Dr. Abel Babajide Ayeni, is a highly rated information management guru who has creditably earned respect in his chosen career locally and in the foreign scene. He turned 70 years on Tuesday July 26, 2022. He has specially dedicated that day to appreciate God in what he described as a modest celebration featuring a thanksgiving service and a reception with the members of his family, friends and associates. PTL News was with him at his Ikeja office where he shared the story of his 70 years on earth which he described as challenging and inspiring. He is the President of The Institute of Information and Records Management of Nigeria, (TIIREM)
Congratulations sir on the occasion of your 70th birthday celebration. As a person what does it mean to you to have attained the landmark of 70 years of age?
Above all things I have to thank God my creator for making it possible for me to celebrate 70 years on the surface of the earth. I never knew I would have that grace to be as old as this because when I was young I used to be sick. So I am very grateful to God to get to this level in life. At this level I have to thank God for the people He has used for me to get to this level in life. For this reason I have every reason to thank God and all the people he has used to take me to this level.
You said your life story has been very challenging and inspiring. Tell us more about your challenging and inspiring story sir.
After my primary education I was able to get admission to that prestigious school in Ilesa called Ilesa Grammar School, but because I came from a very poor family, my family found it difficult to pay my fees in the year 1966 that was regarded as a very difficult year in Nigeria. It was a year of crisis in Nigeria, when the military took power via coups. Then there was crisis that affected my education. There was one of my father’s friends that knew the late Senator Mojisoluwa Akinfenwa, and they called me to come and take part in an exam they had for scholarship, that same 1966. I led in the exam and I was offered a scholarship to come and study at Hope Grammar School in Ilesa. I was in Hope Grammar School from 1967 to 1971. I was among the 13 students that passed out of the school in 1971. I thank God for that and I came to Lagos in 1972.
Ever since then God has not left me alone. I came to Lagos in 1972, and God has added a lot to me. It is there I got married, now for 42 years. I have children, and grandchildren. I have houses and as it is said if I should go back to Ilesa today, I will not go back alone. (smiles). They are part of what I acquired when I got to Lagos. I thank God for that.
Like you mentioned challenges what will you say were part of your growing up challenges?
I was lucky to have got an employment immediately I got to Lagos in 1972 when I got to Lagos through an uncle, now late. J.B. Ojo. Then I knew I had a focus. I knew I had to work hard. I believed that if I had no money to continue my education I had to work hard even as a third class clerk. I was so lucky in the year 1975 to be among the 24 students that the federal government sent to the Federal Training Centre, Kaduna to prepare them as official reporters for the incoming civilian administration in 1979. I resumed Federal Training Centre Kaduna in in July, that school was meant for northerners. It was an elites school. If you have challenges and difficulties, if you have challenges and if you are serious you will be able to face challenges. It is even better if the opportunity is made available to you. It will make you to be more serious.
My in service training was a great opportunity for me. That was where I sat for my GCE A level and I passed very well in the year 1976. There was nothing like JAMB then. All the universities in Nigeria gave me admission. It took the advice of my uncle for me to choose University of Lagos as it would be easier for me to come to him in Ikoyi if I needed any assistance. I entered the university in 1977. My stay in the University of Lagos was equally challenging. The following year there was the problem of Ali Must Go when we were sent home. We had to stay at home for seven weeks. That was the only time I had to stay away from University unlike now when students are kept at home indefinitely.
There was never a strike in our days in the university. University was then very good, we had good food and accommodation. Everything was ok for us. All those things helped me. My knowledge of shorthand and type writing helped me to grasp the content of my studies in the university, and I passed out with a good result. I had good results in 1980. I commenced my NYSC in Benue State in 1980 and finished up in Lagos for my marriage which came up in May 1981.
I thank God I married a good wife, with good children. I thank them for their assistance, supports and understanding.
When I came back to my office as a young officer in 1981 after my NYSC because I had a very good result at my first degree the Federal government decided to send me to the Administrative Staff College in Topo Badagry it was about two years then. I was there to learn the nitty gritty of administration and management, and I was there from 1983 to 1984 for my post graduate diploma in public administration. I also had a good result there European Economic community, (EEC) fellowship also gave me admission from 1986 to 1987 at Netherlands International Institute of Management in Maastritch. After that programme I came back to Nigeria in 1987. Meanwhile I remain in service and my service was counting from when I joined the service in 1972.
When some people saw my result they advised and encouraged me to go for my Ph.d but I thought of settling down in the civil service to do some work and acquire experiences in the civil service.
It was not until 1991 when I got admission to the University of Ibadan. I wanted to specialise now that was when I got to study at the department of African Regional Centre for Information Science. That was how I took deep interest in Information Science and Record Management through which you will understand the nitty gritty of information science.
I did another Master programme because they wouldn’t allow anybody with MBA to go in directly for PhD programme. That was how I was able to secure an admission for my Ph.d at the University of Benin from 1993 to 1998.
