Shiju Olawepo – The Calendar Prodigy, Philanthropic Gesture of Digital World Forum

He is merely nine, but his latent and manifest endowments belie his age.

If anything, he is in the special league of Nigeria’s best and bright minds; those who have not only been uniquely endowed but have begun to act in the place of their unique gifting.

Still a primary school pupil, he has the uncanny and rare ability to spontaneously and accurately tell any day of the week in any particular year without looking at the calendar. It is immaterial whether he is in Nigeria, the United State of America or Australia, it just comes naturally for him.

This brilliant display of raw talent came into the limelight via an International TV station based in Kenya Nairobi.

How the bundle of talent and his prowess escaped the eyes of his own country’s Mass Media and have to be announced to the world by the Kenyan media is a poser that requires detailed exploration.

Welcome to the inspiring world of Shiju Olawepo, on behalf of whom one is tempted to ask: what are the measures put in place by our leaders to nurture, harness and possibly, export, talents such as this rather than let them waste away, if not wither in prime? If it takes the international media to identify and showcase talents within us, then something is fundamentally wrong.

This case in question is a clear example of how we routinely lose the best brains that God has endowed us with.  Shiju Olawepo is a rare talent and for that matter, needs to be nurtured to greatness. And for this to come to reality, certain government agencies must be willing to exercise their statutory mandates.

It is a fact of the matter, that the local operating environment can be quite daunting. And if anyone should rise to reckon despite these debilitations, that one deserves all backings possible. It is a way of saying that the willingness to challenge the status quo and be creative is already a recipe for success no matter one’s field of endeavour.

The need for government to provide the enabling environment is an almost worn-out refrain, but that is just the fact of the matter.

No economy anywhere around the world can talk about any form of greatness without the government playing its pivotal role, which simply means, not only the right policy framework must be in place but also the right infrastructure for noble ideas to thrive.

Measures must be institutionalised by the various government to facilitate research and development of critical foundations for breakthroughs.

Countries which have been through it successfully would readily mention such things as research and development tax which is a government-sponsored tax incentive that rewards companies for conducting research and development in the developed Nations. It is used to incentivize innovation in an economy. Government programmes and input are always crucial to driving innovation.

The evolution of the Manhattan project in 1939 typified the intervention programme that resulted in a landmark breakthrough.

Yet, as noble and as ambitious as it was, it would not have materialised without the enthusiastic support of the United States Government. On that fateful year, Albert Einstein, a renowned scientist received a letter about the possibility of a device that could level an entire city. Einstein, in turn, passed it on to Franklin Roosevelt, aware and motivated by the realisation that this one device had the potential of changing the course of development not only for the United States but also for other entities connected with it.

Harmattan Project is one of the most significant government service programmes which gives the USA and its allies advantage. It was for this reason that after the war, the military looked for ways to keep the scientist engaged which led to the birth of DARPA, Defence Advanced Research Project Agency which has become the mainstay of technological developments and scientific innovations impacting on a broad spectrum of life, communication, development of the internet and GPS, not the least.

The moral of the story was the speed at which, President Franklin Rosevelt upon receiving the information from Albert Einstein put the machinery of government in motion.

The creation of enabling environment that supports innovation and opportunities for those with innate abilities to thrive and prosper has been the anchor for most advanced countries and the missing link in the broad development objectives of nations in the southern hemisphere.

For them, the mantra: “Only the nation that invests in its people can be prosperous and successful” holds true.

Conversely, it is a different scenario in the developing countries particularly, Nigeria of which is dubbed the Giant of Africa; a tag that is now more of derision than anything else.

It is a clime, disappointedly so, where inertia and mediocrity have become second nature.

Despite the unfortunate culture of mediocrity that seems to be part of our Government both at the state and national levels, there is still some glimmer of hope as various Nongovernmental organisations have taken up the gauntlet.
The Digital World forum is one of such Organisations.

Digital World forum is a platform of technology enthusiast who appreciates the role of technology as a transformative agent in the socio-economic fabric of a nation.

The forum which was created at the behest of Engineer Ajibola Abiola, the Director of the National Broadcast Academy had silently been working with various technological experts in making our society a better place.

In line with the goals of the forum to consistently support the growth and development of  ICT particularly among our youth, Digital Forum paid a visit to Carol Elementary school located at Agindingbi Lagos.

So when the invitation came to be part of the delegation that will pay a courtesy call on Shiju to announce the scholarship package, it was a great honour and I obliged without hesitation. It was an opportunity to be part of history and to meet the calendar prodigy.

Engineer Ajibola Abiola in an interview with Eko Hot Blog reporter said the courtesy call besides recognising the rare talent Shiju is, is also to encourage him with the offer of a scholarship.

Digital World forum has come through in an area where our government has proven deficient all this while.

Mrs Caroline Akintunji, Proprietress of the school, while welcoming the delegation said it was the first visit by any organisation aimed at supporting and encouraging the Calendar prodigy, Siju Olawepo.

Every child has this innate ability and talent that must be discovered. We must take time to listen to our children, discover their talents and help them grow and realise their full potentials. This is the hallmark of the school, she said.

She also called for the mobilisation of governmental support towards talents in our society.

Engr. Abiola during the presentation ceremony said it will not be out of place to back the Nigerian prodigy to attain great heights similar to such as attained by the likes of Albert Einstein, Isaac Newton, Archimedes,  Thomas Edison and others whose works have impacted humanity tremendously.

Shiju was presented with a training scholarship on Machine Language & Coding as sponsored by TRACK IT, a Microsoft Authorised Education Partner, a book on Artificial Intelligence for young ones authored by Dr Bayo Adekambi of MTN,  and also membership of DWF.

The package also included DWF branded exercise books, biscuits and chocolates for Shiju and his classmates.

Congratulation to Shiju and the singular act of benevolence of Digital World Forum is highly commended. The involvement of the government both at the State and Federal Level is also pivotal to the development of Shiju in his quest to be one of the best in the world.

Enjoy the video rendition of the presentation exercise.