News
Opinion: The Power of ‘Zero’
By Tolulope A. Adegoke
“Don’t ever say somebody is useless. You are not even insulting the person; you are insulting the God that created the person.”– Chris Imafidon
Some years back, former Prime Minister of Britain, David Cameron, had an unusual bet with Chris Imafidon, a Nigerian-born professor at Oxford University. Imafidon’s child had just passed the UK’s General Certificate of Secondary Education (GCSE) examination at the age of six. GCSE is an examination mostly taken by teenagers in secondary school; so, the achievement of Imafidon’s daughter was a spectacular feat that had stunned the entire country and the world at large.
To the Prime Minister, however, the youngster’s achievement was not totally unexpected – after all, her father had been a very intelligent scholar himself. But Imafidon made it clear to the Prime Minister that his daughter’s achievement had nothing to do with gene but with proper nurturing and mentoring. Still, the PM was unconvinced; as far as he was concerned, people who did well in academics or in life generally did so because they were born to be great.
However, to prove to the PM that with the right orientation and motivation, everyone is a potential success, Imafidon asked the British leader to allow him work on the worst performing students in the worst performing schools in the UK for just nine months to see the difference. Cameron, of course, laughed it off as a practical joke and thus came the bet – 25 million dollars for whoever proved to be right.
To the Prime Minister’s astonishment, nine months later, the selected students had been transformed from seeming lazybones and never-do-wells to geniuses and go-getters!
Life-Changing Secrets
What secret had the seasoned professor discovered that gave him such confidence, to the point of sealing it with such a mammoth bet? And why has he become so good at transforming “dullards” to prodigies? Incidentally, when he attended the convocation ceremony of University of Ilorin (Nigeria) in 2014 and everyone’s attention was focused on the best performing students, Imafidon specifically asked for the so-called worst performing students so he could give them scholarships – much to the consternation of all. Again, why did he have to do so?
Below is the answer he gave in a recent interview, and I want you to pay particular attention to it because it forms a good foundation for the life-changing secrets that you will be discovering throughout this write-up (leadership manual):
“Shakespeare said some people are born great while others achieve greatness, and some others have greatness instilled in them; giving us a suggestion that when God makes people, He makes some one way and the others another way. God is not jobless to make some human beings with half brains. Don’t ever say somebody is useless. You are not even insulting the person; you are insulting the God that created the person.”
That exactly is the central message you will find in this write-up (leadership manual). Nobody was born to live and die as nobody (without fulfilling purpose). In fact, as psychologists and educationists would tell us, every child comes into the world with a blank mind (tabula rasa) that is eagerly waiting to be nurtured and developed into something exceptional. Sadly, only very few people take the time to work on themselves so as to live and die as heroes. Why is this so? Well, it is because these are the ‘few’ who choose to get empowered and encouraged to leave a mark on earth so as to leave their footprints in the sky, while the remaining majority are often the ones that are too ignorant or carefree about their latent potentials that they fail to take the necessary steps that will unleash their greatness.
A Pleasant Surprise
Contrary to what many people think, zero could be likened to be a number (0) (i.e. pregnant with hopes and dreams, also could be an attempt); it does not mean ‘nothing’. The reason is because while ‘nothing’ may have no hope or signify hopelessness, the number ‘zero’ has hope because it is a feminine number (i.e. having tendency to become greater or better, which, when empowered by applying some strategic principles, has the power to reproduce other greater numbers till infinity!
What this means is that the number zero, being feminine, has the innate capacity to mother and multiply other numbers when empowered! In other words, zero is a latently loaded entity that is capable of exceeding expectations when properly empowered.
Now, you may be wondering how this applies to you. Here it is. It is possible that there are aspects of your life in which you are being belittled by people around you. They see you as a zero, thinking you are nothing and can become nothing significant in life. The good news for you is that as long as you have the breath of life from God in you, you are not nothing. Yes, it may appear you’re a zero because you have not been able to achieve anything significant in your life; but I repeat – you’re not nothing!
Nothing means “non-existent”. But you are existing! God specially fashioned you in a unique way to exist for a purpose. This is the secret you need to discover and rouse yourself to.
Here is my exact point: A zero can only be useless as long as it remains the way it is. However, with the right efforts and connections, that zero can surpass other numbers. You can only be truly considered a failure the day you stop trying to excel; the day you stop trying to empower yourself with the right knowledge and skills and associating with the right people. I assure you that regardless of what people may have said about you or how many times you have failed or “messed up”, you can still, like the biblical Jabez who was labelled to be a zero in life, become much more “honourable” than all the people around you (1 Chronicles 4:9-10).
