If OAU Gave a TED Talk

Spotlight. Cameras on. The crowd gets quiet. A tall ageless figure walks onto the stage…

Good day, ladies and gentlemen. My name is Obafemi Awolowo University, but my friends call me Great Ife. Some of you call me stressful, others call me beautiful. Either way, you can’t ignore me. I have watched generations walk through my gates,with some of you practicing how you'll explain to the bus driver that you want to pay him #1,000…

crowd laughs knowingly

Today, I’m here to share a few lessons I’ve gathered from the lives of my students, the walls of my classrooms, and the endless journeys from campus to the gate and back. So, consider this my TED Talk.”

Oufff..there's so much to say in 5 minutes, where do I start?

Ah, the Library. I know you all call it many things: temple of wisdom, the best spot to get a good nap, or simply ‘where the generator is always on.’ I’ve seen you drag yourselves here during exams week with promises like, ‘I’ll finish 10 chapters today,’ only to end up on TikTok after 30 minutes. Don’t worry, I’m not judging(or am I?)

coughs and the audience laughs

I have seen students stand for hours at CBT centres under the sun, waiting for exams. They think it is stress, but I know it as training in patience. 

“The roads are too long, we always walk and climb stairs” they say but my endless roads teach that greatness has no shortcut.

Just so you know, I see you praying in the library during exams making promises  you won't keep. I also see you all chasing goals literally and figuratively at sports complex(heeeee!)

Awo, Moremi, Faj, Angola…you call them hostels, I call them my training grounds. Here, you learn patience from the 5 a.m water queues. You learn negotiation skills from sharing sockets, and you learn empathy the hard way when your roommate’s alarm rings at 4 a.m.EVERY SINGLE DAY!

Hunger? Well, it's got nothing on these ones “As e dey hot” has kept dreams alive one puff-puff  at a time. Yet, beyond food and fatigue, it is in the laughter after a long exam, the whispered gist during night reads, and the chants that rise from halls like Awo that their true spirit emerges. These are the invisible threads that hold them together—proof that even in struggle, joy can be found.

Don’t despise these little discomforts. Someday, when life throws bigger challenges at you, you’ll remember: ‘If I survived OAU hostels, I can survive anything.’”

After all has been said and done, I want to reassure you that life is not as complicated as the Spider building. Don't overthink it!

Thank you and yes, this was my TED Talk.