ACCOMPLISH MAGAZINE APRIL 2024

CEO INTERVIEW
adapting to different cultural and
professional environments?
Dr. Peter Ogudoro: Life becomes
interesting when you stop using only
one script to run your life. Problems
come when you move around with
stereotypes that prevent you from
questioning what you hear. Healthy
skepticism is a good philosophy. Go
everywhere with an open mind. Don’t
judge people based on what you
have heard about them. Have the
courage to experience them with an
open mind even when they appear
difficult. Most suffering people in the
world move around with fixed beliefs
and fail to use new scripts when
playing new roles. That’s why they
don’t see the opportunities that stare
them in the face all the time.
Problems are opportunities.
Strange lands, and people offer
a lot that can empower you. Any
time you must choose between
what you are familiar with and
new environments, choose new
environments. That’s where you
are likely to find what will make
you rich. I’m not recommending
that you fail to mine the diamonds
under your feet. After you have
exhausted what is available in your
familiar environment, move out
and talk to strangers and search
for opportunities without greed and
selfishness. You don’t need all the
money in the world to be happy. Stay
in your calling but be adventurous.
These are paradoxes and seeming
contradictions. The capacity to
resolve those riddles without being
confused will take you far in life.
Those are mindsets that have
worked for me. They have taken
me to countries most Africans don’t
consider when they are thinking
of where to study and where to go
on holidays. That’s how come my
favourite countries are those in the
Scandinavian region. They have
empowered me a lot. I recommend
them to you.
Accomplish Magazine: The Study
Abroad Bootcamp is a fascinating
project aimed at enabling young
individuals to access quality
education internationally. What
inspired this idea, and what
Finland-Dean-Prof-Gunilla
success stories can you share from
participants who've gone through
the programme?
Dr. Peter Ogudoro: Science has
liberating power. It encourages
you to look before you leap and
take decisions based on evidence.
Religion without the balance that
science brings is slavery. There is so
much superstition being peddled
as religion in our land. Millions
of our people are victims of this
unfortunate situation.
The bootcamp you referred to
targets outstanding teenagers who
are high achievers in Mathematics
and sciences. We prepare them for
relevant international examinations
and help them acquire the
leadership skills they need to
become globally competitive. We
use our international networks to
help them secure scholarships for
undergraduate studies in the USA,
and Europe. The programme runs
for about one month during the long
school holidays. The one for this year
will be held in August.
Henley Business School, the
United Kingdom’s oldest business
school, which is part of the University
of Reading is collaborating with us
to run the one for this year which
will cater for 100 teenagers in their
last two years in secondary school.
Most of them, just like previous
beneficiaries, will go to Europe
and North America for courses in
Science, Technology, Engineering,
and Mathematics. Selection into
the programme is competitive
because of its very high empowering
capacity. We encourage them to
return to the country after their
studies to help build Nigeria.
I’m happy that this contribution
is bringing hope and happiness to a
lot of families and helping Nigeria to
develop the needed human capital
for national development.
Accomplish Magazine: Your
achievements have been
recognised with numerous awards
and accolades. Is there a particular
honour or achievement that
stands out for you personally? If so,
why?
Dr. Peter Ogudoro: The Facebook
Community Accelerator Award
which came in the year 2021
was a game changer for me. It
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