10 LESSONS FROM TAIWO OYEDELE’S LIFE AND CAREER TRAJECTORY

In this mini-biography of Taiwo Oyedele, FCA, FCCA, FCTI, I walked through the life and career trajectory of the young man. I believe the gentleman has done himself some good and worth celebrating, if only youths of today can learn from his inspiring story. I have summarized the lessons we can learn into this follow-up article.

1. Poverty is no excuse for vice: Taiwo could have easily taken to say armed robbery or some other vices because his parents were poor. He did not. He decided to help with farm work. There is no excuse for resorting to ill-behavior no matter how hard the situation is.

2. Take charge:  Stop blaming government or the society for your failure. You can still make it under the bad situation of this country. Taiwo never complained about the situation.

3. Never feel inferior: HND holders should never feel inferior but know their self-worth. There are many organizations that accept HND, better if victimization cry is downplayed. Can any Ivy league trained person look down at Taiwo today? You are how you present yourself.

4. Hardwork is still it: Hardwork still has no substitute. The gentleman demonstrated hardwork and resilience at different points in his life.

5. Network: Build a right network, stay close to information. I have always said this on this portal. Taiwo’s friend just casually told him that there was going to be PwC test in few days time. He could not have even known. These little information we piece from informal discussions with friends can make difference in our lives.

6. Never too late: Taiwo started primary school at age 5, yet became youngest partner in PwC. I imagined if he started school at 2 or 3 that children from well educated families started.

7. Make hay while the sun shines: Once Taiwo got to know about ICAN, he pursued it with vigour and never let anything distract him. That is very rare for a village boy who had no guidance or  information. He took his destiny to his own hands. He started immediately, without procrastinating. Once you have a clear idea about what you want to do, start immediately. Time waits for no one. If he waited, he could have stayed longer in PwC before becoming a partner. His ICAN studies could have distracted him if he did it while working. But he had gotten that done and dusted from school.

8. Endure now, enjoy later: Taiwo denied himself the comfort of his weekends in primary school, the comfort of his bedspace and squatted in higher institution. How many Nigerian students are ready to sacrifice such for their education/personal development today? They will rather use their bursary windfall to buy iPhone. He denied himself may things while growing up, but today he is sought after from Dubai to Norway as a speaker in conferences and talk shops.

9. Equal playing field: Organizations should consider equal field for all graduates. Their internal system will always sieve out the incompetent ones. Taiwo became the youngest partner in PwC Nigeria. He could have been denied job in that company in the first place if PwC discriminated against HND.

10. Patience is still a virtue:  Patience, some Yoruba people will joke, was the bane of MKO Abiola. That the late politician waited long in prison expecting a freedom that would never be. This joke can have a demoralizing effect. Taiwo demonstrated rare patience at different points in his life and career trajectory. He extended his internship (industrial attachment) after his ND studies by one more year all to raise funds to finance his professional exams. If he was in a rush to graduate, he would have rushed back to school and let his ICAN wait. He may never pick up. He remained in PwC and rose through the ranks to reach the peak of the ladder. PwC is hardly the place to be if you wanted instant gratification as a young chartered accountant that is hot cake for fat-salary-paying oil companies. Today, I need not mention what a partner earns.