Ever since then when I got my Ph.d I have been engaged in information management. I am more or less an information specialist, and a researcher. I have written many books, about 17 now. I am an author of 17 books. I understand the nitty gritty of record and information management.
In the information world we call ourselves the people who know everything. In all areas of life you need information. It is about strategic gathering of information. We need that area of intellectual commitment. It’s challenging but has been inspiring. I was able to develop myself as somebody who knew where I was going. I told you I have been very lucky to get sponsors in all these trainings. Many of them were by government and international sponsors. So it cannot but be challenging, but it has been inspiring and fulfilling. So I thank God for being there for me. That is how Abel Babajide Ayeni has been.
What has been your motivation and inspiration?
When you have an opportunity to develop yourself it is for you to grab and make the best use of it. People will say someone is an opportunist, it is better to be an opportunist and maximise it rather than waste and allow it to fritter away. But when opportunities begin to elude you, there is need to be afraid. But when you know how to seize opportunities there will be nothing that scares you. I am happy you will know the difference between growth and development. There is difference between physical growth and intellectual development. When we say somebody is growing without developing it does not bring any meaning to life. That means the person is just empty.
When you are intellectually sound you will be happy with yourself meeting the needs of people that matter to you and your career, giving people what they are supposed to know from you, you will be happy with yourself, but when you are not relevant and you cannot brush up yourself, that is a meaningless life. But when people know you are making meaning to life people will appreciate you.
What I am doing and who I am today is not for me and my family alone. A lot of people are benefiting from my life and career. That is what make life meaningful and exciting. Even as we are planning for the birthday many people have been calling me from far and wide. At times I begin to wonder if I had the capability to weather the storm. People think I am very rich, I am not all that rich but I thank God for what he has done for me. I still have a bright future and prospects. I have a lot to do for the people.
The last time I was in the US many of my friends proposed I should stay back to be doing all I am doing there but I rejected. Some of them have jobs for me. But I think at my level with Phd of almost 30 years I should not stay back to be doing the job that would not make any meaning to life because of money. It is telling me that the future is bright. I thank God that I have a lot to show for my 70 years. Those are the things that give me internal and external inspiration.
At 70 you still look strong and fit, what will you say is the secret of your physical strength?
I thank God for giving me the physical strength to really move around and do all I am doing. I don’t usually get sick. Some people don’t even believe I am 70. I always release myself to doing something. By my nature I am restless. I don’t have the nature of just sitting down doing nothing. I don’t release myself to emptiness. If you look around me now you will see books. Even at home, by my bedside you see books. I read a lot. I have to feed myself with knowledge. I must have something to occupy me and my time. I must do something. By my nature I am restless.
If I leave here now I am still going to see a friend at PENGASSAN. When I get there we will have a lot to discuss like training, politics, social and economic matters. There are lots of things to discuss. People will like to listen to you when they know that you have something to offer, but when you don’t have something to offer, people will not reckon with you. That is just about the beauty of life.
Sir, you are a record and information expert how do you rate the impact of Record Management, in the society and the Church?
Thank you for that. It is a very timely question. In Nigeria mostly they don’t have regards for record and information management. When it comes to the area of record and information management Nigeria is a failure. It is not in the Nigerian style to give record and information the priority it deserves. Information is needed in every area of human life. There is nothing you want to do in this life that you don’t need information management. It is an area to look into if you want to make progress. Ever since I took up that challenge it has tremendously enriched me in knowledge. There is no area of life that I lack ideas and knowledge, be it political, economic or cultural, I will have an opinion and useful contributions to make. Nothing meets you by surprise. By reading you gain a lot of insight and this is the way to develop uniquely. That is what I can say about my personal development over the years.
There are many areas to look into to improve your society as an information manager. I published this book when I was 65. Titled Who’s Who in CAC Amuwo Odofin, that is my church here in Festac, Lagos. It had been revealing. There was a series of books I published when CAC was 100 years. That is a way to educate people and make unique information available to people. Like what you are doing in your PTL News. It is full of information about the church and the people of God. Most Christians know PTL News across Churches. This is what we are saying about information.
How do you want to celebrate your birthday sir? Who and who are you expecting?
I have had to invite my friends who know I will be 70 years of age I will be expecting my friends, family and old school mates whether in the universities or where I trained. I still have some of my training colleagues who live in Festac here. There is even a request to come and celebrate it at my home church in Igando in Ilesa. It is to thank God for giving us what we need to use to appreciate Him.
After 70 years
Intellectually, I keep on developing. I want to get more involved majorly in this international training programme because Nigerians are eager to know more about the advanced countries. They want to get exposed and many people are over there also who want to know about Nigeria but cannot come down here. So the training will be like an exchange programme. We want to develop the idea of bringing about this exchange programme. It is an opportunity to export your knowledge. It is an opportunity to be of service to the country and our people. We thank God for everything. We thank God we are not living an empty life. It is about delivering service that you are making impact for creating a legacy.
To be continued. Watch out for the second part where Dr. Ayeni talks about his career and relevance of Information management to the Church and the society.
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