Sule Lamido

By Uzair Adam 

Bayero University, Kano (BUK), on Tuesday hosted a landmark conference organised by the Faculty of History and Development Studies, exploring the historical and contemporary roles of ulama in Nigerian politics. 

The event, themed “Ulama and Politics in Nigeria: Historical Perspectives,” attracted scholars, politicians, and religious leaders from across the country.

Professor Muhammad Wada, Dean of the Faculty of History and Development Studies at the university, explained that the central mission of the conference is to highlight the pivotal role of ulama—Islamic scholars—in societal development. 

He stated that, “Over the years, through our research, we realised that ulama have played and continue to play an important role in various spheres of life, including politics and economics. 

“This conference seeks to address widespread misconceptions about whether it is legitimate for ulama to be involved in politics,” Professor Wada added.

He further stated that the conference has received hundreds of abstracts from scholars of various fields, demonstrating the broad relevance of the topic. 

“Historically, ulama have contributed to societal development, and they remain capable of doing so today. 

“Their role goes beyond leading prayers or teaching religion; it extends to guiding the public in political and civic matters,” Professor Wada emphasised.

Professor Sani Umar, one of the keynote speakers, described the conference as “highly enriching and a model that should be held regularly to sensitise ulama and the public alike.” 

He stressed that the discussions are not only relevant to Muslims but also to followers of other faiths, promoting mutual understanding and peaceful coexistence. 

Umar further explained that the widespread perception that ulama should avoid politics is misguided, noting that true politics involves leadership, compassion, and care for the vulnerable—qualities inherent in the work of scholars.

Speaking on the occasion, Sheikh Ibrahim Khalil, Chairman of the Council of Ulama, urged the public to recognise that politics is for everyone and that ulama, given their knowledge and moral grounding, are particularly well-suited to political engagement. 

He called for more frequent conferences of this kind, at least twice or three times a year, and appealed to media professionals to disseminate these messages widely, including via social media.

The conference drew participation from ulama representing various Islamic sects, academics, and politicians, including Sule Lamido, the former Governor of Jigawa State. 

Governor Abba Kabir Yusuf, represented by Professor Tijjani Muhammad, also attended, highlighting the significance of the event for both scholarship and governance.

The two-day conference will continue tomorrow with plenary sessions, providing a platform for rigorous discussion on the contributions of ulama to Nigerian society and politics.

By Samaila Suleiman, PhD

“No amount of deconstruction and reconstruction, to turn history on its head, can bury the truth” – Sule Lamido.

Writing a review of Being True to Myself, the autobiography of His Excellency, (Dr) Sule Lamido, is, for me, both an intellectual obligation and a profoundly personal reckoning. As a student of historiography and politics of knowledge production, book reviewing is an integral part of my professional calling. At the same time, as a member of the editorial team of the Sule Lamido Autobiography Project (SLAP), along with my colleagues Dr Nu’uman Habeeb and Mustafa Ibrahim Chinade, I lived with the idea of this book, from its conception to the first manuscript drafts, the final typeset, and its printing and public presentation. 

Book reviewers are traditionally expected to be neutral critiques, assessing works with analytical distance and relying largely on their reading of the text. What I offer here, however, is a deeply personal reflection of a tripartite engagement with the author, the text, the context of its production and the reactions it elicited from readers. This is, therefore, not a conventional book review but an attempt, as one of the editorial consultants for the project, to recount the story of thinking (working) with Sule Lamido in the making of Being True to Myselfitself. 

The Context

I first met Sule Lamido in 2019 when the late Professor Haruna Wakili introduced me, along with Dr. Nu’uman Habeeb and Mustafa Ibrahim Chinade, to serve as editorial consultants for his autobiography project. Our role was to facilitate the production of the text through interviews and other editorial interventions. Before this meeting, my knowledge of Lamido was limited. I knew him only as a former Minister and Governor. What I did not immediately realise was how profoundly the project would impact me as a historiographer, constantly negotiating the epistemological questions of truth, power, and narrative responsibility. 

