THE GRATITUDE CHALLENGE – DAY 2

Yesterday I shared what I wrote for Day 1 of my challenge. Below is what I wrote for Day 2

DAY 2

I am grateful today for my EDUCATION, CAREER & THE PRIVILEGE TO TRAVEL

1. MY EDUCATION: I am thankful for the privilege to be part of a family that values education ( my mom at almost 60 is still focused on getting her PhD), the early days at Mercy Day Nursery School, to St.William Catholic Primary School, to a brief stint at African Church Grammar School(Afro), to Ibadan Grammar School ( Up Sch!!), to Abadina College University of Ibadan,to Ikolaba Lesson, to The polytechnic Ibadan, to 200L Elect/Elect Engr University of Ibadan via Direct Entry, to Warwick Business School UK, to……. I am thankful for my teachers all along the way… Mrs Olajide, Mrs K.A. Lala(my mom), Mrs. Olatunde,Engr Oladejo,Engr Megbowon,Dr Odutayo, Dr Fakolujo, Engr Thanni, Dr Bridges,Prof Derek Condon, Prof Andy Lockett, Prof Ben Knights, etc you all have provided me with the weapons ( information) for enlightenment, to broaden my mind & horizon. It has been an honour to be taught be you all.

I celebrate the folks I met along the way during this journey unto enlightenment, starting with my folks at Ibadan Grammar School (JSS 1F,2F & 3F), Odusote tayo, Bankole Jones, Ayoola Adelaja, Ayorinde Salisu, Adeyemi Abayomi,Gbadegeshin (Lefty), Lukman, etc, I loved the inter-house sport competition, the lads in Yellow House (Irefin), the twins that played Tennis & won titles for the school, the great lads in Abadina college, Olumuyiwa Ajibade, Teslim Bada, Ololade lawoyin, Simon Esimakwini,Kayode Mustapha, Laide Mustapha,Priye( Head Boy class of 93),Bolajoko Segumaru,Olalekan Ajagbe,Kayode Oluro,Seun Malomo,etc.

The sharp folks at Ikolaba Lesson, Biodun Oshunkunle, Venessa Kemi Odewenwa,Oje,Froggy,etc, to the great people of The Polytechnic Ibadan, Tolulope Fasina, Gbenga Onasanya, Oladeji Familusi, Titi Elaturoti(Now Mrs Ojo),Omololu Majekodunmi ( Butty), Olufemi Odulaja, Tomi Talabi (TomTee), Bose Odutayo,Kuye Samson,Olufemi Ojudun, Adeoye Tosin, Oje Adetula,Olayiwola Tahoheed, Bro Wole, Erinfolami, Adegbola Segun, Olusegun Falusi,Gbenga Falana(FalanG), Gbenga Labiran (LabiranG), Akeem Adepoju, Oga Tope Ogunlade (FinSec).

The North Campus crew (The 3 Toyins( Odeyemi, Olaoye & Olajogun, Bimbo Olatunde, Kemi princess), etc.Then to my SEES folks at the University of Ibadan, Adedoyin Adeola (Class rep), Abiodun Ajayi,Fajo ( Funsho-Adebayo John Oluwole); Nicholas Okunkoni,Adesuwa Okojie (Whose Parents were instrumental in my getting to UI via DL); Titi Elaturoti, Femi Ojudun(Bonto), Tolu Fasina, Gbenga Onasanya, Seyi Oluwole (BillDoor),Bola Durojaiye, Adetoye Oremosu,Dammy Boy! Dammy Girl ( Damilola Ojo), Yinka Babalola, Olusola Fadeyi (Now Mrs Abolade),Muyiwa Aluko; Bisola Fatokun; Omoniyi Ewete, etc

To my ever bubbling Warwick cohorts; Adedayo falaiye, Assumpta Uzaka; Femi Akinwale,Emmanuel Asika, Terri Mama,Whitney Love,Craig Green, Danny Barnett,Jonathan Anne,Sara Chumbley,Seun Soladoye,Lola Ojikutu,Amos Doornbos,Henry,Haiqian Jiang,Maureen Ekweozoh,Steven Adjei,Yakubu Olawale,Juri Georg Wawra,Henry C. Alphin Jr,John McGinty,Chukwuma Nwanze.

You all left a mark on me & I am super grateful that our paths crossed.

2. MY CAREER: My IT/Telecoms career started from my inquisitive nature during my formative years,  I can remember a number of Radio/TV sets that I’ve spoilt (lol). I was very good with numbers & analytics, my mom wanted a medical doctor in the family, but my brain was wired for Engineering ( besides I hated the sight of blood & don’t like biology).

So once I was done with High School while waiting for JAMB results my mom ( whom by now had agreed that Engineering was the way)enrolled me for 6 months training with an Electrical Engr workshop ( where I learnt about coils, generator, the whole works) & the other 6 months with an Electronics Engr workshop ( I learnt about PCB boards, diode, resistors, transistors etc), I loved both.

Then came my time at Ikolaba Lesson, where a small computer company called TIWA systems opened closed by. I was fascinated by the computer world ( the games, the processing power & what the PC could do), I spent time after lessons playing games there with Simon Esimakwini spent all our lunch & transport money & then walk home talking about the new computer experience.

With the new found love I decided to go for Computer Engineering in OAU ife, but Bro Ademola Idowu & Gbeminiyi Eboda advised me that it’s better a do a broader course ( Elect/Elect Engr) & the die was cast.

