Bye, bye 2012.  Welcome 2013. We would have been dead, but we are alive. The world would have ended, at least on two occasions, but the world still exists. We all knew that the Mayans predicted that the end of the world was coming on December 21, but they were probably wrong.  At least, the end is still not here. 2012 was great in The Guardian Life. We spoke to them and they are alive. And that’s why we are capturing what they told us.

What life has taught them

I HAVE learnt a lot in the past 50 years. As a young child, I had a lot of challenges. Everything has been a struggle. A struggle to obtain education, struggle to get a job and struggle to get by generally. I stayed for two months in Lagos looking for a place to do NYSC and I could not because they wanted to link your name to a managing director of a bank so that through you they would get brief from that place. A lot of young bright people are never given the opportunity to show their talents in life. In all, it has been sadness and joy. Sadness, in the sense that it was impossible to get a place to work after school, and joy, in the sense that you surmounted that problem.

— Governor Godswill Akpabio

Life is a journey, I don’t think I have sat down to think I will have a career and after some time retire at certain age. I am a professional, I have a professional career and as my profession develops, I will continue to chart a path for myself; and where I am now, it is not something I arrived by accident. I have been in a paid employment. I am trained as an Accountant and went into banking. I had my last paid employment in 1993 and until now I am self-employed. Up to 2008, I was managing two companies, but now I work freelance… For me, there nothing that I have done in life that come by accident. I have only tried to review the situation I find myself and chart a path forward.

— Olufemi Abiodun Akinsanya

I’m just fortunate that I don’t have the tendency to be fat, and besides, I don’t eat much, and I don’t drink. I used to smoke, but I stopped smoking about five years ago, and I have not missed it. I do a lot of exercise and I do a lot of things myself; if you come in here, instead of me to call the housemaid or my son to come serve you, I prefer to take a walk to bring that drink for you; that is part of exercise. If I forget something upstairs and I want to take it, instead of sending somebody upstairs to go and bring it, I decide to walk upstairs, and return. That walking, up and down is enough exercise for one’s body.

— Tunji Alapini

I have been thinking in the last two years that I will write something, which will reflect my beautiful memories of Lagos when in the night you would hear and feel the rain spluttering on the roof, and the cool breeze filter through the windows. We do not hear all that anymore except the sounds of generators. Also, the fun to walk bare-footed, as a little boy from the Igbobi College to Palmgrove, when it was safe, even as a middle class boy at that time, is something else. All that is gone now, as drivers now drive everybody to school. Even electricity that used to be stable, can no longer be.

— Tayo Aluko

Most times, you discover that widows suffer a lot after the demise of their husbands; some of them even lose their properties to their husbands’ people. So, for widows, life could be very difficult. In fact, let me tell you, if you suffered in your life and end up becoming somebody, you must realise you started somewhere.

— Chief Odochi Orji

You can actually come from nothing to something, but it takes a lot of hardwork and a diehard determination that, ‘I don’t care how many times I fall, but I’m going to get up and run like crazy.’

— Ini Onuk

Be the best in any field you find yourself; work with passion and the Lord will surely reward you.

— Bishop Peace Okonkwo

Teach your children how to love, if you want to live a happy life. If you don’t do that, they won’t be there for you. It is not all about giving money or buying daddy a car, I don’t need anybody to buy me a car; I want the child to be there for me when I need a walking stick to move around and I want to be able call and talk to somebody.

— Dr. Abayomi Oluyomi Finnih

It is painful and unacceptable in this day and age to hear of deaths due to malaria typhoid, bacterial infections, childbirth, ulcers, hypertension, diabetes and other minor diseases that are easily diagnosed, prevented and treatable, just because of lack of finance, unemployment or ignorance.

— Dr. Tunde Okewale

If you are a professional and you don’t give back to your society, that professionalism is useless because it is what you are able to give back to your society that is important.

• Ñ Robert Orya

It is so painful knowing that somehow, you were there. And somehow, you relaxed for somebody to come and take the shine off you. I feel very bad that I didn’t make history because I really wanted to make it in this search.

— Udodi Onyinyechukwu Priscillia

I am not a person that loves to be presented with flowers. So, he wouldn’t give me any… Rather, he spoils me with beautiful complements, gifts and spends quality time with me, which I love very much.

