Hilda Baci is a graduate of sociology from Madonna University. As a sociologist, you have prospect of working at institutions where human behaviour, religious and social interactions are prominent. Your job is to examine the effect of social influences and institutions on individuals and groups. You really have no business cooking commercially. However, if you were to be in food business, as a university graduate, you wouldn’t go near the four corners of a kitchen because you are too posh and educated. You would rather be the business owner who sits sandwiched between the portraits of the president of Nigeria and the governor of your state, in a tightly air-conditioned office
Hilda defied the status quo. This is unusual, unless done out of innate burning passion. Passion eats professional training for breakfast, and you can only argue with that if you have not done even the minimalistic research on Hilda’s upbringing. Little sneak peek, mum had a part to play as it is widely known she helped her imbibe culinary excellence. I do not see Hilda as a cook, I see a representative of every belittled profession. She said in one of the interviews on Channels TV that she does not see cooking as less of a profession. “You need to let people know that what you are doing is not small even though one million people are doing it,” she stressed. This mindset is what the coconut seller, mechanic, the cleaner and the security guard need to adopt because the dynamics have changed in today’s world, and self-pity has left the lexicon. The real professionals are no longer the academically qualified, but those who express themselves, break boundaries and demonstrate passion.
When I was growing up, we perceived the roadside mechanic as uneducated, poor and less privileged financially and/or intellectually. While I cannot prove this old hypothesis, I can certainly say it does not rear its head in modern day hustle and bustle. So, when I had the opportunity to interview Ajayi Oluwatosin ( the lady mechanic) recently on Biografrica’s weekly Spotlight Series, I asked questions on her financial lifestyle. She revealed how successful being a mechanic in Nigeria can be. In her words, “there are billionaire mechanics in Nigeria.” Oluwatosin is a graduate of Mechanical Engineering who found passion for automobile repairs at age thirteen. Again, another example of passion eating professional training for breakfast. Know this and know peace: education and passion have replaced academic achievements in the internet age. How and where you get educated is your prerogative. I have MSc, but once worked in a place where my boss’s boss never had a degree. He saw the future and decided against wasting precious time studying what he might not use in real life. So, he opted for apprenticeship tailored to what he planned to do day to day in a typical workplace—his passion.
Academic excellence should never be downplayed, but passion drives your life’s trajectory. In fairness, there is a competitive advantage that academic achievement brings to the table in the pursuit of your passion. I don’t think there is a disconnect between Hilda the sociologist and Hilda the chef and world record breaker.
Pick up that book if you must, but be consistent and persistent in pursuing what you truly believe in. There is no short cut to long-lasting success. The world is watching, one day it will know your name, just like Hilda’s.