by
Patrick Ogungbola
MD/ CEO, BLUEHEDGE REALTORS
This is wishing you a Happy New Month.
Seriously, this is August 2019. Recently, I read an interesting article which enlightened that time doesn’t go anywhere in the real sense, but that time remains the same from the beginning; it is we human that don’t remain the same, we go out with time. Hmmm, time doesn’t get exhausted, we get exhausted. This is why it’s very expedient for us to judiciously utilize our ‘lifetime’ (the time we have to live on earth).
Before going any further, we want to seize this opportunity to really appreciate our numerous clients and readers of our monthly articles for your time, as well as your comments, commendation and encouragement; we do not take this lightly, and as a matter of fact, this is the impetus that keeps us going and to continue to write useful and relevant articles for your reading pleasure. Thank you so much, we appreciate you much more than you can ever imagine.
Now, this month’s article is centred on Technology and how it has disrupted almost everything about our lives. You will agree with this writer that most of what we have today were not in existence about 20 years ago. Technology and internet have virtually changed everything. For instance, our traditional mailing system via post office has given way to email which is a faster and more effective way of sending messages, paper maps have given way to google maps, the traditional telephoning system using analogue phones have been replaced with mobile (smart) phones, and gramophone has been replaced with CD / DVD players. Dissemination of information through newspaper, television and big radio is giving way to online news channels; almost all these traditional media (newspaper, television and radio stations) now have their online version, and research have shown that they make more money via their online channels than the traditional ones. Today, almost every aspects of our lives have to do with e-something; we have e-books, e-library, e-learning, e-journal, e-jamb, e-news, e-banking, e-commerce, e-money, e-dividends, e-wallet, e-passport, e-visa, e-voting, e-connect, e-cigarette (yes, you can google it) – Oh yes! that’s it again, ‘google’ has replaced our traditional dictionary. These days, information travels at the speed of light most especially on social media such as facebook, WhatsApp, Instagram, twitter, linkedin, youtube, tumblr, Snapchat, Skype, etc. In this generation, an ‘illiterate’ is not just someone who can’t read or write, it also extends to someone who can’t make use of internet and other related technologies.
Indeed, internet and other advanced technologies have come to stay; the world has taken on a new ‘shape’ right in our very eyes, and the hand of times can no longer be turned back. When you say, ‘good old days’, the Post-Millennials (those born between 1997 to date) will not understand what you’re talking about, they can only imagine.
The advent of the modern technologies and tools have consciously or unconsciously transformed the way we live, work, play and do many other things. It is no longer news that many professions/ occupations have gone into extinction while many others are fast becoming extinct or will be extinct in few years to come. According to a recent report from McKinsey & Company, by 2030, more than 800 million people will lose their jobs to automation (https://bit.ly/2Yxw3JV). Massive lay-off and retrenchment of company workers is currently a common occurrence. There are various articles on the internet on how computer and robots are fast replacing human being in the workplace.
Well, it’s not all bad news because many new businesses have also evolved as a result of technology. Few years ago, there were no such jobs as Digital Marketers, Programmers, Bloggers, Mobile App Developers, Search Engine Optimization (SEO) Analysts, Cloud Architects, Content Writers and Marketers, Drone Pilots/ Operators, Inverter and Solar Experts, Uber Operators, Airbnb Operators, and several other businesses that come up on a daily basis as a result of technology.
To illustrate on the above point, about two weeks ago, someone placed a call to this writer to introduce himself as a ‘Real Estate Movie Producer’. As a real estate person, I got fascinated by that title as I thought movie producers are only in the Entertainment Industry like Nollywood. Due to my fascination and curiosity, I invited this RE Movie Producer for a meeting in our office. He came, did his presentation and we awarded him a ‘Contract’ to produce a one-minute video for our company, and below is what he came up with:
The young man that produced the above video didn’t study ‘Theatre Art or Cinematography’ in school, he only went for a training somewhere and today, he is making his living from this business. Indeed, things are changing so fast.
Imagine! Right in our very eyes, most of the courses we studied in school are fast becoming obsolete; some have gone into extinction or may be extinct in few years, if nothing is done to improve on them. For instance, I don’t know if people still study Library Science in school. Today, you can get the architectural designs of any building of your choice on google, so where’s the place of an Architect in the years to come, apart from project management? Also, you can get the template of any legal document on the internet, what then will be the motivation to engage a Lawyer to draft legal documents? Although, this is a bad practice, but we have come across some Landlords who are not Lawyers but they prepare legal documents such as Tenancy Agreement by editing the formats they had in a bid to ‘pocket’ the legal fee paid by the Tenants. These days, you don’t need to study Journalism or Mass Communication in the University to become a successful Blogger. Few years ago, this writer desired to be a Stockbroker just for the sole aim of trading stocks on the Nigerian Stock Exchange, but today, though not a Stockbroker, he trade stocks (shares) right in the comfort of his home or office, without having to visit any Stockbroking Firm.