— Dame Abimbola Fashola

I’ve done what I wanted to do. I’m one of those very few people who didn’t try to be something else. I didn’t want to be a medical doctor; I didn’t want to be an engineer or a veterinary doctor. I just wanted to be a theatre person. And that’s what I have been.

— Prof. Duro Oni

Events are about creating an experience. They are sometimes meant to tell a story that the event owner cannot stand up to tell in two hours without boring the audience.

• Ñ Yewande Zaccheus

If you set off with the wrong mindset, then you are about to make mistakes and go wrong… To excel, you need to make certain rules, which is discipline; you put your hand into the accounts, those rule should be applied and this the reason I say you go back to your mind and do the right thing. For, you need to be disciplined to know that you can start a business and become a millionaire over night.

— Yemi Ogunbiyi

My regrets are very few in the sense that I do not have any need to look back to say maybe I should have done this or that, because I believe every man’s step is directed by God. Some friends we started life together from secondary school are no more today; some are not in anyway near to where I am today; so, it’s not for a man to regret anything, but to simply let God and let go. My mother died in her 30s in 1977 while I was very young and my father in 1998 at the age of 66. I never thought I would live up to 50, but I thank God for what He has done for me and I surely believe I will surpass my father in age.

— Wale Obadeyi

I like dressing modestly, but you will never find me in gold wristwatches, you won’t also find me in anything that is too loud and vague. There are 120 million poor people in the country and I dress to reflect that reality.

— Bolaji Ogunseye

Four years of having the Olympics on my mind, four years of putting my career on hold, four years of emotional and psychological rollercoaster. Surely, no one can feel the hurt greater or longer than I do. But as the bible says, ‘there are many plans in the heart of man, but the lord’s counsel, that will stand’. I can say I did everything that should be done, that could be done, and I gave my all to my country.

— Chika Chukwumerije

I think when I left Nigeria; it was more like taking a break from celebrity life… I just felt I should stay off music for a while, so I could basically be myself and understand myself and the direction of my life.

— Tosin Jegede

I am going to celebrate a fulfilled birthday only when I wake up to see 1000 Nigerians happily working in a farm, I want to wake up to see Nigerian kids compete favourably with their peers anywhere in the world, see them invent machines. I want to see the Nigerian youths attain great heights and celebrated within and outside the country; that is my dream, a dream of having Nigerian art and culture celebrated across the globe, a dream of attracting investors to the country, a dream where the agriculture sector flourishes. When all of these are achieved I would climb to the rooftop and have a grandiose celebration, but until then, my birthday is just a level.

— Foluke Michael

What they feel about Nigeria

NIGERIANS are very proud of their country; I’ve never see a Nigerian say anything bad about the country. So far, there are things I’ve picked up coming here and I’m sure that more are coming. Like every place you go to, people would say one thing or the other, but you have to go there and see things yourself. When you go, you see something different.

— George Benson

I’ve always wanted to come to Nigeria; this is one country I’ve always wanted to come to. Every single one of my friends and family members knew that I was this crazy about Nigeria. The Nigerians that I met around the world — in South Africa, America, Malaysia, South Africa — they have this confidence and sometimes arrogance and aggression that really excited me. I really wanted to come to the source to find out where all these are coming from because all the Nigerians I met were like that.

— Mpho Laing

I love the hustling and bustling of Lagos. I love the energy. I love the sky rise and the number of bridges. The new architecture in Lekki axis, the rustic architecture of Mushin where I grew up, the shank of Ebute Metta, you can’t have more variety as you have in Lagos, you look for it and you’ll find it. Go look for the best and worst of interiors, you’ll find in Lagos.

— Alhaji Teju Kareem

I’m blessed. This country has been very good to me, though it hasn’t been to a lot of people, I thank God everyday and I pray everyday.

— Ariyike Akinbobola

In Nigeria, corporate organisations don’t even want to associate with Fela; they said he smoked Igbo. Every year, we struggle to fund Felabration and because of lack of sponsors, some organisations have labeled Fela’s brand a ‘no go area’; they don’t want to associate with him. But a group from the United States is putting in millions to showcase the life of Fela...

— Yeni Kuti

Society needs alternative viewpoint. Fela lived alternative lifestyle. People like that are called rebels, iconoclast and revolutionaries. Society will never move forward if there are no people, who come to challenge the status quo.

