Ex-SGF charges youths to rise above limitations

Boss Mustapha marked his 70th birthday by donating a library complex to Lutheran University Nigeria in Demsa, Adamawa State, and using his own family history to urge young Nigerians to pursue excellence.

The former Secretary to the Government of the Federation said his rise from the son of a classroom teacher to the country’s second-highest bureaucratic position showed that humble beginnings should not determine a person’s future. “I want my life to be a template for the younger generation. If the son of a classroom teacher can make it, then you can make it,” he said.

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I want my life to be a template for the younger generation. If the son of a classroom teacher can make it, then you can make it.

Mustapha urged youths to treat their backgrounds as a starting point rather than a barrier. “Do not allow your background to define your life; use it as a stepping stone,” he said. He added that he undertook the project to improve the lives of the generations that would follow.

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Do not allow your background to define your life; use it as a stepping stone.

The Archbishop of the Lutheran Church of Christ in Nigeria, Musa Panti Filibus, named the facility the Wesley Mustapha Library Complex in honour of Mustapha’s late father. Wesley Mustapha had been a classroom teacher before becoming a headmaster at the Government Science School founded by the church.

Mustapha said his father’s dedication to teaching influenced his decision to invest in education. Plateau State Governor Caleb Mutfwang praised him for choosing an educational project over personal luxury for his birthday. Adamawa Governor Ahmadu Fintiri described the library as a lasting resource for students and researchers, while Archbishop Filibus said it would strengthen the university’s academic environment and preserve the memory of Mustapha’s father.

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My decision to undertake this project is borne out of the need to better the lives of the generation coming after us.