The Group Chief Executive Officer of Oando Plc, Wale Tinubu, has urged Nigerians to embrace failure as a tool for nation-building, saying societies progress when citizens learn from setbacks instead of constantly condemning their country.
Tinubu made the remarks Friday during an interview in Lagos, stressing that national development depends on collective belief, resilience and a shared commitment to move the country forward.
“We learn from our failures and we get it right. We stop condemning the country and believing the country cannot go right. The country can go right, and it goes right by us as a people collectively moving in one direction,” he said.
The business leader, popularly known as J.A.T., spoke shortly after receiving an honorary doctorate in Business at the 56th convocation of the University of Lagos, in recognition of his contributions to enterprise building, energy sector transformation and national development.
Tinubu said success in business and nation-building requires the courage to take risks, noting that fear of failure often prevents people from trying. “A lot of people are scared of failing. They simply don’t try and, accordingly, they never succeed,” he said, drawing parallels with countries that achieved major breakthroughs only after repeated failed attempts.
He also called for stronger collaboration between the public and private sectors, particularly in education, health and other social services, and stressed the importance of alumni engagement in developing educational institutions.
“Ex-students who have done well need to be re-engaged to contribute to the development of these institutions. This is a continuous process of reinvesting in what you have toward building a beneficial future,” he said.
Speaking on behalf of other honorees, Tinubu described the award as a renewed call to service rather than a celebration of past achievements. He highlighted the University of Lagos’s role in producing leaders who have shaped Nigeria across public service, law, science, enterprise, medicine, the arts and diplomacy.
“UNILAG has never been content to produce credentials but has produced nation-builders,” he said, noting the institution’s evolution into a hub for innovation, digital research, entrepreneurship and the creative economy.
Tinubu said the country is at a defining turning point, undergoing a challenging but necessary transition driven by reforms aimed at stabilizing the economy, restoring confidence and unlocking productivity. He stressed that such reforms succeed only when ideas shape action and knowledge guides leadership, adding that universities are drivers, not spectators, in addressing national challenges.
“Citadels of learning generate the ideas, train the innovators, test the evidence, and nurture the ethical leadership that progress demands,” he said, urging a renewed focus on education, particularly at higher levels.
Reflecting on his personal journey, Tinubu recounted how he grew up believing one could dream beyond circumstances and build from scarcity. “Do not wait for perfect conditions. You have to move, you have to dare, and you have to build as you proceed,” he told graduates.
Tinubu, born June 25, 1967, studied law at the University of Liverpool and the London School of Economics before being called to the Nigerian Bar in 1990. He co-founded Ocean and Oil Group, which evolved into Oando Plc, a leading integrated energy group in sub-Saharan Africa.
Beyond business, Tinubu has contributed to humanitarian initiatives and education through the Oando Foundation and has been recognized globally for his policy engagements, receiving the national honour of Commander of the Order of the Niger in 2022.
