Don't Prioritize Fashion, Ownership of Mobile Phones Above Your Investment Portfolios -Pelican CEO Tells Nigerian Students

Multiple award-winning real estate entrepreneur, Ambassador (Dr) Babatunde Adeyemo, has advised Nigerian youths to imbibe the culture of delayed gratification of their thirst for fashion & luxury gadgets, urging them to start their investment journey early in life to become successful entrepreneurs. 

Ambassador Adeyemo gave this charge on Thursday at Moshood Abiola Polytechnic, Abeokuta while delivering a guest lecture at the 22nd annual symposium of a student-based organisation, the Excel Assembly Foundation on the topic:" The Evolution of Entrepreneurship and the Benefits of Entrepreneurs in the Society".

Dr.Adeyemo decried the predominance of craze and thirst for possession of luxurious fashion items like expensive Brazilian hair and tech gadgets like iPhones among students, noting that business-wise students should delay the gratification of their needs by using such money made early in life to commence investment in real estates.

He affirmed that most students can become early bird investors if only they deploy the money they spend on human hair or wigs now priced between N80,000 and N500,000,(depending on the brand and quality) and similar sums of money used to buy iphones, the price of which rates at an average of N350, 000.00 and N1,250,000.00.

Adeyemo reminded Nigerian students that there are no more white collar jobs in the country waiting for students to grab upon graduation from tertiary institution, hence, there is need for them to start thinking and acting like entrepreneurs before it is too late.

The Chief Executive Officer of Pelican Valley Nigeria Limited, a foremost Nigerian real estate firm behind Pelican Valley Estate Laderin Abeokuta, Pelican Brief, Pelican Ecostay Apartments and Pelican Greenish Acre Farm Estate at Kobape area of Ogun State, said that despite the seemingly tough business climate of the country, it is still possible for one to start some businesses such as real estate, products marketing or distribution among others and become an entrepreneur with zero capital.

He explained further that what it takes to start such zero - capital businesses are faith in oneself, integrity, honesty, goodwill, perseverance, I - can - do - it spirit and focus, recalling that in his real estate practice, he had paid someone a commission as high as N10,000,000.00 for bringing clients who eventually subscribed to the Pelican Valley range of products.

According to the real estate don, there are still producers or manufacturers - local and international, looking for just one honest person to help them push their products and services out to the market and urged the students to start working on their integrity, character and build trust as they are the greatest capital they will need to start any worthwhile venture with zero - capital and still succeed if they earned the trust of others in future based on their character in display today.

He identified the benefits of entrepreneurship as jobs creations, wealth generation, innovation and creativity, community development, problem solving and being identified as critical factor in nation building and societal growth.

He noted that good grade or academic excellence alone is not enough to succeed in the world of today, saying character is very important and urged the youths to pay attention to their character, take advantage of globalization, information age, technology to become entrepreneurs and launch their ideas, invocations and creativities to the global market.

Earlier in his remarks, the Premier of Excel Club, Mr Akinbami Olawale, an accountant and vendor of accounting softwares, harped on social capital - building quality circle of friends and acquaintances and integrity in order to succeed in a world of business or entrepreneurship.