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Steve Goodier once said, “Money is not the only commodity that is fun to give. We can give time; we can give our expertise; we can give our love or simply give a smile. What does that cost?” Inspired by this belief, Michael Adéwálé Adésànyà dedicates his efforts to giving back to society, particularly by empowering the younger generation. For him, it brings immense fulfillment to pay forward the numerous blessings he has received through education.
In the last couple of years, Adéwálé Students’ Conference has left an indelible mark in Ogun state as a prominent academic event that promotes educational excellence. Its primary objective is to inspire young adults to become well-rounded individuals capable of making a positive impact on the world.
In this interview, Adéwálé delves deeper into his journey and shares the inspiration behind his remarkable work.
What birthed the Adéwálé Students’ Conference?
Adéwálé Students’ Conference is a sequel to the release of my memoir, Adéwálé My Mother’s Son. I reflected on my story. The moments in my life as a teenager that shaped who I am today were my moments as a JETS (Junior Engineers, Technicians, and Scientists) student—those moments spent studying and working hard with my JETS team, the moments outside the school’s four walls to competing for academic glory and learning practical life applications from experts.
So I wanted to create an avenue for students to gather because we need more platforms where students can learn and engage beyond classroom lessons. Like sports and other talent contests, academic competitions can also be fun and entertaining to watch. With few bright lights and crisp sounds here and there, academic competitions are a great show. I wanted to create the greatest educational show in Africa with Adéwálé.
What is the bigger picture for the Adéwálé brand?
The name, Adéwálé, will become a symbolic academic superhero for the African child—a reference point for doggedness, tenacity and perseverance towards academic success. Just as we have Spiderman and Batman as symbolic childhood superheroes, Adéwálé should symbolize intellectual determination for the African child.
As a program, the big picture is to support African communities, the private sector and governments to build an education system that works for the African child, from infrastructure and curriculum to delivery and impact.
How has TweakCentric Solutions contributed to the success of this event over the years?
TweakCentric Solutions is the publisher of the book Adéwálé My Mother’s Son, playing a vital role in crafting the project’s vision. Although TweakCentric, as a company, joined the project a few years ago, its founder, Gbenga Awomodu, has been on what has now become the Adéwálé mission for more than 15 years as a day-one supporter and advisor of the vision.
Today, TweakCentric is the custodian of the Adéwálé Brand. In the past two years, It has contributed to the program strategy and led the delivery and execution of the program.
What do you see becoming of this event in 10 years?
Adéwálé Students’ Conference will be pan-African in 10 years, impacting more than 100,000 students directly or indirectly. It’ll be the “World Cup” of academic talents in Africa.
So how do you keep the fire burning?
There are a lot of problems to solve for African children. The scale of these problems and the impact of their solution is motivating.
What advice do you have for younger generations concerning their education?
Education is the surest route to “hammer” in life. Do all you can to get a quality education. Read my memoir, Adéwálé My Mother’s Son, and see the magic of education.
Michael Adesanya is the Founder & CEO of Oris. He is a sales professional and well-trained entrepreneur – a Y Combinator founder and Techstars Entrepreneur-in-Residence (EIR). Michael has an MBA from the Stanford Graduate School of Business.
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