Cheer up, dear, friend. Whatever label of negativity that might have been attached to you, you just must refuse to accept it. Regardless of how many times you have failed, you just must not remain on the floor! Only a zero that is not empowered by ‘additions and multiplications’ will remain fixed. Don’t be rooted to the spot of obscurity, defeat, regret and shame. Rise up and get empowered!
(…to be continued…)
Thank you all for reading. I trust that you have been activated!
Watch out for the Book titled: “The Power of an Empowered Zero” (Awakening the Giant Within You) by Tolulope A. Adegoke. Foreword by Dr Yomi Garnett (CEO/Chancellor, Royal Biographical Institute, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania U.SA., U.K., Abuja, Nigeria.) Edited by Ola Aboderin.
Tolulope A. Adegoke is an acclaimed “globalpreneur”, with the mandate to enrich lives and provide the professional, spiritual, academic and leadership empowerment needed to birth, maximize and sustain possibilities in peoples, corporates and nations. He is a prolific writer, frequent keynote speaker and spoken word poet, among others, having written countless articles in diverse reputable fields and honoured many public invitations.
He is also a Senior Administrator.
Tolulope Adegoke can be booked for public events via the contacts below:
E-mail: adegoketolulope1022@gmail.com
The Federal High Court In Abuja on Tuesday ordered the remand of the Former Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Abubakar Malami (SAN), at the Kuje Correctional Centre pending the hearing and determination of their bail application.
The trial judge, Justice Emeka Nwite, also ordered the remand of his co-dedendants, his son, Abubakar Malami, and one of his wives Bashir Asabe.
Justice Nwite made the order after taking arguments from the defence team led by Joseph Daudu (SAN) and the prosecution counsel Ekele Iheneacho (SAN).
Malami and his co-defendants are facing a 16-count money laundering charge preferred against them by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission.
The EFCC alleges that the defendants conspired at various times to conceal, retain and disguise the proceeds of unlawful activities running into several billions of naira.
According to the charge, the alleged offences span several years and include the use of companies and bank accounts to launder funds, the retention of cash as collateral for loans, and the acquisition of high-value properties in Abuja, Kano and other locations.
The commission further alleges that some of the offences were committed while Malami was serving as Attorney-General of the Federation, in breach of the Money Laundering (Prohibition) Act 2011, as amended, and the Money Laundering (Prevention and Prohibition) Act 2022.
Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike, has sent a veiled message to Rivers State governor, Siminalayi Fubara, saying support for President Bola Tinubu alone will not guarantee any election ticket.
Wike made the statement on Sunday during a public outing in Emohua Local Government Area of Rivers State.
His remarks were widely seen as directed at Governor Fubara, amid lingering political crisis in the State.
The former Governor of Rivers State said political loyalty must be tested during difficult times, not after power has been secured.
He mocked those he described as late supporters of President Tinubu, insisting that sudden alignment would not earn political rewards.
He said: “So the issue is not whether you are supporting Tinubu. That one, we have taken too long, long… Yes, oh. So Tinubu’s issue is not an issue again. Yes. Do you understand me? Yes. Tinubu’s issue is that nobody should be coming here to tell a day. We are for Tinubu; I am against you. Who is for Tinubu University? (laughs) That cannot give you any ticket oh! (laughs again) Direct, direct. It will not. Direction. Direction.”
Wike stressed that his political camp stood with Tinubu when the decision was unpopular. He said that support given under pressure carries more weight than alignment after victory.
He also recalled how the Rivers State House of Assembly openly backed Tinubu early, long before the election outcome was certain.
According to him, some of those now making public declarations were absent during the critical period.
“The same people now who came to declare, put them to God… But they should declare they are saying it for a candidate. Yes. Don’t you see characters? (laughs) So I send the sword far ahead of them.”
Wike further spoke on governance and continuity. He defended projects and agreements initiated during his tenure as governor. He said it is often difficult for successors to acknowledge past efforts, even though government is a continuous process.
His comments come weeks after Governor Fubara formally aligned with the All Progressives Congress (APC), the party of President Tinubu.
The move followed months of political crisis in Rivers State, which led to federal intervention and a declaration of emergency rule.
Political watchers believe Wike’s remarks constitute a direct response to Fubara’s recent positioning as a key Tinubu ally in Rivers politics. Critics argue that Fubara’s support surfaced only after the political storm had settled.
