Shola Agboola, a young and dynamic technocrat, is also a Nigerian-Canadian politician and president of Nigerian Association for Young Adults of Canada (NAYA), a body making significant impact in the welfare of Nigerian youths in Canada and beyond. In an exclusive interview with VICTOR OJELABI, Agboola, who is also the Goodwill Ambassador for Five Points Youth Foundation for Nigeria, Nigerians in the Diaspora and African Communities Worldwide, took us through an inspiring journey of his life. Excerpts…

How did NAYA come to be?

NAYA has been in existence as a registered and incorporated non-profit in Canada for about 19 years now, before I even immigrated to Canada. It remained a locally founded organization in the province of Manitoba until I became the president in 2013. Under my leadership, NAYA grew from a local- based organization to a national organization and the first Nigerian organization in Canada to have membership across all the 7 provinces of Canada and regions to become the largest youth organization in Canada. We did not stop at the expansion and growth alone, it was during my term as president that NAYA became an international organization and subsequently began significant and unprecedented social investments in Nigeria.

What are the milestones recorded by NAYA that you are proud of?

NAYA has made unprecedented social investments in this country that no Nigerian organization anywhere in the world has made. The leadership of the NiCOM (Nigerians in Diaspora Commission) always tells us how proud they are of our work. So far, NAYA has invested over $60 million dollars in the past 7 years in many sectors such as Health Care, Education, ICT and Computer funding and provision in Nigeria. Our medical donation is usually a 40 feet container containing many state of the art equipment to the following states and regions in Nigeria: Mbutu Mbase State hospital, Imo State (2013), hospitals in Zuru, Kebbi State (2014), hospitals in Zuru, Kebbi State (2015), Bayelsa State hospital in Niger Delta (2015), Osun State hospital, Iwo (2016), hospitals in Ogun state through Olusegun Obasanjo Foundation (2017), Madonna Hospital, Abia State (2019), Bida Medical Centre, Niger State (2019), and Kazaure Medical Centre, Jigawa, being our latest medical donation of $3.1 million dollars in 2020. On education, we have have also contributed significantly to improving quality education in Nigeria by donating hundreds of thousands of science, engineering, mathematics and other important textbooks to major Nigerian universities as well as hundred of free laptop computers to many schools. Nigerians in Diaspora Commission (NiDOC) in 2019 acclaimed that, NAYA is the most active Nigerian organization in diaspora and that no organization has made the kind of humanitarian donations that NAYA has made in Nigeria.

What is Five Points Youth Foundation?

FPYF is an international reputable non-profit organization in the United State that has long working relationship with the United Nations Global Compact. It is a lead organization saddled with the responsibility of globalizing and localizing (glocalize) the 10 points principles of the United Nations Global Sustainable Development Goals.

Can we meet you?

agboola 1 — *Click to view digital magazine*

I am a Nigerian Yoruba man from Ila-Orangun in Osun state. I live in Canada and work for the Department of Justice, where I have been working for over 14 years and I am happily married with 3 kids.

With a Master’s degree in Public Administration (MPA) from the University of Manitoba, I graduated with a distinction in 2014.

I am well traveled, and have participated in many international conferences around the world, namely Netherland, Germany, Portugal, France, Australia and many countries in North America including the United Nations in New York.

I have also published a number of academic papers and articles on immigrant rights, conflict resolution, social justice and political participation and engagements in many journals including the famous e-cadernos CES academic journal in Portugal. I am currently the president of the Nigerian Association for Young Adults, Canada-USA (NAYA) and a recently appointed Goodwill Ambassador for a reputable American-based organization – the Five Points Youth Foundation.

Take us through your life journey

I was born in Oro, Kwara state and I attended my primary and secondary schools in Oro. I attended Oro grammar school and graduated in 1990. While in high school, I was a member of the literacy and debating society , which often represented my school at debating competitions. My set was the first of the 6-3-3-4 system of education then, so I was fortunate to be the Social Perfect for the school for two years. Being an active student, I played sports and represented my school at state level in handball and Badminton. I later gained admission into the University of Ilorin, where I studied Biological Science and graduated with a Bachelor of Science degree in 1996. I did my NYSC in Kebbi State and right from the orientation camp, I was given the responsibility of a leader. First, I was appointed a general leader at the camp and was later elected as the Corper Liaison Officer (CLO) when I was posted to Jega Local Government in Kebbi State. As the CLO, I led my team to embark on a major unprecedented community project in the state.

Was there an significant event during your service you can remember now?

Yes, the building of a 36 rooms Corper’s Lodge in Jega. This was in reaction to the gross accommodation problems that corpers were experiencing at the local government. We rallied the community, the traditional rulers, the business people and political leaders and we were successful. We secured a large portion of land, got our architectural designs and started the construction. In fact, the foundation laying ceremony was well attended by people in the community. I was the first corper in the state to ever contemplate such a massive project and as such, I was declared the Best Corper of the Year in Kebbi state in 1999 and won the Governor’s Award at the state pass-out.

