Nigeria, Jan. 29 -- On 20 January, I had the opportunity to return to the Ijebu-Ode Grammar School (JOGS) Assembly Hall. It was the 112th anniversary of the founding of the great college that produced many notable Nigerians, particularly those of Ijebu origin. For most Ijebu parents and grandparents during my childhood, it was the foremost school, unrivaled in status. It ranked higher than any other college in Nigeria in the not-too-distant past.

I was filled with immense joy as I returned to the hallowed Hall to speak to current students about careers. This was the same Hall where a Western Region career speaker once advised me to study Political Science at university since I expressed the aspiration to become Nigeria's Ambassador to Fr...