MindSet by – Jude Onyekachukwu Igwe

Quickly, how are you? Hope not as bad as the mentality of a Nigerian university graduate? If not, listen to me.

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Was it not on the convocation arena of one of the 'big' Universities of the country that I asked my friend, Daniel, "Nna what next?" He looked at me with a readily astonished face and said: "O boy na NYSC nah". Two years after, he was left with nothing but waiting for Yakubu Gowon to call him up for NYSC.

You see, thank God I have been fortunate enough to see the world out of where I was meant to be. Unfortunately also, I lived a lot of my life with people who were too traditional – People who are used to doing one thing the same way from the beginning of the life of their ancestors to the day they die.
Growing up in Africa is worst than growing up in darkness. In fact, it's indescribable – the mental limitation of a typical African youth growing up in this third world. They see what they believe they cannot do. The only way to the destination of a Nigerian undergraduate/graduate is 'OneWay'. Painful.
Take a look at what is going on down in the country. We have a lot of 'educated illiterates' making these people who went to school look like fools.
Let me take you down to your mental cage. This is what a typical Nigerian graduate thinks:

1. I am graduate.

You might have come across a hungry looking individual with paper – filled wallet shouting on top of their voice how they are graduates. Bearing the name "graduate" is more important to the idiot than harnessing his God-given gift and talent. If I would refrain from over-emphasizing, 60 percent of students pass out through these schools without a tangible answer to this question: "Who are you?", pathetically, many of them have just the desire to present indefensible certificates to their families just to say: "I am a graduate".

2. 'After school na hustle'.

A year ago, I think around the time Facebook initiated the live video feature, I was so amazed about the new trend. I told my next talking mate, this is coming from Zukerberg again! I became really anxious of what I really want to do with my life immediately! Everything Zuckerberg wanted to become, the four-walls of a university could not hold him down. Being productive, inventive or creative has nothing, absolute nothing to do with your stadium size certificate. Most Nigerian undergraduates feel that the real world and becoming whoever they want to become starts after going to Zamfara and Akwa Ibom to take selfies all in the name of serving their fatherland filled with fat thigh, pot-belly and legally-approved criminals. Painful something.

3. I will find a job.

The believe in job-haunting and being job seekers instead of job creators has blatantly decimated the mindset of a typical Nigerian graduate. Take a look at the Nigerian civil service, that sector has been traditionally kept for over-aged individuals. Those set of people who their white shirts can no longer find favor in the sight of hypo. Then apparently what it takes to get a good job and keep it is more than what it took you to get a fair result in the university for 5 years! But everyone still thinks the same way!

Back to what I was trying to point out, 'educated illiterates' have taken the elite and luxurious positions of life while those who went to school strive. The music industry for example. Take a look. How many graduates do you see? Very few if I would answer but how many are successful? Most of them. Mentality!
Mindset! Harnessing your craft, packaging your brand has everything to do with you. The real you. What about sports?

My point? Change your mindset. Crawl out of the shell of mental slavery! Jump out of it if you can. The world has no place for the people of yesterday. There is a popular saying that the difference between plantain chips and kpekere is 'Packaging'. Discover yourself before exposing yourself to this world that has no place for naivety. Go through yourself while you go through school.
Your mindset is what matters.

By: Jude Onyekachukwu Igwe