Background…
Since 1998, FUTA staff secondary school [FUTASec] has graduated at least ten generations of teenagers.
To a higher, bigger and complex world where there are extreme challenges and equally extreme but always
changing opportunities.
The FUTASec Alumni group has found a way to continue to grow since its early days.
There is no question too, that majority of the Alumni founding members have grown to be successful in their respective careers.
As a group, we can only be proud of the individual achievements and successes of our members, former classmates who now drive one important facet of industry or the other in the larger world around the globe.
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Now….
There can be no question that as enlightened members of the Nigerian class, and a very well educated group, we love to party.
It is evident that parties, especially the year-end versions have been the central theme of our activities as a group since the beginning.
While it is also true, that we are not all about parties, we have been noticeably silent in every other regard of our stated aims and objectives, so long, it is time that we re-evaluate the basis of our effort as a group, and set new ambitions.
There is no question that, as FUTASec graduates, we are easily some the very best educated, and informed, intellectually blessed class of citizens in and around Ondo state.
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All around the world, the educated class forge – as a first – their experiences, their education and their assets together to create an economic model for themselves;
One that will support their aspirations to partying, one that will support their aspirations to relaxation,
their aspirations to healthy life, aspirations to decent living, and support their aspirations to leaving the scene better than they met it, for the next generation.
Sadly, we all grew up in an era where, regrettably, those who had the chance and opportunity to shape our immediate society, lives and worldview (outside FUTASec) took the opposite direction by not creating
for us, but taking a lot from us.
No further example can illustrate the point than a careful analysis of Brand Barclays Premier League in England.
Dating back to the mid-90s, majority of us followed the football league – its drama, its characters,
and its footballing thrill, with a tenacity and in fact worship, that sometimes makes little or no recognition of the reality that, this is stuff taking place 6000 KM away from the closest airport to us.
None of us, understood, or was taught, the underlying reality of the Premier league: that it was business. A real massive and multi-billion-dollar economic cash-spinning business for England, and her people.
It creates jobs for the people of England, it creates a lot of weekend excitement sure, but the monies that are made from satellite providers – the DSTV’s and ESPNs – all goes into bolstering those economies, while
we just watch on. It was only 'Sitam' that truly cared for what should be real but we tagged him Eyimba Eyimba in derison. If only we knew what we are doing....
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It is upon us, to find a way to redirect our lives for the better, and create a much more humane and sustainable future for our own children.
No stronger place will we succeed, than if we come together to actively create & follow an agenda that is fundamentally beyond parties…
Proposal I
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The FUTASec Alumni Lecture Series.
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This is proposed to be a yearly event at a location best suited for not just FUTASec Alumni members, but open to interested member of the public.
There will be a paid sub-committee to marshal the logistics, but the lecture series should create a high standard forum where successful and strategic member or exceptional leading figures come to deliver
motivational lectures for attendees. Emphasis will be given to success stories from the technical & business world from around Africa & the globe.
If it is of such class after a first few years, all attendees will pay a gate fee.
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Proposal II
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The FUTASec Alumni Company.
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The alumni should seek to register as a not-for-individual-profit company with Nigeria’s Company House.
A generic name such as “Skillzzzz” as was actively used to describe the peak of excellence by 98-set
can be used.
Alternatively, a thread can be opened on the FUTASEC group to find better names.
The aims and Objective of the company will be to create enterprising opportunities that take advantage of the various emerging ways of conducting business globally towards motivating the current crop of students.
Take for instance, an average computer programmer, that can demonstrate a relevant understanding of his stuff, these days will be employed over any first-class computer engineering graduate of any of our over-rated universities.
How many of the current FUTASec students know that to be truly good with computer programming, you only need a functional computer and access to the relevant books & DVDs ?
The FUTAsec company can be geared to create a market for these materials, while the students are then automatically encouraged to take immediate advantage of them.
Needless to say, the company will grow to become an immediate employer of labour.
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Take Nollywood – Africa’s biggest and expanding entertainment market - how many of our growing youth are motivated or supported well enough, in the basics of the art & science of filmmaking?
There are immense opportunities, that are crying to be exploited in the space of South West Nigeria, let alone the African continent, some of which have been suggested above.
It is therefore, unacceptable in my view, that we focus any of our energies towards organising parties at this hour, in the evolution of FUTASec Alumni, let alone our hard-earned resources.
I suggest that in focusing our energies to these, we will have more than enough time to call, and
organise and attend and absolutely enjoy parties.
I believe what we should be doing is create a framework that will take these ideas, and create tangible and sustainable products from them – one that will solidify our credentials as a beacon of hope, in Nigeria’s
troubled nationspace.
I encourage you to join me to think along these lines so we can begin.
You know who I am.