While I was in college I had a lot of PPs ( Private Practice), where I went around assembling PCs, creating & designing LANs, helping to set up Cyber Cafes all around Town/State, i was on fire….. My special thanks goes to Yele & Fiona Johnson, for allowing me work in their little garage installing MS-DOS & Windows for Workgroup 3.1, then i moved to Epidata consulting as a trainner & network administrator. Thanks to Pastor Olubi Johnson, Pastor Tunji Odelola ( i still remember the lesson on office etiquettes & professionalism especially when your boss is in the room…great stuff sir).

Bro Dotun Ariyo( I remember our very first LAN setup with 2 comupters using coaxial cable following instructions in Networking Essentials, it was about 2am in the morning), Bro Wale Akinrinola, Sis Judith Shokoya, wow great people indeed,I gleaned the skills of professional/corporate trainning as well desktop publishing. I remember the trips to Ewekoro cement factory & the AutoCAD trainings.

Sydney Computers gave me the freedom to start an IT training dept & opened me up to computer training for kids ( pri & sec school students) in Iwo,Ibadan etc… Met great men like Adebiyi Olafusi, Bro Oyetunde Odesola, etc. We had to be very resourseful to get things working in those days, composed songs to aid in making the classes fun….lol!!!

Then I came to Lagos in 2002 for my National Service & started work with Cell Communications as the Network Administrator….Olusola Oteshile (Otesh) was my boss..he was witty & highly professional, a man of great insight, he gave me the freedom to display what i could offer & from there I moved to become an IP switch Engr…Met a lot of great guys in Cellcom, the likes of Uche Adaigbe (Uchyno),Emeka Nwosisi, Amaka(receptionist), Mrs Helen Adesanya ( my relationship expert), Mrs. Ayodeji Adedayo (HR), Mr. Olusegun Aina, etc.

Then I left for the newly formed Globacom Limited as a VAS/GPRS Engr. Bamba was my boss, he drilled me so hard for the first 3months, I was being tested every Friday & that’s why I know Packet Data & VAS so much, again the great UI crew met in Glo( Olugbenga Onasanya, Abiodun Ajayi, Adedoyin Adeola, Tolulope Fasina (via Alcatel) also met intelligent guys like Dotun Bameke, Kafo Musiliu ( AraBambi 1),Omar Sy, Omar Zhaouni,Konate, etc….Glo was like a test lab for greenhorns like us, we tried everything like a kid lost in a candy stored, worked on the K12 protocol analyzer, punched cables, built up services & broke it down again, WOW those were the days…

With some knowledge under my belt I left for MTN Nigeria in 2005 as a packet core expert, Folorunsho Oridota was my boss ( fine boy no pimple, just dimples), he was skilled in the art of leadership & judgement, we had the best team, I met great folks like Odunayo Adesina(Odunsy), Olaoluwa Omotosho (Mr joko), Oladeji Ilesanmi ( Drogba), Banji ( Skoli), Benjack (Nwachukwu Anthony),Adim Odita, there was Tolulope Williams(Twilly), Asura Mshelia, Kessiana Atuyota, Yunus Adefowope, Francis,Chief Osibo, Franklin, Tobi Olufunwa, Dele(Papi Del),Abdurrahman Adebiyi(funky mallam),Ireno Yonwuren,Adesoji Michael Haastrup, Anthony(VAS), Mr Gbenga (VAS),Baqi Salihu & Oludolapo Ojosipe (RF),Njideka Jack,Koledafe Adeleye, Bolaji Olojede (bolajio), Temitayo Oyeleke etc…

I truly enjoyed my brief stay with MTN Nigeria it’s still one of the best times I’ve had in my career so far.

With the consulting marketing becoming more & more lucrative I took the plunge & left to work for Celtel International’s operation in Congo Brazzaville, the 6 months contract turned to 4 years & I went all over working on projects in Chad,Burkina-Faso, Niger & Ghana.

During the 4 nomadic years I met very fine folks from all over the world, Yves Schaeffer & Siyabonga Zulu,Philip Lartey,Fraklin, Gaille Bosollo, Aristi Dimitri,Noka Fahimi,Martin Henriksson,Eric NIAMEOGO,Albert Salima,Nadine Moutouboulou,Ransford Mills, who struck chords within.

There was the ever performing Nigerian consultants like Moruf Lawal, Oscar Okhiria,Babatunde Obasola, Oladiran Amao,Michael Fasere,Abdulwasih Abdur-Rahim,Momoh Abdulazeez, etc.

Special thanks to the Consulting company that handled my affairs for 4 year, Vendor Resource Consulting (VRC) was fantastic, I became one of their longest serving consultant, thanks to Ramsey Scott(CEO) & Mike Glover my account manager(we connected beyond the professional level & became brothers, it was so unreal man).

Then in 2010 I decided to come back to Nigeria & I joined Etisalat Nigeria in Abuja…..the story is still unfolding, but by & large I am thankful for where I am today.

3. THE PRIVILEGE TO TRAVEL: Based on my education & career, I have had the privilege to travel around the world on training, projects or vacations ( I was nicked-named Ajala the traveler). I am grateful for this chance to see the world ( mostly on other people’s cost!! Pearl IJ do you remember??) & the privilege to have been to every habitable continent of the world except South America(planned for 2016) & Australia.

I would love a touch of the Caribbean too, so watch out Jamaica,T&T, Barbados etc ( Arctic & Antarctic are not on my list..sorry)