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| Mr. Zuberu Yusuf |
Mr. Yusuf Zuberu, is a vibrant youth who is passionate about impacting lives, with special reference to the youths. He is also a clergy man and founder of Touch for Recovery Outreach International, TROI. TROI is a ministry aimed at reaching the world with a touch of change. They aim at reducing poverty through the increase in the rate of employment in Nigeria.
Founded seven years ago, TROI has been engaged in several activities geared towards impacting the lives of the Nigerian youths. Recently it held her maiden edition of Abuja Youth Empowerment Summit. The event gathered young achievers from different works of life, with the majority coming from the media. The likes of Honourable Nuhu Goro, of the present Kaduna State House of Assembly, as well as the Head of the Nigerian Press Council, TV and Radio Presenters, amongst others, all gathered to make the event a huge success.
Speaking with Crystal Newsmagazine in an interview at his Abuja residence, the Kogi State born, charismatic youth and rare gem of our present time, looks back at the summit. Recounting the success, he leads us into the story of his breakthrough through the simple act of giving.
Excerpt:
The Abuja empowerment youth summit, what is it all about?
I believe every Nigerian that has attained a level has a responsibility to add his own part to the country and to the society. We on our part decided it was time to empower the people around us and see how Nigeria can be a better place.
How can you assess the event generally?
I would say it is a huge success because after the event a lot of people called me and said, “thank you very much for putting this event together. We actually learnt a lot and we are encouraged.” That makes it a success to me.
What are your next expectations now?
We are looking out for some people that we are going to empower and watch them grow to an extent that they would be able to empower others.
What are the criteria you will use in selecting these persons?
Well, it is open to everybody, whether undergraduate or graduate; even though you are just a normal business man. But one must have discipline, focus and a drive that is pushing him towards success. You need these three things in you. There are people who want to go to school, but by the time they show you their result, where they stopped, you will be moved to see how you can support them to finish. There are people who are doing business, you can see that no matter how little, they have started something. All they need is just a little push, why not? You will be willing to support such kind of people.
How can the youth out there, who possibly would be reading get to access you?
Right now, our IT department is working on the platform so that when you go on internet you will be able to access information about the youth empowerment and contact us through phone numbers or try to come to our office for one or two things. I believe that's the simple way for one to get in touch with us for now.
What is your drive that brought about this initiative?
Obviously, every year students are graduating, they go for youth service in thousands. Now people are looking for jobs everywhere but one thing they don't understand is that even Mr. President cannot go to Ministry of Works and Housing and say “all of you retire, we want to bring in new people to work”. Now, we need to think outside the box and how do we do that? We have to create a platform where people can exhibit what they know how to do and how to get it done. Trying to tell them that there is another phase to this fate in the sense that; their mind-set is “Ah! I want to be employed” but deep inside they are also employers of labour but it is just that they don't know. What you don't have you cannot give. It is what you have that you give. So we try to impact that knowledge and create that platform so that they can excel.
Who are your partners in this project?
Well, at the moment my company is my partner, and the other two companies. At the moment, nobody has given me anything, I repeat, nobody has given me anything! What I did there was out of my personal effort. One of the persons that contributed and that I so much appreciate is the Zebra Events, because the hall we used was paid for by them. In the other aspect, nobody has given me anything. What I did was within my strength and I feel I can do much more. Though a lot of people have actually showed interest, some executives have showed interest and I believe soonest they will come up with something.
What will be the future of this Empowerment Summit?
The future! It is a continuous process. I don't see an end to it because the more we go, by the time we finish empowering people who want to start business, then we are going to move to the rural areas. There is a kind of knowledge you don't have to go to school to get. Someone needs to you tell their story, then you are encouraged to strive.
Tell us about the assistance of One Thousand (N1000) you gave that brought you a hundred and one thousand Naira (N101, 000), plus an opportunity for a job. Can you lead us into that story proper?
I used to be a photographer and I still love to be a photographer. When I travel out, I want to bring in one sweet camera just for myself because I still like it. Now, during my days of commercial photographing, I love giving. If I have, I give, no matter how little, I just give. It has been part of me and people around me know by this. One day, somebody walked into the photo lab where we print pictures in Wuse and was looking for an assistance of a thousand naira (N1000) and he asked other colleagues of mine if they could help him with the sum, but they could not. Instead they said “there is this boy called Yusuf, if he works, he gives people his money. You should go and meet him.” Sincerely speaking, that day I had N1, 080. When he said “please can you help me with one thousand naira, tomorrow I will refund it.” I gave it to him, but I wasn't expecting the money back because I have given a lot of people and I didn't see any money coming back to me. I feel it is part of my responsibility to help. The following day, the man came. I saw a convoy, armed forces around the man as they walked towards my direction. He looked tattered the day before, but this time he appeared like an honorable man.
He said : “do you know me?”
And I replied: “no, I don't know you.”
He continued:“you mean you don't remember me?”
I said: “no I don't”.
When he was walking towards my direction some of my colleagues thought I had gotten myself into some sort of trouble. They said “today they will arrest you”, but I was not afraid because I didn't do anything wrong. So, the man said “you gave me one thousand naira yesterday; please this is your one thousand”. He gave me the one thousand naira and he also gave me a hundred thousand naira and said “I am a consultant in National Hospital, I flew in to take care of the former president”, that’s President Olusegun Obasanjo “I was robbed yesterday, that was why I needed the money to go back to where I lodged. Just come to National Hospital snap anything, bring them and I will pay”. Well, glory be to God that was an opportunity for me. I entered National Hospital, and just snapped anything, but I made sure I was snapping a creative story. Anytime I took my bills to the man, he paid me. That was how it went until he finished his assignment and flew black.
That was the story of my giving and I always tell people, “givers don't lack”; my one thousand naira did not just go. Just giving a thousand naira, gave me an opportunity to work in a place and my salary, my money was being paid without protocols, I just go to him directly and he pays me everything. It was quite a nice opportunity for me.
From that episode, what message do you have for the youth?
Well, one, you must not be idle, no matter how little it is, you must be doing something. The thing is if I was not actually doing anything, the man wouldn't have met me there. They said, opportunity plus preparation, equals success. When you are not prepared and an opportunity hits you, it becomes a disappointment. So, I always tell the youths, “no matter how little, do something.” So when you are doing something and an opportunity hits you, it will take you to another level. And sometimes people don't like taking up challenges. The more challenges you face, the higher you attain in life. When you take an exam in a primary school, you pass and move to the next class. If you get to a secondary school and you take a test or an exam, you move to the next class. That's how life is, life is all about principles and the principle is step-by-step. Don't try to jump. Because it is risky to jump? If you are trying to jump and out-smart a lot of things and just get there, when you miss it, you will crash-land. But when you climb, if you miss a step, you will come back to the step (rung) where you were, then you can climb and go back to the top again. So stop jumping and climb instead, it is the best principle to overcoming.
As a propeller of the youth vision, what are your anticipations from the Buhari's Administration?
One of the things that made me vote for the president is, integrity, second is, accessibility. You have a leader that you can see, why won't you have confidence in that leader? You have a leader who says “if it is five naira they gave you for an assignment, you would need to explain how you spent the five naira in plane sheet so that everybody can see. Now, if that is being done, then the future of the youth is secured. So, I believe that by the grace of God, he will do his best and with the little support he will give to the youth, why not, the youth will stand up and be able to withstand the test of time.
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