The minister of solid minerals development, Kayode Fayemi, has admonished Nigerian graduates to quit complaining and stop waiting for the government to solve their problems.
He said this while delivering the 49th convocation lecture of the University of Lagos (UNILAG), Akoka recently.
Fayemi urged the undergraduates to work hard to achieve their dreams and stop waiting for handouts.
“Quit whining, no one owes you anything. The earlier we realise that no one owes us anything, the better for us and the more prepared we would be to face life’s challenges,” Fayemi said.
“Don’t think you are entitled to a job, just because of your parents’ influence or what they have or your good grades.
“The only guarantee you have in this life is what you do for yourself with the grace God has bestowed on us all.
“You have to be prepared to bend backward and do what you might consider to be beneath you, because of the bigger picture.”
The minister also said he had to work hard to get to where he is today, noting that he’s done several menial jobs “to survive”.
“When you consider my resume today, you might see the prestigious organizations I have been privileged to work with.
“What you need to know however, is that as UNILAG graduate and a postgraduate student in the UK, I have also driven taxis and worked as a security guard, among several other menial jobs I did in the past to survive.”