Wike, who remains a dominant force in Rivers State politics despite serving in Abuja, appears to have drawn a clear line ahead of the 2027 elections.
He suggested that political tickets would be decided by proven loyalty, not convenience.
Videos from the event in Rumuche, Emohua, spread rapidly on social media. Many users described the speech as a coded warning to the governor.
As of press time, neither the Rivers State Government nor Wike’s media team had issued an official clarification.
The comments, however, suggest that the political rift between both camps is still active, despite earlier peace moves brokered at the national level.
The opposition African Democratic Congress and the Labour Party on Sunday criticized President Bola Tinubu for departing Nigeria for Europe on holiday at a time the country is grappling with rising insecurity, including foreign military interventions in the North.
The Presidency announced on Sunday that Tinubu left Lagos for Europe for his end-of-year holiday ahead of an official visit to Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates, where he is scheduled to attend the 2026 edition of the Abu Dhabi Sustainability Week Summit.
President Tinubu’s Special Adviser on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga, explained that the trip was by invitation from His Highness Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, President of the UAE, to participate in the summit, which gathers global leaders from government, business, and civil society to advance sustainable development strategies.
“His Highness Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, President of the United Arab Emirates, has invited President Tinubu to participate in the 2026 edition of Abu Dhabi Sustainability Week Summit, which will take place in the emirate early in January,” the statement read.
Reacting to Tinubu’s departure, the ADC, in a statement by its National Publicity Secretary, Bola Abdullahi, faulted the timing as inappropriate given the security challenges facing the country.
The ADC noted the deadly terrorist bomb blast in Zamfara and the ongoing foreign military involvement, calling the President’s move insensitive.
“President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s lack of care is alarming. In the wake of another deadly bomb blast in Zamfara, and following an unprecedented foreign military attack on Nigerian soil, the nation is waiting for reassurance from its leader. Instead, we learn the President has gone on holiday. What a President!” Abdullahi said.
Similarly, LP’s acting National Chairman, Senator Nenadi Usman, described the trip as “insensitive and devoid of empathy” for Nigerians facing violent attacks and humanitarian crises.
Speaking through her Senior Special Adviser on Media, Ken Asogwa, she stressed that the President should have remained in the country to coordinate security responses.
“This is the most inauspicious time for the President to leave the country. Even the Christmas holiday in Lagos seems ill-timed, given that a bomb exploded in Zamfara today, killing nine people,” Usman said.
She further alleged that Nigeria was under external attack and accused the government of downplaying the severity of the situation.
“Nigeria is under attack by a foreign nation. No matter how the government tries to frame this, it is a violation of our sovereignty. This is the time for the commander-in-chief to coordinate the response, not embark on a holiday,” Usman said.
She added that the President had not convened critical security meetings since the U.S.-led bombardment of terrorist camps in Kwara and Sokoto States and condemned the perceived lack of engagement with military leadership.
The President’s trip comes amid heightened security concerns. On Thursday, U.S. President Donald Trump authorised AFRICOM to conduct airstrikes on terrorist camps in Sokoto State, hours before Nigeria’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs acknowledged the operation. A deadly bomb blast in Zamfara on Friday claimed several lives.
The 17th edition of Abu Dhabi Sustainability Week will run from January 11 to 15 at the Abu Dhabi National Exhibition Centre under the theme “The Nexus of Next: All Systems Go.”
The event aims to connect innovation, finance, and people to advance sustainable development.
Onanuga confirmed that Tinubu would return to Nigeria after the summit.
Hosted by Masdar, the UAE’s clean energy company, the summit will feature the invitation-only ADSW Summit, the World Future Energy Summit, the Zayed Sustainability Prize Awards Ceremony, and specialised sessions on hydrogen, climate finance, water security, and utilities in the Global South. Organisers expect more than 50,000 participants from over 170 countries, featuring over 700 global brands and exhibitions of emerging clean technologies.
The UAE Minister of Industry and Advanced Technology, Dr Sultan Al Jaber, noted that ADSW 2026 builds on two decades of the UAE’s leadership in renewable energy.
Tinubu previously attended the Abu Dhabi Sustainability Week in January 2025, where he held meetings with Gulf investors and officials on trade, energy cooperation, and climate finance.
Since assuming office on May 29, 2023, Tinubu has undertaken at least 46 foreign trips, spending an estimated 192 days abroad as of October 2025. In 2025 alone, he travelled internationally no fewer than 15 times to countries including Ghana, the UAE, Tanzania, France, Italy, Saint Lucia, Japan, and Brazil for summits, bilateral engagements, and holidays.
