The Vice-Chancellor of the African School of Economics (ASE), Abuja, Prof. Mahfouz Adedimeji, has urged Nigerians, particularly the youth, to shun the culture of immediate gratification and embrace patience, consistency, and perseverance.
Prof. Adedimeji gave the advice while delivering an address titled “Learning is Relearning and Unlearning” at a two-day capacity-building training organised by ASE in Abuja on September 11 and 12, 2025. The event was themed “Maximizing Efficiency in the University/Workplace.”
The VC, who is a Fellow of the Corporate Administration of Nigeria, stressed that true greatness takes time and effort. “It is natural law that patience and perseverance ultimately pay as they prepare one for greatness,” he said.
He encouraged students to invest in their future by prioritising preparation, quoting Abraham Lincoln’s words: “I will study and get ready, and perhaps my chance will come.”
Prof. Adedimeji also drew on the metaphor of the Chinese bamboo tree, which takes years to build its root system before shooting up to nearly 90 feet in just a few weeks. He explained that this illustrates the value of unseen preparation before visible success.
The training, he said, was designed to help participants manage their time efficiently while equipping them with practical knowledge for both academic and workplace success.
He further urged attendees to extend the opportunity to their families and loved ones, highlighting ASE’s commitment to blending theory with practice. According to him, the university’s programmes are aimed at producing graduates who are “academically sound, professionally skilled, entrepreneurially competent, and globally competitive.”