wRITTEN BY ALEX OTTI

I have spent the last 2 days speaking at convocation ceremonies, engaging with fresh graduates and sharing hopes of a brighter future. Starting at the Federal University of Technology, Owerri where I was the guest lecturer at the 37^th Convocation ceremony of the Institution on Thursday, I returned to Aba to attend the 22^nd Convocation ceremony  of the Ogbonnaya Onu Polytechnic. My message was the same in both institutions although the roles were different. In Owerri and Aba, I spoke to thousands of young people who had anxiety written all over their faces as majority of them were unsure of what to do with the certificates that had been acquired at great cost in time, material resources and opportunities forgone. After rightly acknowledging their fears about what lay in store for them, I invited them to rise in hope and fight for the dreams that originally fuelled their pursuit of higher education. I pointed them to the dangers of defeatism and eternal shame of quiet surrender. While I treasured the opportunity to offer hope, I was also glad that I found the courage to acknowledge that we are in a difficult place, for the true essence of optimism is not in denying reality but in acknowledging it and pushing harder still because our destiny is the silent echo of our thoughts.