By Joy Joseph
The Convener of The Sheerah Generation Celebration, and former Commissioner of Police, Apostle [Dr] Sybil Olufunmilayo Akinfenwa, has urged students to discover and develop their potential, build personal success and prepare themselves for leadership and nation-building.
Akinfenwa gave the advice during a visit to Lead British International School, Jericho, Ibadan, where she urged the students to pursue growth in all aspects of life and use their abilities to make meaningful contributions to their homes, communities and Nigeria.
The university lecturer said the students had the potential to achieve greatness if they recognised their abilities, remained committed to learning and applied the inspiration they received to their personal development.
According to her, success requires more than ambition, stressing the need for strategic vision, organisational ability and the determination to translate ideas into meaningful achievements.
Using biblical Sheerah as an example, Akinfenwa said her ability to build three cities demonstrated the importance of vision, administrative competence and organisational skills in achieving lasting success.
She urged the students to draw inspiration from these qualities and cultivate the capacity to build and lead in different spheres of life.
“You must be able to build success and yourself. You must grow in all aspects,” she said.
Akinfenwa charged the students that they had important roles to play in the future of Nigeria, urging them to begin preparing for leadership by developing their knowledge, skills and character.
“You must be inspired to build success in your home, community and Nigeria. There is a giant in you. You must receive inspiration to build. The potential in you must be allowed to come out,” she said.
She also emphasised the importance of academic knowledge, advising the students to ensure they understood the subjects they were taught and developed broad knowledge that would help them excel in their chosen fields.
The convener urged them to develop their social skills, noting that the ability to relate effectively with others was important for personal growth, leadership and success.
She urged the students to apply the lessons and inspiration they received to improve their performance and pursue excellence in every area of their lives.
She urged them to nurture their abilities, remain focused on their goals and embrace the responsibility of contributing to the development of their communities and the nation.
In her remarks, the Head of Primary at Lead British International School, Mrs Funmilola Adesuyi, emphasised the importance of holistic education in raising successful children, urging schools to develop students’ talents beyond academic learning.
Adesuyi said education should equip children with the skills and confidence to excel in different fields, including sports, music, visual arts and drama, rather than focusing solely on classroom performance.
According to her, the initiative is timely because it encourages pupils to understand that success can be achieved through different paths and that their abilities extend beyond academic excellence.
She said Lead British International School was committed to raising well-rounded children by providing opportunities for them to discover and develop their interests in various areas.
“The topic is timely because it inspires [the children] to be successful or to have a successful future. It is something tenable because it is a school, and it encourages the children to know that beyond academics, there can be somebody,” she said.
Adesuyi added that the school’s philosophy was centred on developing the total child, ensuring that pupils were encouraged to explore their abilities in sports, artistic expression and dramatic performance.
“Here at Lead British International School, we raise a total child. Beyond academics, we want our children to be able to do other things, like sports, being an artist and being a dramatic person,” she said.
Adesuyi added that exposing children to opportunities beyond conventional classroom learning could help them identify their strengths, build confidence and prepare for future responsibilities.
