I’m 100% behind Tinubu administration, says Lai Mohammed 

Lai Mohammed, former minister of information, says his loyalty to the All Progressives Congress (APC) and the Bola Tinubu administration remains intact.

Delivering the 15th convocation lecture of Achievers University in Ondo state on Friday, the ex-minister said he deliberately chose to operate behind the scenes after years of being on the frontline of national politics. 

“I am a very loyal member of the APC,” he said. 

 “I am 100% behind this administration. But I have played my role on the front line. Whatever I need to do now, I will pass it through the back channels.

“I have been very privileged to have been minister for eight years, the longest-serving minister in the history of this country.”

Mohammed said his current focus is on mentorship and knowledge transfer to young Nigerians, especially students across tertiary institutions.

Speaking on the theme, ‘Don’t Just Graduate, Innovate’, the former minister said passing knowledge to the younger generation is necessary to prevent history from repeating itself.

He recalled recent engagements at Yaba College of Technology and Olabisi Onabanjo University, where he delivered lectures to mass communication students.

“They say one reason history repeats itself is because those of us who have been fortunate enough don’t pass the baton, we don’t share the knowledge,” he said.

 “And this is what I’m doing now imparting, giving back to society.”

Mohammed added that politics is not something one retires from. 

“You can never retire from politics. Once you are in, you are in forever. It’s for life,” he said.

The former minister defended the administration’s efforts at tackling insecurity, cautioning Nigerians against harsh criticism.

He argued that those outside government often underestimate the complexity of the challenge. 

“Many people who are not in the kitchen don’t know the fire coming out of it,” he said.

 “Is there any president who would want his own country to be insecure? The government is doing a lot. We must all encourage the government.”

He emphasised that community participation is crucial, noting that security issues are largely local.

“All the change we are looking for must begin with all of us. Security is local. Actionable intelligence is part of it,” he added. 

“The president cannot be in Abuja and know what is happening everywhere. People must report suspicious movements. The president is doing his best, and insecurity is a global issue.”

Reacting to claims that Nigeria is drifting toward a one-party state, Mohammed dismissed such fears as unfounded and rooted in poor historical awareness. 

“Nigerians are very bad students of history. This is not the first time we are seeing mass movement from one political party to another. It is part of growth, part of democracy,” he said. 

‘THERE IS NO STRAIGHT WAY TO SUCCESS’

Mohammed encouraged graduating students of Achievers University to jettison the myth of the straight road and embrace innovation, resilience and risk-taking as they step into an increasingly unpredictable world.

The former minister told the graduands that certificates alone would not guarantee success in a rapidly changing global economy dominated by artificial intelligence (AI) and industries yet to emerge.

“Graduation is a wonderful achievement, but a degree is not a guarantee. The world is not a straight road from university to your dream job. It is unpredictable, messy and full of opportunities you may not even see coming,” he said.

He urged the students to discard the belief that career paths must be linear, stressing that his personal life journey from French graduate to PR officer, lawyer, political strategist, opposition spokesperson and eventually minister was powered by courage, innovation and an unyielding willingness to adapt.

“Life will change your plans. Let it. Your dreams may change, and that’s not a failure. It is life inviting you to grow,” he added.

The former minister stated that the future belongs to graduates who challenge norms and rethink traditional pathways. 

“You can’t connect the dots looking forward; you can only connect them looking backwards,” he said, quoting Apple co-founder Steve Jobs.

“If you innovate, if you dare to step beyond what is safe or expected, the dots will connect. Innovation begins the moment you say, ‘There’s a better way’.”

Mohammed illustrated how boldness opened his earliest career doors, recalling how he bluntly told a PR manager in 1978 that the agency he led lacked visibility. 

Though the comment embarrassed the official, it earned him an unexpected job offer.

“Courage creates opportunities. When opportunities knock twice, swallow your pride and say yes,” he said.

He described failure as an inevitable part of success, recounting moments when his world crashed from losing scholarships and resigning from high office to suffering electoral defeats and facing political intimidation.

“I resigned at 36 with a wife, four children, no house and only N12,000. It felt like the end, yet two months later I co-founded a law firm. Failure is not the opposite of success. It is part of the journey,” he recalled. 

Mohammed also highlighted the power of reinvention, narrating how he became the voice of the opposition for nearly a decade, shaping national discourse through relentless media engagements despite harassment and arrests.

“You must reinvent yourself relentlessly. It is the only way to stay relevant,” he told the students.