The Provost of Elife Academy, Dr Bola Adewara has underscored the importance of mentoring if Nigerians would attain their full potential and for the growth of the nation.
He made this known during a recent Mentoring Masterclass Seminar held at Epic International Church in Ketu, Lagos.
Adewara who also publishes Elife magazine and presents Mentoring Masterclass talk-show online, said the essence of mentoring can’t be overemphasised.
According to him, many people confuse mentoring with parenting. “There is a clear distinction between mentoring and parenting.”
He explained that failing to differentiate between mentoring and parenting “will inevitably lead to a future generation lacking in knowledge, wisdom, and insight. This is the reason many young people are not serious and also lack depth. Parenting has limitations. There is a limit to what parents can pass on to their children. But in a mentoring class, the child is exposed to a wide range of resources and experiences that are important in life.”
Abroad will not change you
He said further that the case for the young people is more compounded because they now seek solace in foreign countries when they could not have headway in Nigeria. “They fail to realise that their problem is not because they lack potential but because they have not been mentored properly on how to harness their potential. Seeking opportunities abroad is like asking a lizard in Nigeria to become a crocodile in America. One cannot transform into something entirely different by changing surroundings.
He explains, “Although mentoring and parenting might appear similar, they serve distinct purposes. Valuable life skills such as personal growth, professional advancement, effective leadership, job satisfaction, and practical life wisdom are not typically acquired through parenting and formal education in many instances.”
Adewara, who has authored many books, including “Discover the Secrets of Mentorship,” stresses that qualities like patriotism and love for one’s nation, even amid challenges, are not taught in schools or homes.
He said “Countries where a premium is placed on mentorship experience growth because mentorship programmes instil a sense of responsibility in the younger people and help them to confront challenges within their borders. Until Nigerians positively embrace the concept of mentorship, they risk standing still in a world where others are on the run.”
Elife Academy
He said the Mentoring Masterclass of his academy had been designed to equip participants with tools, strategies, and support systems that would help them define their purpose, recognise strengths and weaknesses, formulate plans for personal growth and achieve success across various life domains.
The programme according to him covers an array of topics including personal values, goal setting, time management, decision-making, relationships, parenting, resilience and self-care.
Other topics covered are career fulfilment, family life, internet evangelism, and mentoring.
Mentoring Masterclass, which currently runs on YouTube, aims to facilitate self-reflection and learning from others’ experiences.
The recent seminar witnessed three lectures: How to Prepare for a Regret-free old-age, handled by Dr. Bola Adewara, Married and Unhappy: Where Has Love Gone, taken by author and Love Coach Diji Isaac, and Avoiding Mistakes Most Parents Make with first-borns, which was handled by Mrs. Veno Marioghae, an inimitable musician of the “Nigeria go survive” fame.
Speaking on the Mentoring experience, one of the organisers, Mr Isaac Daniel, said the Masterclass serves as a platform for men to reflect on past missteps while harnessing the wisdom of mentors to accelerate their learning journey. Attendees received Certificates of Excellence after the event.
Speaking to journalists after the event, the Love Coach, Diji Isaac, expressed that Mentoring Masterclass sessions will become a recurring initiative by Elife Academy.
The organisation intends to extend its outreach across Nigeria, engaging secondary and tertiary institution students, parents, professionals, and leaders, urging them to recognize the importance of mentorship.
Adewara emphasised that “For a nation to realise its future potential and for its youth to compete effectively on the global stage, mentorship must be given its rightful place in our scheme of things.”