— Lemi Ghariokwu

I am fulfilled but not fully fulfilled because it’s not right that out there in US, I am popular but in Nigeria, most people don’t know me. I don’t think I am fulfilled without my people knowing me.

— Ijeoma Egbunine 

What they feel about the government

SINCE the rate of unemployment in the country is high, there are so much government can do to improve business activities in the country —the power sector, rehabilitation of roads are very essential. Majority of our roads are in bad shape. Entrepreneurs need to be exposed to international standard of doing business. There is so much mediocrity in Nigeria; we do things shabbily and halfway. We must learn to do things right whether in the private or public sector. We need a complete re-orientation in business activities because success does not jump into anybody’s lap; one must work for it.

— Omolara Adelusi

We have many Nigerians doing fine abroad while there are also many experiencing hardship. So, it is not bad to stay back in Nigeria, think outside the box and grab some of the opportunities available instead of travelling abroad to waste away in another man’s land. There is no place like home, you know.

— Olatunde Samson

The story of the successes of Africa and Africans, is not the preferred story for the international media; they would rather carry the stories of dying children, diseased countries, wars and tribulation because it feeds into an economic paradigm that ensures that Africa is never attractive enough to be a tourist or investment destination. So, ultimately, all of this is economic, which when you now turn it around, you realise why the Global Information Order is critical to Africa’s economic renaissance.”

— Femi Odugbemi

I think the greatest problem with Africa and then Nigeria, is lack of standards and rule of law. Whenever I get the opportunity, I must make it a duty to standardise things and put the rule of law in place. Where you don’t have the law implemented and enforced, nothing works. I hear people say that the problem of Nigeria is corruption and infrastructural deficit, but if you check it, it’s because there’s no law and order. If there’s law and order, it won’t get to that level. So, whether I turned out to be a minister, lawmaker or local government chairman… I would institute law and order; the territory I command would have zero tolerance for incoherence.

— Ken Onyeali Ikpe

Every job has its hazards and challenges whether in Nigeria or anywhere else in the world. My philosophy is, if it’s a problem there must be a solution, so, seek that solution. The idea is not to dwell on the problem; instead I creatively try to remove the problem or find a way around it.

— Joshua Udiminue

I challenge children not only to strive for academic excellence but to grow into informed, independent, and creative thinkers while cultivating an authentic and resilient sense of self, grounded in respect and integrity; in the end creating a diverse and inclusive community built on a spirit of caring, inspiring them to lead and to serve with passion, purpose, and joy.

• Ñ Ita Hozaife

That you don’t have a helping hand to be what you want is not an excuse to be wayward. The only thing I believe that can make a girl-child wayward is greed. You want to live above your means. You want to be like the other person without thinking of the home you come from. For instance, you want to dress like the governor’s daughter, who happens to be your classmate, when you know your parents can’t afford such. Nobody can truly say that the girl-child goes wayward because she does not get a helping hand. The truth is, anybody who is wayward, is wayward, whether the person has help or not. They don’t want to endure pain or any form of stress.

— Roli Nere Uduaghan

You cannot help the art without embedding it in governmental policy; we need a policy that respects art. We keep on talking about tourism without respecting the art, for there is no where in the world that you can talk of tourism without talking about the art; yes there are monuments, water fronts, parks, but we embellish them, make them more attractive. And to do that government needs to make policy that would either use government money or non-governmental fund to develop the place to tourism centre and the activities that surround it; that is the only way we can have proper tourism. It is also the only way to helping, developing, civilising the art; otherwise we can’t develop it.

— Peter Adegboyega Badejo

We are returning to the era of playing live, new bands are coming up and young artistes are beginning to have their own bands and equipments. It may not be as big as what they want or should be, but at least they have one. And they know the difference between having a plastic and having a band because when you have a band, you will play better than the already recorded song. This is because while on stage, you have the opportunity to vary the style in line with the mood and demand of the audience.

— King Sunny Ade

Our government can institute paid seminars and inaugurate a national board of the arts to help support this growing industry. I know I would have loved to have seminars to attend, with experienced speakers to help encourage me when I was living in Nigeria. If they set these up in schools nationwide, then the youths have something to assist in their development and passion for fashion.

— Veronica Ebie Odeka