Face Your Studies, Build Good Character, Obasanjo Urges Students
Former Nigerian President, Olusegun Obasanjo, has charged secondary school students in Ogun State to inculcate good character and combine it with academic brilliance in order to succeed not only in their academic pursuits, but in life.
The former president, who gave this charge in his remarks at the Obasanjo Back-to-School Project organised by the Youth Development Centre, Olusegun Obasanjo Presidential Library, Abeokuta, on Tuesday, noted that academic brilliance without good character can impede the progress and aspirations of students in life.
At the event, which was organised in conjunction with Providus Unity Bank, no fewer than 100 secondary students selected from six local government areas of Ogun State were given school bags, notebooks, socks, pens and other stationery. The event also featured a pep talk, games and a career talk.
Obasanjo, represented by the Director, the Institute of African Culture and International Understanding, OOPL, Emeritus Professor Peter Okebukola, urged the students to always face their studies and ensure they imbibe values capable of enhancing their growth and development.
He further urged them to develop what he described as a “habit of reading” and spend less time on smartphones as well as distractions from social media.
Obasanjo also admonished the students not to be discouraged by challenges posed by difficult subjects, but to strive to study harder in order to overcome tough subjects.
According to the former president, sound education remains the bedrock of success, emphasising the need for students to pursue their academic activities with vigour, concentration and seriousness.
He stated, “Character, my dear students, is extremely important. Academic brilliance without good character is insufficient. As you return to school for the 2026/2027 session, I want to tell you that you shout not be frightened by difficult subjects such as Maths, Chemistry, Physics and so on. Cultivate the habit of reading. Studying can be sometimes difficult.
“You may read something once and nothing happens; you read twice and still nothing happens. You read it the third time and your brain begins to whisper something else. Please, do not give up. There is no law which says everything must become clear and understandable at first attempt. When Mathematics knocks you down, get up; when English Grammar begins to behave strangely, pursue it; when Physics determines to ruin your afternoon, fight back with more reading.
“Adopt the habit of reading. Don’t allow smartphones and social media to distract you. Nobody is saying you should not engage in the use of social media, but limit your time in their use and develop the habit of reading. Read your Chemistry, your Physics, do your assignments. Read biographies, history, good newspapers, journals.
“Read about Africa, read about Obasanjo and read about people who succeeded and who failed. This is because failure too has a message to teach us. As you continue your education, you may fail in something, you may fail a test and you may not be selected for something you desperately wanted.”
He added, “There is a difference between ‘I failed this test’ and ‘I am a failure’. Think of what went wrong, what can I do, what can I change, who can help me, then try again. Education is not only your passport to a better future, but it is also your toolbox for building that future. Build wisely, build boldly and build honestly. Do something that will make your family proud, your community proud, Nigeria proud, Africa proud and humanity better.
“As you go back to school, you are not just returning to your classrooms; you are returning to the construction site of your future. And everything you take to your classrooms is the building block; every assignment is a bag of cement; every good habit is an iron rod. Build well, build strong and build on the rock. And whenever you feel like giving up, remember that 80-year-old man who went back to school and came out with a PhD.
“If Baba Obasanjo could do it, you can do it at a younger age. Go back to school with joy, go back with purpose and determination to be better this session. Nigeria is waiting for you, Africa is waiting for you and the world is waiting for you.”
He, however, said that the OOPL through the Youth Development Centre will continue to provide an avenue for youth empowerment and development.
The Commissioner for Education, Science and Technology in Ogun State, Professor Abayomi Arigbabu, commended the Centre for organising the Back-to-School programme to assist indigent secondary school students.
Arigbabu, represented by a Director in the Ministry, Mrs Bolanle Idowu, speaking on the topic “Equipping Young Minds for Academic Excellence and Brighter Future”, said that the school bags and stationery distributed to the students will go a long way to assist them and provide financial relief for their parents.
He, however, charged the beneficiaries to take advantage of the support and concentrate on their studies with the aim of achieving excellence in their academic activities.
Welcoming the students, the Chairman, Youth Development Centre, OOPL, Bisi Kolapo, noted that the event was a maiden edition organised to provide assistance to some indigent secondary school students across the state.
She explained that the exercise was strictly on merit as the Ministry of Education, Science and Technology in the state coordinated the selection of beneficiaries through its database.
Kolapo, who disclosed that the Centre had trained 500 indigent pupils on computer education, said the Obasanjo Back-to-School project will be sustained and called on the students to consider the goodies as an elixir to focus more on their studies.
The Programmes Manager, Youth Development Centre, OOPL, Blessing Omolara, said the programme was developed to enhance learning among indigent secondary schools in the state.
She added that the beneficiaries of the first edition of the Obasanjo Back-to-School Project were selected from public secondary schools in six local government areas including Odeda, Abeokuta South, Abeokuta North, Remo North and Ado-Odo/Ota.
The beginning of a new academic session comes with the need for students to acquire essential learning materials, which can place additional financial pressure on families with limited resources.
The Back-to-School Project seeks to ease part of that burden for selected indigent students while encouraging them to remain focused on their education.
