OPEYEMI ADEPOJU

Born and raised in Nigeria, Opeyemi holds a strong mission to do better for her family and for her country. During her degree in Food Science, Opeyemi found a strong interest in Data Analysis. However, the nicheness of her degree and the poor job market made it difficult to Opeyemi to find work and brought her instead to sales. Committed to find a job that she brought her more, Opeyemi decided to take a qualifying exam to pursue a second degree in Business Administration. Alongside all of this, Opeyemi volunteered as a school teacher and was part of the Pollio vaccination programme for children below the age of five.

“Though I Am Still Struggling, I Am Learning More Digital Skills and Becoming Stronger as I Pave My Way to the Top”

Q: Tell us a few things about your country, and also your life's story!

Nigeria, my country ranks the richest in Africa. A country made up of about 371 tribes with natural resources like crude oil, tin, coal, and so on. I am from the Yoruba tribe, and I reside in Lagos which is one out of the 36 states in the country. Poor management has been a challenge which has hindered the development of our country. Recently, we have had killings of young and old innocent lives in different parts of Nigeria, especially the killings of youths during a peaceful protest which have not been curbed nor have the murderers been brought to justice. 

I am trying to make the best use of the time. I want to learn as much as I can so that I can positively impact other youths like me and maybe in a way influence my environment and people around me. Some youths have been able to leave the country to save their lives and preserve the lives of their families and loved ones, but I am trying to make good use of opportunities like the Global Thinkers Forum mentoring programme to get adequate knowledge and learn from other people from different countries and earn a good living. 

Getting a good job is a personal challenge. As a graduate of Food Science, I could not land a job easily and started with sales so that I could fend for myself and support my family. Struggling between jobs and getting paid with peanuts is really depressing. 

Ruminating on the killings everywhere and daily struggle to live a responsible life has made the possibility of a bright comfortable future bleak, yet I draw strength from the joy and fulfillment I see on the faces of people in different parts of the world. I hope I will be able to contribute my quota to make Nigeria better, raise hopes in the lives of others and be the best I can be for myself and others.

Q: How did you experience the global pandemic crisis, did it change your life or/and your views about the world? How?

The global pandemic crisis has taught me that the unexpected can happen at any time. The knowledge and skills I can gather will determine how relevant I will be in years to come. The crisis has changed my view of the world, despite being in my home country, I can influence and be useful to organizations and individuals who are million kilometers away. I can learn and deliver to as many as I wish if I do not hold myself back.

Q: What are some of the key challenges in your society currently? 

The key challenges in my country include poor leadership, greediness, and corruption which have eaten so deep and adversely affected every aspect of the society. Poor education from the use of outdated curriculum and debt owed to teaching and non-teaching staff is crippling the lives of our generation. 

Poor medical facilities and debt owed to doctors have sent our medical practitioners out of the system to more fertile ground. The naira value depreciates daily which makes it more difficult to live another day. I do not know what the fate of our country will be in days to come, but I can only equip myself in the hope of better days.

Q: Share with us some of the hurdles that you had to overcome in your life so far? How did you handle them?

After my first job as a sales executive in a microfinance bank, I resigned and gathered all my savings, and invested in writing the GRE exams to help get educated outside the country. I failed unexpectedly and became devastated, not knowing where to turn to. 

I did not want another sales job because I hated my previous experience but switching to another career became more difficult by the day. The closest I could get was a customer service job because there was no one to help and lead me through. Those days were the most difficult times of my life because I felt useless and incapacitated with the happenings. 

Though I am still struggling, I am learning more digital skills and becoming stronger as I pave my way to the top.

Q: If you were to ask one thing from our current leaders, what would it be?

I have learned from Martin Luther King Jnr. and Barak Obama that equality, freedom, and love should be given to all people. I deserve the best life and I will not wait for someone to bring it to me. I want to get it for me and my family.

Q: Why is the role of a mentor important for you?

The role of a mentor is very important to me because I know how lost I felt when I did not have any. There was no light nor direction. Too dark to even make a move. I believe mentors will make our life journey easier and faster.

Q: Do you have a lesson that life has taught you and you would like to share?  

Life has taught me to give my best, and every time, because all that is given out will always come back in multiple folds. Nothing comes from nothing.

Q: Name a project, a foundation or a person in your country that you think is doing great work in helping improve other people's lives!

Sam and Nike Adeyemi are leaders with a great difference, they try to impact as much lives as they can by educating people with lifelong moral skills. Ibukun Awosika is also trying to employ more hands to reduce the number of unemployed youths.

Q: What are some of the challenges that women in your country face and what efforts are made towards gender equality?

Women in my country find it difficult to balance work and family life, many sacrifice their dreams and jobs to carter for their children and family, while at the same time those who struggle to remain in the system and are not treated fairly with the male gender.

Awareness is made to educate women on their rights, and they need to speak up when treated in an ill manner.

Q: Share with us a phrase, a poem or a story that means something to you.

Nothing comes from nothing.

Q: Share with us a project that you would like to make happen for your country or a cause that you are passionate about.

I want more jobs for our youths and more digital knowledge and development for my country. The knowledge of cybersecurity and data analytics will help a lot.

Q: Anything else that you may wish to add? 

Thank you for this opportunity.