Auto-mechanic skill not meant for illiterates – Abdullahi

Hard work and dedication are the virtues most Nigerian youths discard for quick and diminishing riches.
But for Aremu Abdullahi, 31, an auto mechanic who resides in Kubwa, a suburb of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Abuja, these attributes always end up with success stories.
ADEOLA TUKURU reports.
Aremu says he has achieved a lot since he came to seek greener pastures in the nation’s capital.
The OND holder also said the skill is not only meant for illiterates.
Apart from acquiring an automechanic skill, Aremu also holds an Ordinary National Diploma (OND) in Business administration from KwaraState Polytechnic, Offa.
It was observed when Business Starter visited his shop recently, there were customers who either came to repair their cars or came to pick their cars after repair.
According to Aremu, he came to Abuja in 2010 to seek greener pastures and to also further his education, he also intends to move a step further in life by saving enough money to marry as soon as possible.
Aremu says he has made a lot of profit from the business as he is able to meet up with certain expenses, adding that he also has relatives at home who depend on him for survival, “So I don’t want to disappoint them.
“With money from this business, I have been able to establish a thriving food canteen business for my mother in Ilorin.
“I also plan to register for an HND programme later in the year and even get married and have children…
(he laughs)”.
On the challenges of the job He said with the kind of business he is into,one must be able to endure and be very patient as he deals with different kinds of people on daily basis.
“Some of them treats us like we are not human beings, they call us illiterates.
Some even go as far as calling us names if we don’t meet up with when we are to repair their cars ” He urged youths and also graduates seeking white collar jobs to engage in a particular skill of their choice.
On youths engaging in skill acquisition Recently, the Group Chief Executive Officer of the United Capital Plc, MrsToyinSanni and the Lead Consultant and Chief Executive Officer, TeamMasters Limited, M r R o t i m i E y i t a y o , h a v e charged Nigerian youths to acquire new skills and discover their purpose in life in order to overcome the problem of unemployment.
The experts spoke recently at a conference facilitated by a non-governmental organisation, Pursuit of Purpose Network.
They said it was time the youth recognised their potential and deploy them positively rather than wait for the government to provide jobs for them.
Speaking on the topic, “The Journey of A Thousand Steps: Nuggets to Accelerate Growth and Avoid Pitfalls,” Sanni said, “Youths must strive to develop a heart to serve, to be ready to learn and acquire new skills, to keep an ever-expanding circle of influence, be willing to change the game and to move the cheese.
“Self-development and selfmotivation are no longer an option, they are imperative for you; you can’t escape it.
You cannot delegate your development to your parents, your employers or the Federal Government.
“We are in a world that has been described as ‘VUCA’, which means Volatile, Uncertain, Complex and highly Ambiguous.
In such a world, unfortunately, the unconscious, undeveloped and the unprepared will be the victims.
So, in a developing society like ours, if you do nothing, you will end up a victim.” Also speaking, Eyitayo noted that the youths should find their purpose in life if they want to achieve greatness.
He noted, “Purpose is an assignment, the purpose is service.
Everyone was built and designed for a purpose.
“What were you sent to the earth for? You were sent for service, you were sent for an assignment.” On pursing ones career The CEO, Integrated Corporate Services Limited, Mr Peter Akindeju, urged the youths to discover their purpose first before pursuing any career.
Akindeju, who also coordinates the Pursuit of Purpose Network, worried that Nigeria’s economic situation had pushed many youths into doing jobs they were not best suited for.
Speaking about what inspired the conference, he stated, “Our intention is to talk to young minds, that the first thing they need to do is to discover who they are and what purpose they are supposed to pursue in life before they decide on the career they are going to pursue.

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