ASE VC Mahfouz Adedimeji cautions Nigerians against obsession with instant success

Mahfouz Adedimeji, vice-chancellor of the African School of Economics (ASE), has cautioned young Nigerians against being obsessed with instant success.

Adedimeji said the reward for effort may not come immediately, noting that “whatever is good and great takes some time to fully manifest.”

He gave the advice in a lecture titled “Learning is Relearning and Unlearning” at the opening of a two-day training on “Maximising Efficiency in the University/Workplace” organised by the institution.

The vice-chancellor added that efficiency is a product of patience and consistency.

“It is natural law that patience and perseverance ultimately pay as they prepare one for greatness,” he said.

The professor urged Nigerians to prepare for the future by making deliberate investments in the present.

Quoting Abraham Lincoln, he added: “I will study and get ready, and someday my chance will come.”

“Let’s always study and get ready by learning, relearning and unlearning because learning is the superpower of superpowers, the one that grows the rest of them,” he said.

Adedimeji spoke of the metaphorical Chinese bamboo tree, which takes three to four years to build its root before sprouting.

“In the fifth year, the tree finally emerges and within six weeks, it grows to an incredible height of 80 to 90 feet,” he said.

He urged participants to make the best use of their time and extend the benefits of ASE’s undergraduate and postgraduate programmes to their loved ones.

Adedimeji said the university combines theory with practice to produce graduates who are “academically sound, professionally skilled, entrepreneurially competent and globally competitive.”

The vice-chancellor also called for the institutionalisation of due process in public and corporate affairs.

He urged Nigerians to embrace strong work ethics, prioritise security, develop conflict management skills, cultivate financial literacy and nurture lifelong learning.

He said the training was designed to provide a platform for upskilling, reskilling and retooling participants from the university community and the general public.

Adedimeji, a former vice-chancellor of Ahman Patigi University, Kwara, explained that the modules included organisational behaviour and ethics, time management, self-development, workplace safety, security, communication, conflict management, financial literacy, and lifelong learning.

He described efficiency as “doing things right, following due process, increasing output while decreasing waste, energy, time and resources.”

Citing the example of Francesco Cirillo, an Italian student who developed the Pomodoro Technique in the 1980s, Adedimeji said working in focused 25-minute intervals followed by short breaks is a proven way to fight procrastination and boost productivity.

“The technique required working with focus for 25 minutes and taking a short break before returning to another cycle of work, an approach that has been found useful worldwide as a way of enhancing personal efficiency,” he said.

Other facilitators at the training included Ifeoma Okoye, Emilomo Ogunboye, Adegboyega Karim and Anthonia Ajikeme.

They emphasised the role of self-discipline, hard work, effective communication and continuous personal development in driving efficiency both on campus and in the workplace.

The training also featured simulations, group presentations and the award of certificates to participants drawn from the ASE community and the National Institute for Security Studies, Abuja.