Former Vice Chancellor of the University of Lagos (UNILAG), Prof. Toyin Ogundipe, has called on youths to maintain discipline and focus in their pursuits to achieve greatness. He made this appeal during his keynote address at the 10th edition of the Redeemed Christian Church of God (RCCG) Province 19 annual event, themed Relationship, Entrepreneurship, Career, Politics, Conference (RECALP), held at the UNILAG auditorium.
“You must be focused and disciplined to attain greatness in life. You need to know and dream about where you want to be in life. You need to prepare for what’s ahead of you. And don’t forget the God factor. Identify your strength in God,” Prof. Ogundipe advised, emphasizing the importance of vision, preparation, and spirituality in achieving life goals.
Dr. Bayo Olugbemi, Managing Director/CEO of First Registrars and Investor Services Limited, also addressed the audience, focusing on the event’s theme, “From Zero to Hero.” He spoke about the journey from failure to overcoming adversities, encouraging the youth to harness their potential for change. “Everyone has capacity for change. All you need to do is ignite it. No matter the adversity you face in life, make up your mind to go from zero to hero. Don’t just set a goal; set smart goals,” Dr. Olugbemi emphasized.
Pastor Cyprian Orakpo, the event’s convener, highlighted the program’s purpose of building a supportive community among youths and young adults. “RECALP is a programme for the youths and young adults. The purpose is for them to build a community among themselves. The ‘R’ in RECALP is for relationship. Life is all about relationship. In a programme like this, everybody is in their natural self,” he stated.
Pastor Orakpo also underscored the importance of creativity and innovation in entrepreneurship, noting, “Youths are full of creativity and innovation. And you can’t talk about entrepreneurship without creativity and innovation. The vision is to encourage the youths into entrepreneurship. This is the best time to be an entrepreneur in Nigeria because there are no jobs.”
Regional Youth Pastor Femi Aminu addressed the key challenges faced by youths today, pointing out distractions such as drug abuse and internet addiction. He stressed the need for young people to overcome these hurdles to realize their full potential.
The RECALP conference provided a platform for young people to engage with leaders and professionals, gaining insights and inspiration to navigate their careers, relationships, and entrepreneurial ventures.