The first lesson I drew from the project was the discovery of Lamido as an intellectual—an aspect of his persona that is often overshadowed by his public image as a forthright politician. At our inception meeting, I was immediately struck by his brilliance and philosophical acuity—following a lengthy conversation about the focus of the autobiography. My initial perception of Lamido was quickly overturned. Beneath the image of a seasoned politician, I encountered a man of deep philosophical substance, whose politics is rooted in a profound knowledge of history and critical thought. 

Although Lamido is not a career academic, his grasp of political and historical discourse is profound to the extent that some of his academic friends affectionately call him “Professor.”  He is one of the few politicians around who embodies the tradition of first-generation politicians, whose politics are grounded in principles and knowledge.

Over the course of many interviews with the editorial team, Lamido narrated his life story with a precision and wit that often left me marvelling at his hyperthymesia, attention to detail, and critical reasoning. Each time we returned to a topic for clarification, he would recount events with striking consistency, as though he had already internalised the book long before the project began. 

As the project advanced, Lamido took control of the content, style, and narrative flow of his autobiography, insisting on framing his experiences within a broader historical process. Even at the stage of typesetting and design, he remained involved, reviewing passages, fact-checking, and fine-tuning the manuscript. At one point, I jokingly said to him, while the book was already at press: “Your Excellency Sir, bakin alkalmi ya bushe”—implying that no further edits should be made, especially with the launch date approaching.

Some of our most intense editorial discussions went beyond factual accuracy to debates about historical methodology and explanation. When Lamido was advised to moderate some contentious revelations in the manuscript, he posed critical questions around secrecy and privacy in knowledge production, carefully dissecting the distinction between classified and declassified records. I found myself challenged, at times humbled, by his rigour and the depth with which he interrogated established academic assumptions about Nigerian history, politics, and writing. This level of discursive sophistication is rare among people without advanced degrees in historical studies.

There were moments when the manuscript resisted simplification, and we chose to retain its complexities rather than smooth them over, because they were intellectually honest. This demonstrates that a political memoir, at its best, is not merely a legacy-building exercise, as many autobiographies are, but a critical exercise in self-reflection within the context of history. Lamido gave himself that space and, in doing so, gave us the opportunity to reconsider some of our scholarly convictions about the nature of truth, memory, and life writing.

The Text  

Lamido’s distinctive voice is evident throughout Being True to Myself. Those familiar with his discursive signature will immediately recognise his bluntness, candour, and unfiltered expression in the text. 

Unlike many public figures whose autobiographies are primarily shaped by ghostwriters, Lamido maintained a hands-on approach. Each chapter bears his imprint, making the work not only intimate but also a demonstration of authorial agency.

Even the book’s title was not chosen lightly. It was the product of a year-long reflection on what Lamido’s life represents. Ultimately, Being True to Myself was favoured as the narrative’s central theme, mirroring the life of a man of unshakable principles and conscience.  The title comes from a passage where he describes himself as “an independent-minded child, who always stood his ground…not because I felt important, but because I tried to be true to myself.” 

What makes Being True to Myself particularly compelling is its historical nuance and emotional texture. Lamido alternates between humour, vulnerability, and defiance, recounting comical childhood stories, such as his naïve performance during Ramadan tashe, alongside harrowing experiences of persecution and betrayal. His willingness to revisit painful memories, without bitterness but with conviction, creates a text that is both deeply personal and politically insightful. 

The book is divided into eight broad thematic parts, tracing Lamido’s journey from his early life in Bamaina to his career in the Nigerian Railways and Tobacco Company, his involvement with the PRP, his time as foreign minister, and his tenure as governor of Jigawa State. It offers rich commentary on important political events such as the annulment of June 12, his detention under General Sani Abacha, his role in the formation of the PDP, the Obasanjo Presidency, his tenure as Foreign Minister, the Yar’Adua Presidency and how he was succeeded by Goodluck Jonathan, and the intricacies of power, politics and democratic governance in Jigawa state. 

