The Faculty of Social Sciences and Humanities of Ebonyi State University, Abakaliki, recently hosted its inaugural alumni lecture series to inspire, motivate, and encourage young people and undergraduates. Benjamin Nworie writes

The maiden edition of the alumni lecture was a flagship of the faculty under the dean, Prof Nkechi Emma-Echiegu. Dr. Chike Onwe, from the Department of Mass Communication, coordinated the event. The Vice-Chancellor, Prof. Michael Awoke, was represented by the Deputy Vice-Chancellor, Academic, Prof Ike-Elechi Ogba.

It was a day of fun, of celebrating hard work, and of sober reflection and lessons. The day that a great alumnus of the university, Dr. Chimaobi Anyaso, shared his torturous struggle in life, and how he rose to the limelight.

Anyaso said he saw “hell” during his academic pursuit at the Department of English and Literature.

He never relented or demoralised by his poor background.

“I didn’t attend university to make first class. I came to Ebonyi State University to grab my certificate and run away with it. I was never a brilliant student. My classmates knew that I was not intelligent. In fact, I don’t attend lectures every time. And anytime I was absent from lectures, I was either going on a business trip or marketing one product or the other,” said Anyaso. “Sometimes, when I visited the village, I used to take mangoes and other fruits to the market. I was hustling. I was into different things to make money.”

The story of Anyaso served as an indication that everyone can succeed in life through hard work, commitment, and dedication. It was not as if he only wanted to grab his certificate and run, as he said, but he had a keen interest in business and entrepreneurship. He drew inspiration from his parents.

The theme of the lecture was ‘From Classroom to Boardroom: the Power of Education in Shaping Destiny’. The auditorium was filled to capacity as Anyaso inspired the audience, including students and lecturers. He went down memory lane and shared how he made it in life. Indeed, education can shape every destiny.

He was accompanied by his wife, friends, and business associates. He began his lecture with emotion, perhaps in appreciation for God’s grace in his life. He gained admission in 1999 when Ebonyi lacked the basic needs of life. Life was so miserable in the state, ravaged by guineaworm and other diseases.

“This university gave me more than an education. It gave me belief. It gave me the courage to dream. I walked the same paths many of you walk now. I sat in those lecture halls. I faced academic pressure. I wrestled with self-doubt. I even questioned whether my dreams would survive outside these gates. When I graduated in 2003 in English and Literature, with a degree that didn’t reflect my potential, many people quietly wrote me off. Some thought my story had ended before it truly began.”

“But let me tell you: your result is not your reality. I refused to let one grade define the rest of my life. I wore that degree as a badge, not of shame, but of determination. Greatness is not always born from accolades; it is forged in attitude. I chose growth. I devoured books. I asked questions. I sought mentors. I failed,” Anyaso.

He added, “I learned. I rose. And I kept going. Today, by God’s grace, I lead a group of companies under The CAADES Group, with investments in oil and gas, real estate, hospitality, construction, and healthcare. We have created jobs, generated over $1 billion in oil and gas revenues, and worked with global giants like Vitol, Total, and Mobil. But beyond the figures and boardrooms, I found something deeper.”

Anyaso taught the students not to study to pass, but rather to study to understand, build, and lead. He added that the problem with Nigeria is that leaders who have never engaged in enterprise or managed a business often use public funds as their first business experience.

“Some may argue that governance is about more than managing public resources. But let’s be honest: it’s not less than that. To secure the nation, you need funding. To close budget deficits, you need fiscal discipline. To build infrastructure, you need capital allocation. The thread tying all these together is one word: money – how it’s raised, how it’s spent, and how it’s accounted for. Governance is ultimately the management of collective wealth for collective progress,” he explained.

Anyaso said, “Now ask yourself, would you hand over the operating theatre to a man who’s never held a scalpel, simply because he claims to care about health? Of course not. Yet many are quick to hand over public coffers to individuals who have never even balanced a small ledger or navigated the discipline of payroll in business.

“You don’t learn financial management with public money because when you fail, the people bleed. In this emerging Africa, where the median age is 19, but the leadership age hovers near retirement, we must redefine leadership not as a reward for loyalty, but as a continuation of service. And in this redefinition, private enterprise becomes the ideal training ground- the proving ground where ideas are tested, discipline is built, and failure teaches faster than theory. For today’s students, the call is clear: build something, manage risk, solve problems, create value.

“When you’ve mastered that in the marketplace, then and only then can you competently scale those principles to national challenges. From boardrooms where balance sheets matter to ministries where budgets determine futures, the same rule applies.”

Anyaso pointed out that “you can’t give what you’ve never had the discipline to earn”.According to him, the goal is not to discourage political ambition, but to elevate it and show that entrepreneurship is not just a career path.

“It’s leadership school. It is here that you’ll find your rhythm, refine your principles, and build the kind of legacy that will someday give you the moral authority and economic wisdom to influence policies, shift paradigms, and rewrite the history of this nation,” Anyaso noted.

The businessman, investor, and philanthropist stated that education should not be viewed as an ornamental achievement, but rather as a functional tool for personal growth and societal change. Anyaso urged students to start where they are, rather than waiting for ideal conditions, and to add value from their current position.

“Turn knowledge into value, solve problems. Never stop learning, formally or informally, keep growing. Build people, not just for profits. Your team is your real asset. Give back as you grow. If your success doesn’t lift others, it’s incomplete. Lead with purpose, not just position. Let’s redesign the curriculum to emphasise leadership, innovation, and entrepreneurship. Let’s establish innovation labs and student venture funds. Let’s make it mandatory for final year students to pitch real-world projects before graduating.

“Your future is not written in your grade. It is written in your grift. Some of the most successful people on earth started from failure, from rejection, from nothing. Your setbacks are stepping stones. Turn your delays into discoveries,” Anyaso said.

The event also afforded Anyaso the opportunity to give back to the university. He donated a study hall to the university. The complex, which cost N250 million, is expected to be completed and inaugurated within 12 months. (This Day)