The above scenarios clearly prove to us that it’s no longer business as usual. What becomes of us if most of the courses we spent years to study in school are no longer relevant or in demand? What’s the way forward? Whether we like it or not, the future has caught up with us, and to survive, H. G. Wells said, ‘you either adapt or you perish’. We need to get real with ourselves; McKinsey Global Institute also reported recently (2019) that ‘Automation and Artificial Intelligence will lift productivity and economic growth, but millions of people worldwide may need to switch occupations or upgrade skills’ (https://mck.co/2y1dfYW). It’s better to make hay now that the sun is still shining, because very soon, it’s might be too late. It’s really unfortunate that many in Africa have not woken up to the reality of the current time, if not, why will students study or our schools continue to offer courses that are no longer in demand in the market place.
Following the above, what options are available to us in order to take advantage of the disruptions being caused by technology and rapid innovations? Below are 7 useful suggestions/ advice in this regard:
– Never grow old to learn. It was Albert Einstein that said, ‘Once you stop learning, you will start dying (even though you’re alive). Be flexible and be ready to learn. There’s no apartheid in learning, you can learn from anywhere, from anything and from anyone. Interestingly too, learning has become easier and more effective with the aid of internet; information has also become readily available.
– Be creative and innovative. It was also Albert Einstein that defined insanity as doing the same thing over and over and expecting a different result. Endeavour to look for new and better ways of doing the same things you’ve been doing. We must let go of archaic and conventional ways of thinking and doing things (except for reference purposes) to embracing new and better ways of solving problems. Your profession or occupation may be obsolete, but if you are creative and innovative, you can never go obsolete.
– Be relevant and be productive. This is one of the most important points here. Find ways to ensure that your products and services are relevant, that is, solving and meeting people’s needs productively. Robots can never replace you if you are relevant and productive. Productivity is the measure of someone’s efficiency. Being relevant and productive goes hand-in-hand.
– Show genuine love and concern for people. People love to be loved. We are emotional being and we respond to feelings. It was Dale Carnegie that once said, ‘When dealing with people, remember you are not dealing with creatures of logic, but with creatures bristling with prejudices and motivated by pride and vanity’. Show genuine heartfelt love and concern for other people, and you will be duly rewarded for this in cash and/ or in kind. The good news is that robot can never replace this human part of us.
– Work hard and work smart. There is no shortcut to success, but only through hard and smart work. Great things take efforts to achieve. Working hard is considered to be the cornerstone of every achievement. Smart work is about making the right strategy, about following a disciplined work culture. Hard work translates your vision and ideas into results. Hard work and smart work must go hand in hand in this digital age. Be strong willed and work hard to get what you want, because the desire to achieve something is only as strong as the smallest distraction that can take you away from it.
– Never ever give up, never. This was the title of one of our articles written in 2015. A popular saying goes thus, ‘When there’s life, there’s hope’. It is hope that gives meaning to life. Be optimistic that tomorrow will surely be better than today and yesterday. Remember, the two rules of life are: One, Never give up; and Two, Don’t forget rule one. You must also have a possibility mentality; science and technology have clearly proved to us that virtually all things are possible. The things that have not been invented are the things that have not been thought of.
– Go for training and retraining. ‘If anyone think he knows anything, he knows nothing yet as he ought to know’ 1 Corinthians 8:2. Most times, we think we know something, but our ignorance will usually be revealed after attending seminars, conferences, workshops, symposiums, or related forums that properly address our areas of interest. We must make conscious and deliberate efforts to update our knowledge base daily; the things we learnt in school are fast becoming obsolete in this digital age.
In summary, we need to keep pace with what is happening in the world and around us so as not to be left behind. We are in the information age, and hence, what determines our achievements is dependent on the amount of information at our disposal and how we are able to utilize these information to our benefits.
We wish you the very best in the month of August 2019.
As usual, we want to remind you that we care so much about you, and that when it comes to your real estate investment and advisory, we are always here to give you the very best service you can never get elsewhere. That is our promise, and will always be.
Meanwhile, please find below the powerpoint presentations of our current properties for sale in Lagos, Abuja and Port Harcourt, Nigeria.
Thank you.
Affordable Properties For Sale in LAGOS, Nigeria
Affordable Properties For Sale in ABUJA, FCT, Nigeria
Affordable Properties For Sale in PORT HARCOURT, RIVERS STATE, Nigeria