In discussing Nigerian politics, Lamido dons the garb of a political scientist and historian, offering a critical examination of the military’s role in Nigerian politics. He critiques successive regimes, from Buhari’s military rule to IBB’s sophisticated but flawed transition programs, Abacha’s repression, and Abdulsalami’s genuine and successful transitional government, as well as the restoration of democracy. His reflections read as much like political history as autobiography, enriched by his insider perspective. One cannot help but wonder at the contents of his library, given his ability to weave theory and empirical detail with ease. 

The Praise and the Pushback 

Since its launch in May 2025, Being True to Myself has attracted a wide range of reactions, from praise by the media, scholars and statesmen to criticism from political associates, reflecting the complexity of both the author and the book.

At the high-profile launch in Abuja, political heavyweights celebrated the work. President Bola Tinubu, through his minister, commended Lamido as “a bold, consistent, and principled politician whose personal journey mirrors the story of Nigeria’s democratic evolution.” He described the book as a “significant contribution to Nigeria’s political literature,” encouraging other political veterans to document their experiences for posterity. 

The book reviewer, Dr. Iyorchia Ayu, lauded Lamido’s courage, recalling episodes such as the author telling an IGP, “Who are you?” and a military head of state to his face, “You must resign”. 

The book has not been without detractors. Some critics, including Malam Aminu Ibrahim Ringim, a former Chief of Staff to Lamido during his governorship, criticised the memoir as being rife with “self-glorification, misrepresentation and disrespect for the contributions of others.” 

Taken together, these divergent reactions reveal the dual nature of Being True to Myself as both an intimate self-portrait and a contested historical document. 

On the whole, the Sule Lamido Autobiographical Project is an elegant demonstration of how autobiographies can serve as a space for dialogue between politicians and scholars, working as collaborators in the pursuit of truth.

As former President Olusegun Obasanjo writes in the foreword: “No historian or public affairs officer should be without a copy of the book. I enjoyed reading it.” 

Happy 77^th Birthday and best wishes, Sir!

Samaila Suleiman, PhD, wrote from the Department of History, Bayero University, Kano. He can be reached via smlsuleiman@gmail.com.

By Ibrahim Yunusa

Former Jigawa State Governor and founding member of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Sule Lamido, has expressed his willingness to support the African Democratic Congress (ADC) in a bid to ensure President Bola Tinubu’s defeat in the 2027 general elections.

Lamido, while reaffirming his membership in PDP, accused President Tinubu of having total control over the party, alleging that figures like Samuel Ortom and Nyesom Wike are being used to weaken the PDP’s position as a formidable opposition.

He declared support for any coalition or group that aligns with the goal of unseating the ruling APC, adding that reclaiming the country’s integrity and ensuring peace for the masses is his top priority.

By Samaila Suleiman, PhD

Political memoir is an important genre of autobiography. It preserves not only the memories of its author but also serves as a first-hand account of critical policy decisions and political milestones in a nation’s historical journey.

In a country where official records are often incomplete, contested, or deliberately erased, writing autobiographies is more than just a historiographical or literary venture—it is a moral and social obligation on the part of the political class to share their personal truths, address silences, and contribute honestly to the preservation of our national history. 

What lessons can the life of Sule Lamido, who is one of Nigeria’s most principled elder statesmen, offer us about our country’s turbulent and checkered national history, marked by deep-seated contradictions?  

Having been active in the political scene for over four decades, the story of Sule Lamido is hand in glove with Nigeria’s political history, spanning important political transitions and dispensations. 

Following years of thoughtful introspection, Sule Lamido’s long-awaited autobiography, Being True to Myself, will be formally launched on 13 May 2025 at the NAF Conference Centre in Abuja.

With a foreword by Olusegun Obasanjo, Being True to Myself promises to deliver a constellation of compelling insights and thought-provoking revelations on the inner workings of power and governance in Nigeria – a story of unflinching refusal to compromise the ideals and principles that have guided Lamido’s politics since the Second Republic.

