Pro-Vice-Chancellor and Dean of the College of Business, Law, and Social Science, University of Derby, Professor Kamil Omoteso has identified proper planning and reliance on Allah as major tools for attaining success in this life and the hereafter.
Omoteso was speaking via zoom at the 2022 Professional Day organised by the Alimosho Professional Group at Cedar Point Centre, Iyana Ipaja, Lagos State with the theme: ‘Passport to Success’.
The Professional Day is an annual convergence of professionals in the largest local government area in Nigeria.
Organisers said the programme was aimed at bringing members of the Alimosho professional group together to discuss means of advancement in their profession while still in service and afterwards.
While calling on people to combine hard work, righteousness and prayer, Prof. Omoteso said, every person should plan and work hard as if the only thing that works is one’s hard work.
He advised everyone at the well-attended event to pray hard “as if it is only the prayer that will work for you”.
In explaining the reality of death, the versity don made references to life expectancy and reawakened participants’ consciousness on preparedness for the hereafter.
Prof Omoteso presented a chart on countries’ life expectancies where Nigeria ranks in the top 5 on short life expectancy with 55 years.
He said available data reveals that in 1960, life expectancy in Nigeria was 20 years higher than the current rating and he tied this to low quality of life in this era.
He thus counseled people to take adequate care of their wellbeing, build positive relationships with their family and prepare for the final journey (afterlife) via devotion and charity.
“Retire Today To Retire Happily” — Nigerian Entrepreneur
Also speaking, the Chief Executive Officer of Polysmart Packaging Limited, Mr. Wasiu Balogun enjoined the audience to aim to “retire today – in the quest to retire happily”.
Addressing the topic: ‘Towards a Blissful Retirement’, the entrepreneur counseled Nigerians to start planning their retirement from the present.
“Retirement is living the last stage of one’s life outside what we are doing today. Every individual will retire from long-term jobs or businesses. Every worker, employee or business owner is meant to retire. It is leaving an old career for the next phase of life.
“At the point of retirement, you should be doing what will make you happy for the rest of your life,” Balogun explained.
He added: “Retirement is not how much money you want to make, it is the level at which your money will work for you, hence, the need to work for your money now.”
According to him, before retirement, people should have multiple sources of income that are guaranteed and tested.
Balogun revealed that what makes an individual’s business successful are access to information, resilience and persistent exploration of opportunities.
He explained that while planning to retire, individuals should create a positive circle of influence and create a circle outside their sphere of influence, asking them to stay healthy at all times.
He advised participants to search for opportunities and tirelessly knock on the doors of opportunities until they have their way.
Balogun advocated transparency and loyalty in one’s dealings.
Earlier in his welcome address, the Planning Officer of the administration’s sub-committee, Engr. Yusuf Majolagbe explained the rationale behind the theme, Passport to Success.
He said, “With the Global economic challenges and the brain drain happening not only in the health sector, we need to delve more on how professionals can start a fruitful retirement plan as well as have longevity of life in a dwindling health sector with massive brain drain.”
While explaining the theme, Engr. Majolagbe said, “Lots of people make efforts but end up their life in miserable ways despite being affluent at the start of their careers while some make adequate provision for their retirement and still end up screwing it up with mid life syndrome and health challenges.
“Hence, Having a strategic plan towards retirement and living an healthy lifestyle at an early stage in life is the passport to success in this life.
“On the other side of life which is the hereafter, Prophet Muhammad (S.A.W) wished that his followers have longer life in order to have more reward by virtue of having more opportunity to worship God. He also said a strong Muslim is better than a weak Muslim. This makes it imperative for us to attain passport to success by being enlightened on mid life syndrome and general health challenges,” he added.
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