Young Nigerians have been admonished against the growing notion that education is scam. Instead, they have been told that only readers can be leaders of tomorrow.
This is as TotalEnergies has revealed how they groom future leaders in the oil region. They made the disclosure at the 2024 edition of the annual book reading event held at their headquarters in Trans-Amadi, Port Harcourt.
Obi Imemba, executive director, TotalEnergies JV Asset who represented the Managing Director, Oliver Cassassoles, said that reading was the foundation of knowledge.
He also said that the target of the scheme was to raise the next generation of leaders, and that the strategy was to influence some young persons who would influence the rest (at school, families, etc) to become readers.
Imemba said every secret in life was (hidden) in books. “So, you are in school to discover the secrets of life hidden in books, to unveil the secrets in books.
“Even at work, the most successful are those who paid attention to reading.”
He quoted authorities saying the world is a maze; then navigate it. “Its books that decode the maze. Reading should be a habit, a way of life, so build the habit. Barack Obama said reading is the foundation of all other forms of knowledge. The world is actually a maze to be navigated.”
He shared his story, saying he read a lot at school and even elected to write the General Certificate of Education (private candidates) examination then called GCE. “Some people wrote it to test themselves, before the West African Examinations Council (WAEC) examination which is written at the conclusion of your secondary school life.”
He talked about how he had to read many books on his own to cover the syllabus. “I passed all the papers and this is just because I cared to sit down and read books.
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“Other than academic books, I gave myself target of reading one book per month. Later in life, people marveled at the level of knowledge in me. Don’t only read to pass your exams.”
He quoted more authorities that said a reader lives a thousand lives before he dies, but one who does not read lives one life. He said reading refreshes one’s mind. “I advise you to join book clubs and commit to a lifelong habit of reading. You can only create a career by reading.”
In his welcome remarks, Charles Ebereonwu; Country Communications Manager of TotalEnergies, said the annual reading event is part of their corporate social responsibility (CSR) with focus for the making of the next leaders. “That’s why we believe in catching them young.
“If you can read, you can go far in life. That shows that everything stands on reading. Even in the workplace, workers that read well soon stand out as models. This project is to encourage students to seek to overcome their challenges by hearing how successful people they see today had challenges they overcame in the past.”
In her intervention, Joy Nwamaka joseph, Technical Adviser for Education, representing the Rivers State Commissioner for Education, Ovy Chinedum Chukwuma, said the Ministry was pleased to note that TotalEnergies was always trying to boost education in their endeavours.
“Let me say that anybody who encourages or compels you to read truly loves you. The theme is correct: The world is a maze, navigate it. In a maze (like in the wide world), you can get lost.”
She however expressed sadness over the seeming death of the reading culture, which she said has been replaced by the phone culture. She noted that people have other things to do with phone than read.
“But reading helps in building critical thinking skills. It helps one to trace relationship between two or more things or persons. It helps to interpret problems and helps to create problem-solving abilities. Reading is the soul of the world.”
The students from different schools were encouraged to work hard through reading both academic and non-academic books. They were encouraged to seek work careers in TotalEnergies which was described as the second biggest oil company in Nigeria and leader in downstream sector.
The presenter said the international oil corporation (IOC) is now strongly diversifying into renewable energy space.
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In a slide presentation, TotalEnergies was indicated as being strong on corporate social responsibility (CSR) programmes mostly touching on flood alleviation schemes, COVID-19 alleviation schemes, SOS Village scheme, sponsoring lecturers abroad to broaden knowledge and bring it back home, and scholarships especially in the undergraduate level, etc.
The presentation said TotalEnergies is strong on the protection of the environment. “Total is strong in the search for flare-out and in fact is the only Nigerian oil corporation that has reached flare-out level.
“It is also strong in carbon trade opportunity, export of gas, etc.” The topic traced the evolution of energy from human muscle to animal power that pulled weights or ploughs to the era of coal energy and now to petroleum.
The students were tutored on what the upstream to midstream to midstream sectors of the hydrocarbon industry means, and the journey to green and renewable energy which TotalEnergies said it is also strong on, the aim being to reduce carbon emission. All this was hinged on the philosophy that energy is reinventing itself.
The students appeared thrilled by a model, Olubunmi Catherine Benco, Head of Operational Safety and Methods in TotalEnergies who showcased her qualifications as HND Applied Chemistry, BSc Chemical Engineering, and MSc Global Management despite attending public schools all through.
The second child of a mother-teacher said her mother told her that only those who read their books would wear shoes that sound koi-koi, reflecting working career life.
She said: “I stand here to let you young ones know that success must not only come from japa (exodus to Europe and America) or about attending private schools. I did not attend private school and I did not study abroad. I studied in public schools here in Nigeria and I am now working in my dream place.
“I was a science student who like most other science students wanted to study medicine. I love care for other. I did not get admission in my first JAMB exam but I am a determined person. I fought hard and got admitted to the polytechnic and obtained a Higher National Diploma (HND) certificate and proceeded to do my National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) in Shell and secured a job there, not by any influence but because my father’s good name came to play.
“I returned to school to study engineering and secured a BSc and later a masters. By this, I reached the academic heights I dreamed of. It does not matter how you started but how you ended.”
Saying her dad is my role model, Bunmi said prayer was very important. She said she worked in Shell but desired to work in Total. “I did many interviews until I was picked. So, determination is the key.”
The main event featured book reading, focusing on the book titled: ‘Unexpected Joy at Dawn’.
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