The event will be chaired by former Head of State, General Abdulsalami Abubakar, with former President Olusegun Obasanjo as the Special Guest of Honour, and Dr Iyorchia Ayu, former Senate President, as the book reviewer—three eminent national figures whose presence underscores the national significance of both Sule Lamido and his autobiography.

Being True to Myself will surely resonate not only with students of history and politics but with every Nigerian who still believes in the politics of principles and the promise of a better Nigeria.

By Uzair Adam 

Former Jigawa State Governor, Sule Lamido, has dismissed an invitation from former Kaduna State Governor, Nasir El-Rufai, urging opposition politicians to join the Social Democratic Party (SDP).  

El-Rufai, who recently defected from the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) to the SDP, made the appeal in an interview with BBC Hausa, inviting prominent figures such as Atiku Abubakar, Peter Obi, Rotimi Amaechi, and Rauf Aregbesola to join him in the party.  

Responding in a separate BBC Hausa interview on Sunday, March 16, 2025, Lamido described El-Rufai’s call as an insult, emphasizing that the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) was instrumental in shaping the former Kaduna governor’s political career.  

“The party we built, the PDP, is what gave birth to El-Rufai. He is not in a position to make us abandon it,” Lamido said.  

He also criticized El-Rufai’s leadership approach, questioning his sudden shift to the SDP after years in the APC.  

“Leadership requires patience, vision, and commitment to the peace and stability of the country. It should not be driven by anger or personal interests,” he added.  

Reaffirming his allegiance to the PDP, Lamido stated that he had no reason to leave the party, saying, “If I wanted to leave, I would have done so in 2014 when the APC was formed.”  

He advised El-Rufai to prioritize national interest over political grievances, stressing that the PDP remains focused on rebuilding its strength after losing the 2015 presidential election.

By Saifullahi Attahir

In 1984, during the second term of former US President Bill Clinton as Governor of Arkansas, he was alarmed by a damning report on the decline in educational standards in the state. He, therefore, constituted a committee headed by his wife, Hillary Clinton, to go around the state and come up with resolutions on how to rescue the State Educational sector.

He introduced robust proposals, including more time for academic work, mobilising more funds, increasing the school year, special opportunities for gifted children, a maximum class size of twenty pupils up to third grade, and more recruitment of Mathematics, History, and Science teachers.

The most controversial proposal required all teachers and administrators to take and pass the National Teacher Examination. Even in the US, this proposal was met with backlash from interest groups and misinformed teachers that the governor was trying to hijack their means of livelihood. But in reality, there is no way that a reform in education can be successfully achieved without looking at the guardians of that knowledge.

 Teachers are the backbone of any school. No matter how beautiful the school building, how few students per class, or how good the curriculum, if the person imparting the knowledge is not well-prepared, problems will continue to arise.

In President Bill Clinton’s case, he recommended that teachers who failed be given free tuition to take regular courses and be able to take the test as many times as possible until certified to be able to teach.

This same scenario occurred during the tenure of two visionary governors in northern Nigeria. Former Jigawa State Governor Alhaji Sule Lamido used the same strategy to improve the state’s education, which was then on life support. I can count the number of primary school teachers I knew who were allowed to return to the College of Education (COE) Gumel to obtain an NCE Certificate fully funded by the state.

In the case of former Kaduna State Governor Mallam Nasir Elrufa’i, we can remember the giant effort he tried to impose to rescue the educational sector in Kaduna. This included a massive purge of school teachers who could not pass their Aptitude test. The former governor was met with a heavy force of resentment and protest, including a mass media campaign in which he was simply trying to retrench workers from their source of livelihood.

These three cases were almost similar, although different States, different personalities, at different times, and nearly different approaches. But history will judge…

Saifullahi Attahir wrote via saifullahiattahir93@gmail.com.

