With over 50% youthful population, Africa is not just blessed with rich natural resources, it is also blessed with an energetic and graceful population. While this youthful population is bustling with exuberance and grace, the key factors of resilience and endurance were also identified as germane.
This formed the crux of the World Press Conference heralding the book, ‘The Iconic Bola Ahmed Tinubu: An Inspiration to African Youths’ authored by multi-award winning Journalist and Publisher of Trek Africa Newspaper, Oki Olatunji Samson and co-authored by Abayomi Oyelami.
The mentorship book profiles the life of a living African icon and President-elect, Federal Republic of Nigeria, Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu as a reference of inspiration for African youths. The authors noted with chagrin ‘As Africans, we cannot continue to live without profiling great leadership, homegrown, here in Africa. It is common in Africa to let legends die before we acknowledge them for who they are. We choose not to allow that fate befall ASIWAJU, hence the painstaking efforts for almost eight (8) years at drawing parallels between his lifestyle and that of youths in the book.’
Therefore, the 26-chapter book slated for official launch on Wednesday 12th April 2023 at the prestigious Oriental hotel in Lagos ‘is about mentorship. It is not possible for everyone to meet the man, ASIWAJU BOLA AHMED TINUBU, albeit we can learn from him’, the authors informed. ‘Throughout the period of writing this book, the authors dedicated the years conducting one on one interviews, researching and studying The Iconic. However, by observing carefully, reading copiously, and listening intently, we began to glean valuable lessons which helped us to arrive at the contents of this book. This book is therefore mentoring youths from a distance. We plead with youths to read it with a learning posture rather than from a biased perspective.’
The coauthors, however, pleaded with the dramatis persona, the Jagaban of Borgu and Aare Ago of Yorubaland, Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu to bequeath the world with his express autobiography. They noted: ‘we also use this opportunity to join voices with one of Asiwaju’s biggest successes, the Minister of Works and Housing and former Governor of Lagos State, Mr. Babatunde Raji Fashola SAN to humbly request that once ASIWAJU can get a time out of his very busy schedule, he should kindly bequeath our generation with his autobiography. It will be a classic!’
The World Press Conference had in attendance; Convener of Asiwaju Distinguished Ambassadors Movement (ADAM) and the Vice Chairman of Ikorodu LGA, Aarebinrin Hon. Folashade Olabanji-Oba; ECOWAS Youth Peace Ambassador, Amb. Tosin Sanusi and many grassroots leaders from the All Progressives Congress (APC).
