Stop Mortgaging Your Future (Advice to Young Africans)

When you buy those things you don’t need because you have spare money and never taught it wise to invest for tomorrow, you’re mortgaging your future.

When you strive so hard to get money just to buy the latest iPhone/smartphone when you still have a smartphone that serve you and your educational/business purposes, you’re mortgaging your future.

When you save money just because you want to buy the latest designer hand bag, or get a new shoes when you can still make do with the many you already have, and have nothing left to invest, you’re mortgaging your future.

When you refuse to invest in self development but will rather invest on the latest fashion products just so you belong to a class you naturally haven’t reach, I tell you, your future will remind you that you refuse to take care of it and you’ll naturally find yourself in that lower class you originally belong.

When friends/family/strangers gift you money as a student and the first thing that cross your mind is to change your clothes, shoes and makeup kits, just so you appear better than the guy/girl beside you instead of to save and invest in any business idea of yours (if it ever cross your mind) or to acquire a skill, I tell you, you’re mortgaging your future and sooner than later, you’ll reap the consequences of wrong decisions.

In essence, I advise young Africans to think of their future before taking any decision.

We should be tired of being called underdeveloped by now. We should be tired of always depending on others to succeed.

Buying a new shoe is not bad.

Getting the latest iPhone is also not a bad idea.

Changing your wardrobe is good once in a while.

But should that be your priority now?

You should answer that.

This money you have now, if you use it to acquire a skill, and use that skill to earn recurring money, that won’t be a bad idea.

You should ponder on that.

How are you sure you’ll get a job after school?

Would you want to be a liability to your parents after putting you through school?

That uncle/aunt you believe is well placed in Government and can easily secure a lucrative job for you after school may disappoint you. S/He may be out of government by the time you round up school. S/He may also not be as connected as you assume.

Do not rely on anyone.

Acquire a skill today.

Develop a skill you already have interest in.

That skill might be what you need to change your level. It might end up being your meal ticket to stardom.

Don’t say how can ordinary fashion designing, website development, graphic designing, white board animation, cobbling, furniture making, painting, plumbing etc change my life.

It has changed a lot of people’s life, why will your case be different.

Yes, actually your case should be different, you know why? You went to school and therefore should have a better and more advanced way to package your business. And that should make you earn even better than usual.

Please my dear young African, let us change our mindset, we need to develop a positive mindset.

I am happy when I see young people doing great things in Nigeria. I ask my myself, with our population, if just 10% of young individuals start thinking right and becoming more productive rather than wanting to slay on social media and give a fake impression of there true self, then, just in few years, Nigeria will be great again.

I also want to use this medium to advice young Nigerians to delve into politics now.

Don’t give reasons why you shouldn’t, yes I know, it’s not easy, but a former governor (Donald Duke) use to say to my team that he reminds himself of something whenever he wants to take a step in life, he said “If I try I may lose, but if I don’t try, I’m guaranteed to lose”. In essence, we are guaranteed to fail unless we try. And what do we have to lose if we try?

Until we partake, we can never lead tomorrow.

“If I try I may lose, but if I don’t try, I’m guaranteed to lose” – Donald Duke

You must belong somewhere and be ready to exhibit signs that you’re capable of leading even if it’s in the local government level. You can’t come from nowhere and start targeting for the top position, NO it doesn’t work like that.

Life is a journey, just make sure you’re moving.

Remember, Martin Luther King Jr said “If you can’t fly then run, if you can’t run then walk, if you can’t walk then crawl, but whatever you do you have to keep moving forward.”

Don’t say it can’t work.

If left for Africans alone, we won’t have platforms like Facebook, Twitter or YouTube where we come together to socialize or express ourselves and some smart individuals now making huge money through these platforms.

If not for Mark Zuckerberg, most of us won’t have met some cool friends who have one way or the other touched our lives. Some of us won’t have met the love of our life.

I therefore urge us, to continue as young Africans to develop ourselves towards productivity. Invest in our future no matter how small and most importantly continue to show love to one another.

To your future.

Francis Nwokike