By Nura Jibo MRICS

His Excellency, the former governor of Jigawa State, wrote:

“The APC-controlled government of Jigawa State has WON all the Chairmanship seats of the 27 Local Governments and the 283 Councilorship seats in the YET to be conducted local government elections throughout the State. The reason being no opposition Party is able to pay the FIVE MILLION NAIRA for the Chairmanship and TWO MILLION NAIRA for the Councilorship nomination forms from the State electoral commission! While other States are engaged in protests over hunger and poverty, congratulations to Jigawa for being the most prosperous State in Nigeria. “

I responded to him below. Enjoy!

“Your Excellency,

Courtesies and good morning, sir.

With due respect, this was what your president and you did as his governor(s). Indeed, you did similar political maneuvering during your stewardship as Jigawa State Governor and got much of it! However, one thing that you politicians so often forget or hardly understand is that life is just like a piano! It keeps on repeating itself! I am happy you mentioned hunger and poverty in this short satirical write-up. 

Lest you forget, you were quoted several times on social media and in the national dailies asserting that the Talaka that your type impoverished cannot do anything to effect any meaningful change or something like it! You were quoted in the Leadership Stable Newspaper by Wole Olaoye in an article that he dubbed “Too Poor to Revolt,” saying: 

“Nigeria is too weak to break. Who will break it? The ordinary person in Jigawa, the ordinary person in Sokoto, or the ordinary person in Bayelsa? Is it the Igbo vulcanizer, the Yoruba woman selling kerosene by the roadside, or the Okada man in Delta? They don’t have the capacity to unite because they are burdened by poverty. We have taken away from them their dignity, their self-esteem, their pride, and their self-worth so that they cannot even organize.” Wole went ahead to quote you, affirming the fact that “Up there, we (the elite) unite… We will never allow Nigeria to break because once it breaks, we will lose. But the common man loses nothing. What is he losing? He is already in hell; he cannot lose anything more than this hell.”

Unfortunately, all these statements that you made were full of a dearth of political history and knowledge of the political changes that happened in certain parts of the world. Your Excellency, let me take you back to memory lane and inform you so that you see the reasons for the superficial statements that you made in the Leadership and so that you may give thanks to Jibo one day for telling it exactly how it is!

Excellency, you should be aware that the recent Zanga Zanga that started in Nigeria is just a precursor to what you hypothesized above, and want to make those with little or no knowledge of how politics and politicians use words to manipulate or intimidate the hapless and vulnerable by eating therefrom. Your Excellency, what you and all the Northern Governors failed to understand is this:

The resilience in Talaka that you spent so long a time defining and controversially defending under the tutelage, or better put, an appendage of Malam Aminu Kano’s school of thought, is only workable and thrives on individual mental toughness, which is not sufficient! Whenever you talk of hunger and poverty plus starvation in Talaka, there are other sides of it that local champion politicians, especially the northern ones, don’t know or deliberately ignore. 

The hunger and poverty-driven Zanga Zanga that you see is what I prefer to call organizational resilience and sustainability. Indeed, that form of deliberate Talaka’s subjection to poverty and hunger that you mentioned suggests that those highly pauperized Nigerians that your type thinks have dribbled and can charge them and score points any day are no longer susceptible to individual resilience and adaptability, sir! They are now resorting quickly to community resilience support systems essential for successfully navigating unpredictable circumstances. 

I don’t have the time, sir. Still, I could have opened up this political history debate by making you think profoundly about those statements you made, which, by and large, are nothing but one of those political mistakes that most African political leaders are good at. They no longer see the dangerous paths they have led their people down until they are consumed by it.

In any case, I wish you all the best in reviving the political atmosphere in Nigeria.

Sincerely,

Jibo.

By Saifullahi Attahir Wurno

” …. In the next 25 years, Jigawa state should be the preferred investment destination in Nigeria”.  – Sule Lamido

On June 4, 2024, the Jigawa State Investment Agency, with the collaboration of other key economic sectors, convened a summit to raise awareness on how to facilitate easy access to small credits and attract foreign investment.

Many dignitaries across the state gracefully attended the summit, including various agencies concerned with investment in the state and the private sectors involved in providing job opportunities for our army of unemployed youths.