Tell us about your migration to Canada

I immigrated to Canada about 17 years ago and I have continued to do my best to make a difference in every society I find myself. I guess, that was why I have been able to hold several leadership positions in Canada. Apart from being the president of NAYA Canada, I am also the Secretary General of Oranmiyan Canada, a pan-Yoruba organization in Canada and the North American Coordinator for Oodua Progressive Union overseeing the activities of the organization in U.S, Canada and Mexico. I am on the board of the African Canadian Foundation, a social-economic multicultural organization for all Africans in Manitoba, Canada and the community liaison officer for the African Working Group (AWG) at the University of Manitoba, a scholarly intellectual group dedicated to the management of conflicts in Africa.

As a community leader and an individual with strong political acumen, I am actively involved in the Canadian political system. I am an elected member of the Board of Directors for the Conservative Party of Canada and prior to that, I was the president of Progressive Conservative Party of Manitoba for Wolsey Constituency from 2008 -2010. In the 2015 federal election in Canada, I was the chairman of the electoral task force for the Manitoba Muslim Association educating and encouraging young Canadian Muslims to be involved in political participation as a way to effect change.

As much as I have passion for humanity and have a deep sense of commitment to making a difference in the society, I realize that without a balanced home-work priority, it would be chaos.

How do you balance your work and home?

It is a matter of priority. As much as I have passion for humanity and have a deep sense of commitment to making a difference in the society, I realize that without a balanced home-work priority, it would be chaos. So, I dedicate a lot of time for my family and when I have to be away for work or travel anywhere, they are quite very supportive because they take great pride in the work that I do for humanity.

What experience always stood out whenever you reflect about your career?

I think my achievement, as an NYSC member always stands out and reminds me that when there is a will, there is a way. What made the experience quite unique for me is because of the peculiarity of our situation as youth corpers then. The stipend that the government paid us was barely enough for us to survive, so to contemplate a community project of multi-million naira value at that time was a unique achievement for me. We did not have the money to execute the project but what I did have was the will to solve the accommodation problem in Jega LGA for NYSC members. What I also had was the innovative idea to make it happen, so when I combined both and was able to motivate my team to buy into it, it became a reality. It remains the most outstanding achievement for me till today. Although, unfortunately in Nigeria, we don’t celebrate ideas or innovation, rather we allow many youth with innovative ideas die off. If I had not traveled abroad, all these ideas I am using to now pay back to my society would have been wasted.

Although, unfortunately in Nigeria, we don’t celebrate ideas or innovation, rather we allow many youth with innovative ideas die off. If I had not traveled abroad, all these ideas I am using to now pay back to my society would have been wasted.

What is the secret of astonishing physical appearance and ever radiant smile?

Despite my tight schedule, I often find time to exercise and I always know that smile is free, so it doesn’t cost me anything to smile all the time.

I think we still have a lot of work to do. Our economy was not doing too well before the pandemic and this crisis will further affect the economy. I hope the government will be creative enough to minimize the adverse effect of this on the economy.

What is your take on the state of the nation?

If you are talking about the Coronavirus pandemic, I think the Nigeria government is doing a great job so far. My prayer is that the government would have the capacity to continue to curtail it as much as they are doing right now. But economically speaking, I think we still have a lot of work to do. Our economy was not doing too well before the pandemic and this crisis will further affect the economy. I hope the government will be creative enough to minimize the adverse effect of this on the economy.

For instance, I am in the country at the moment to finalize the delivery of several millions of dollars of medical equipment and supplies as NAYA does annually but the COVID-19 pandemic has grounded everything including all non-essential travel and deliveries so my return to Canada has been delayed and I can feel the pains of the people with experience.

What qualities should one possess to be appointed Goodwill Ambassador in the United State to promote the UN Sustainable Development goal like you are?

I think doing what you know how to do and doing it best is a good attribute. Of course, this means doing what you have passion for especially when you are not being paid for doing it. I think it is my style of leadership that stood me out to being appointed the new Goodwill Ambassador for Nigeria, Nigerians in Diaspora and African Communities. I have always been an individual who is result-oriented and focus on long-term goals. When I took over as president, NAYA was only in Manitoba, not even to the next city in Canada not to talk of been an international organization or being brought to Nigeria. At that time, NAYA never embarked on humanitarian activities, just a cultural organization to teach our children our culture, celebrate Nigerian independence days, hangout as Nigerians and so on. But because I was focused on a long-term, I grew the organization to both national and international standard that makes NAYA to be known everywhere today. It was in the course of all our international activities especially in Nigeria, that Five Points Youth Foundation took interest in knowing how we managed a small organization to grow to that standard and doing big projects that we do.

Looking back over the years, what advice will you give your younger self?

To always do what I have passion for. I remember when I was in JSS 3 going to SSS 1, I was so good in art subjects and loved politics. But when we got to SSS 1 and time to choose which class to go to, rather than for me to go to art class which I had passion for, I went instead to science class because all my friends were there. Before I realized that I do not have anything for science and was just there because of my friends, it was too late. I ended up doing subjects I did not like for 3 years by forcing myself into science class throughout high school. As a result, I had no choice in university than to do science-related course, that was how I ended up in biological science at the university.

However, when I got to Canada and had the opportunity to go back to school, I made sure I did what I had passion for. Despite having being out of academic environment for over 15 years and with no background in arts or politics as a course, I pursued my Masters in political science and ended up being the best master student in the department. I finished my masters with distinction. This was possible because it was what I have passion to do in the first place. I learnt my lesson in a hard way.