [Monday]:	No. 126: True Story – Public Speaking On The Road (Why You Must Always Be Prepared!)
Entrepreneurship [Tuesday]:	Achieve Entrepreneurial Success – ANYWHERE – Without Becoming Crooked
Self-Development [Wednesday]:	Potentially Useful Books, Website URLs, Software and Ebooks on Broiler Farming and Feed Formulation for Poultry Farmers
Career Development [Thursday]:	Is Your In-House Expert’s Ego Costing Your Company Money? – Part 1 of 2
Career Development [Friday]:	Is Your In-House Expert’s Ego Costing Your Company Money? – Part 2 of 2
Writing/Blogging [Saturday]:	Achieve Success via Patience and Tolerance (A Lesson from Bello Hassan, a Farm Business CEO)>
Want me to write for you? Click here…

Burt Dubin’s Public Speaking Mentoring

for Africa Based Experts(PDF…Click!)

In truth, what she wanted was a WHOLE lot of information that cannot be found in one place!

1. I have a client: www.nanaarnold.com who is a top decision maker in one of such private universities.

2. Check with the Nigerian embassy.

3. I’m an entrepreneur based here.

4. Consider taking a trip down to Benin Republic for a few days to see things for yourself.

If any have website addresses, you could start by checking them out online.

Final Words: “My Comprehensive Guide to Private Universities in Benin Republic” – Coming Soon

I’ll offer it as a new information product from my website.

If you’d like to be notified when the “Comprehensive Guide to Private Universities in Benin Republic” becomes available, fill and submit this form, to join my mailing list.

Have You Downloaded Your Gifts?

No. 128: Using Location Independent Multipreneuring to Achieve Public Speaking Success

Thanks to a New Facebook Friend for Asking Me a Question

Yes I Am Still Travelling…Across West Africa…But Slowly…

1. Zero Cost Book Publishing Information & Education for Writers

I’ve been selling physical copies of my own flagship Self-Development manual, using web based zero cost Print On Demand publishing, since 2005 – when I met with the PAWA president during a 2 week stay in Accra.

I never heard back from him, but I mentally resolved that I’d follow up at the right time. I believe that time is now here.

A few days ago, I got email notification that my 500 word short story titled “The Deadly High School Students Street Fight” did NOT get selected for phase 2 of an international competition I entered it for.

Why not? It’s better than sitting at home moaning about how no publisher will give you a chance!!

2. Farm CEOs Benefit From Connecting With Me Too!

It IS a slow process. But it works. And it Has a Very Long Lasting Marketing Reach and Impact

I’ve had buyers from all over Nigeria (east, west, north and south).

The best part is however that I now get email and phone requests from Nigerians in Diaspora

3. Farm Products Based Micro Scale Business Development Coaching

A Beninese professor was at the Nigerian embassy, when I showed the bottled drinks to a top officer back in September.

The Chamber of Commerce Administrator for a certain Francophone nation here in Cotonou, has been one of my most fervent advocates.

4. Public Speaking for Business Marketing (PSBM) & Web Marketing Coaching

My key offering, as a I travel, is however a “Talk on How to Use Public Speaking – & Web Marketing Systems – for Zero Cost Business Marketing”.

Final Words: What You Can Take Away…

Some Would Say I lead a Charmed Life. That I was/am lucky.

Further Reading:

Get Burt Dubin’s Public Speaking Mentoring for Africa Based Experts(PDF…Click!)

Useful Resources for Speakers

Get Burt’s mentoring at any of the 3 levels below:

Publications

THEY WROTE…

Why This Interest in Writing Short Stories?

I’m Also Doing It to Help My Kids Become More Competent Writers and Readers

When reading is not felt to be pleasurable, by the learner, s/he will avoid it wherever/whenever possible. And that will happen a lot when s/he is outside school …where it is unlikely to be “formally required”.

Starting a Parent and Children “Self-Publishing Venture”

And that desire to write more, with coaching I provide, will make them want to read more as well.

Many Great Writers Are Reputed to Have Started Out as Great – Often Voracious(!) – Readers

Publishing My First Ever Short Story Is the First Step

For now, I’ve published my first ever short story (500 words) on this blog – click here.

In fact it can even be done very cheap or at zero cost – if you choose to use Print On Demand Publishing – like I do, and which I strongly recommend.

The Deadly High School Students Street Fight

It was during one of those periods “on the road” that I was born, on 6th July 1970 in a place called New Bussa.

Deciding to Visit my “Place of Birth” During my NYSC Service Year (1992/93)

So I Got Deployed to Spend My Service Year in Niger State…In a REAL VILLAGE!

At the time, they were NOT connected to the National Grid!

Sitting Out The June 12 Presidential Election Riots

Then, we began to see lorries carrying the belongings of Igbos who were fleeing from their Northern bases back to their homes in the East.

Demonstration of REAL LOVE from a father!

Final Words: We (i.e. Dad and I) Do NOT, of Course, Get Along All The Time…

Here’s wishing my SUPER DAD, many more prosperous years filled with joy, good health, happiness, and MORE grandchildren!!!!

Now Here’s Something Many People Miss About Einstein’s Achievements:

One is (at Least I Am) Tempted to Ask: So What Do Science Subjects Do Then?

In other words, there are rules (sometimes strict ones) guiding thinking, and the outcome to be arrived at.

Even when they voice contrary opinions or dissenting views.

Some of the greatest people in the world have been those referred to as “thinkers”.

We Need to Give People – Our Kids Especially – Real World Relevant Education

View this useful slideshow titled “Quotes from Sir Ken Robinson’s 2013 TED Talk”

That’s why I believe we need to deliberately incorporate more liberal arts, into formal education we provide at all levels of society.

My Opinion On This Subject is Based on Personal Experience – NOT Theory (A Confession)

As you leave this article, take this thought provoking quote from Sir Ken Robinson with you, as a reminder of why you need to act on what you’ve read here:

I’ll add to the above quote by saying…

A. Further Reading

1. This Wikipedia article explains that a “Liberal Arts Education”aims to “produce a virtuous, knowledgeable, and articulate person”.

2. You may also find it useful to read this excellent article titled “Why Study Liberal Arts?” by Richard Sigurdson

B. Sir Ken Robinson’s Videos You Can Watch Include:

C. What Sir Ken Robinson Got Wrong (Huh?)

Remember: What matters most is the impact in the lives of the leaners – who are, very often, our kids.

Do We Really Become More Prone to “Forgetting” As We Grow Older?

People Need to Know The Truth About The Brain, and How Aging Affects It!

What struck me was that they often delivered performance at par with what the rest of us who were younger.

The above observations led me to do some SERIOUS investigation about retirement, aging, and how it relates to work performance.

I Now Invite YOU, to Read The Article Yourself: One of the things you’ll learn about is “Brain Training”, and how it helps to keep the brain “fit” no matter what age a person arrives at!

As I said this and continued searching for my phone, the two young Nigerian girls in the back, whose conversations had revealed they were returning from a university they attended in Benin Republic, giggled repeatedly.

The young ladies in the back, whose nauseatingly shallow line of conversations had continued, once again began giggling, just as I made that pronouncement.

I tried remembering how they got into the car. I concentrated and played the scene back in my head.

Why?

Get Burt Dubin’s Public Speaking Mentoring
for Africa Based Experts(PDF…Click!)

That’s why I believe we need to
deliberately incorporate more liberal arts, into formal education we provide at all levels of society.

Get Burt Dubin’s Public Speaking Mentoring
for Africa Based Experts(PDF…Click!)