Summits like these were crucial to highlight key areas that urgently need investment in Jigawa state. These investments would serve as catalysts for job creation, improve economic indices, and attract more internally generated revenue (IGR) for the state.

I was delighted by a speech by Mal Audu Ahmadu from CBN, who highlighted the role played by commercial banks in hindering small enterprises’ access to loans because of their high interest rates, which amount to over 30 per cent instead of the more tolerable 25 per cent or less.

Commercial banks created other bureaucratic formalities that prevented local investors from getting easy loans. They required collateral assets to be presented, sometimes demanding that they be in the nation’s capital, Abuja, or other unreachable locations.

Although many banks were invited, the commercial bank Zenith Limited required special mention not only for being the only bank honouring the invitation but also for analysing its activities over the years in Jigawa state aimed at improving the standard of living of ordinary people in the state. The bank formulated a specially designed program called Z-Women to give medium-term credit to women interested in domestic marketing.

Other key dignitaries in the summit who were among the frontiers as local investors include Dr Sambo of Sambo Hospital Limited, Dr Yamuna Kani of Albarka Hospital Limited, Mallam Umar Babayaro of Limawa Table Waters, and Mallam Hassan Hashim from Hasina Confectionery Limited.

Another key guest was Mallam Aminu Bizi, CEO of the renowned Bizi Mobile Cashless Consultancy Limited. He was instrumental in providing millions of jobs in the technology sector across many States in Northern Nigeria through mobilisation, marketing, and public awareness of POS services during the early CBN introduction of the cashless policy.

Aminu Bizi other ventures include; Bizipay Fintech Account, NASIA health insurance, Jigawa JICHMA health insurance, and Jigawa Palliative shops. All these were his endeavours to provide jobs for unemployed youths in the state through partnerships with the state government.

Jigawa state was in dire need of investment, and the unfortunate low profile caused the poor turnout of foreign investors. However, with the appointment of the current Director General of the Agency, Hajiya Fureira Jumare, many positive strides were made to attract potential investors to the state.

For the benefit of outsiders, Jigawa state is one of the most peaceful states in the country, with political stability that would protect capital venture investments. The state has a population of over 6.5 million people, which is a readily available market for any investment and cheap labour for manufacturing.

In 2018, the World Bank ranked Jigawa state second among states with ease of doing business. The state has a rainfed land of over 1.9 million hectares, of which 400,000 is Fadama readily for rice farming. The state is mainly Agrarian, with vast land that fruitfully yields Sesame, grains, Hibiscus, tomatoes, and Onions. Jigawa is blessed with about four major markets that have an extensive network linking the state to others and international markets like Niger and Cameroon. The market include; Sara, Gujungu, Maigatari, and Hadejia.

Jigawa state has over 22,000 square kilometres of land, over 3000 km of road network, and a state-of-the-art International Airport. The current and previous administrations have led the way in bolstering the state’s economic indices and attracting foreign investors.

InvestJigawa was founded in 2013 after the first economic investment summit under Governor Sule Lamido (the father of modern Jigawa). Seven years later, with the appointment of the current DG, she strives to create a commendable five-year strategic plan (2021-2026) for the InvestJigawa journey. 

The roadmap would constitute a public-private partnership (PPP) and comprehensive development framework (CDF) to revive key employment avenues like MSMEs, tourism, solid minerals mining, renewable solar energies, and the already established Agriculture.

Jigawa state aims to attract at least 1 billion USD and create 2500 jobs by the end of 2030. This is thanks to other investments made during previous administrations, such as the Kila Cassava processing plant, Hadejia rice mills, Gagarawa Sugarcane plants, Gagarawa Industrial Park, and Dutse Ceramic Processing Company.

Saifullahi Attahir Wurno wrote from Dutse. He can be reached via saifullahiattahir93@gmail.com.

By Saifullahi Attahir Wurno 

The word success always carries a nostalgic feeling throughout history. It’s a word that everyone wants to associate with, and it can be seen as fulfilling one’s desire to live a happier, easier, contented life.

Many people ask what causes success. The only answer is hard work, but is hard work really the answer to success? We daily encounter people who are more hardworking than us but who are a hundred times below us in terms of success or living a comparatively easy life.

This article is based on Malcolm Gladwell’s book The Outliers: The Story of Success. The author tries to gather all the apparent and hidden factors that led to the monumental achievement of a few individuals, including athletes, footballers, artists, businessmen, prominent law practitioners, scientists, doctors, and more. 

Outlier is an English word that means someone outside the normal frame, people who have achieved tremendous success and fortune beyond average individuals. Examples include Lionel Messi in football, Bill Gates in computer, Dr Ben Carson in medicine, Usain Bolt in sports, outstanding political leaders in history, writers, etc.

The author concluded that outliers are those who have been given opportunities and who have had the strength and presence of mind to seize them. Most outliers are products of history, of the community in which they were born and raised, of opportunity, and of legacy.

Here is a story:

Ahmad was born in 1995 to a low-income family in Kafin Hausa town. His father’s sources of income are peasant farming and radio repair. His mother was a housewife who mainly depended on her husband for her daily needs and those of her children.

This family of 7 was completely dependent on their father’s meagre income and the small farm that Ahmad always accompanied his father to whenever he went on holidays. This taught Ahmad the habit of hard work early in life.

His father had a primary school level of education, while his mother had good Islamic knowledge but had not attended Western education. This motivated Ahmad to be very passionate about studying higher and becoming someone later in life. 

Ahmad lacks the luxury that may distract his attention; his father’s constant advice and natural ingenuity make him a bright child in primary school. He surpasses his classmates. He finishes top of his class and is admitted into the prestigious Science Secondary school Kafin Hausa.

At school, Ahmad met other young, ambitious, and bright students from all over the state, giving him the opportunity to network, learn, and challenge himself to further academic excellence.

In 2013, at 18, Ahmad graduated from GSSS Kafin Hausa with seven credits in his WAEC result (including all five science subjects). Luckily enough, the government of that period under Alhaji Sule Lamido requested students who have five credits and above in WAEC to submit their papers for scholarship screening.

To cut the story short, Ahmad got a Scholarship to Study Aviation Engineering in Egypt. He graduated successfully and secured a job with a big Airline company in Lagos. From then on, his life and destiny changed forever.

 Using the above story, let us analyse some of the factors that lead to young Ahmad’s success;

Studies have shown that family background plays a critical role in how people are raised and what they end up becoming. Despite his parents’ lack of deeper knowledge of Western education, they have inculcated a strong desire for their children to excel.

Another advantage of the family background was the lack of luxury, which helped Ahmad be less distracted and more focused on his studies. Imagine if he had been born into an affluent family surrounded by television, watching cartoons or comedies daily, or his father had been into the habit of buying them mobile phones and other game gadgets. Definitely, that would have distracted his attention, making him less energetic and determined to escape the poverty line.

Good networking was essential for attaining success in life. Ahmad’s interaction with other boys with similar interests, ambitions, and determination while studying at GSSS Kafin Hausa played a monumental role in catapulting him higher on the ladder of success. If he had been brilliant enough but had graduated from one local and poorly equipped secondary school, the story might have been different.

Right timing was also an important factor; had it been Ahmad graduated a year or two before Lamido started awarding the scholarship, no matter how brilliant or the excellence of his SSCE, he might have ended up studying in one of the local colleges of Education or polytechnic.

Of course, success occurs most often when preparation meets opportunity. God has guided Ahmad to prepare well for his exams and classes, reading the extra mile, reading past questions, and networking with the right people. So, when the time for the WAEC and the Scholarship exam came, he was unaware, so he excelled.

Many people only wish to succeed but never prepare ahead of time. In the end, remember that Success is Ultimately THE GRACE OF GOD, whose benevolence gathers all the above factors to work for you when he decides for you to succeed at something.

Saifullahi Attahir Wurno is a medical student at Federal University, Dutse. He can be reached via saifullahiattahir93@gmail.com.