I returned to school at 77— Insurance guru

A former President, Insurance Institute of Nigeria, an ex-Secretary General, African Insurance Organisation, and Chairman, SCIB Insurance Brokers, 82-year-old Bode Ogunlana (OFR), tells ARUKAINO UMUKORO about his life and passions

When and where were you born?

I was born on June 29, 1932, in Ogere-Remo, Ogun State, but I was brought up in Lagos State.

How was growing up like in your days?

It was interesting. Lagos was a leisurely place then. The population of Lagos couldn’t be more than 250,000 at that time. Everyone knew each other and most of the schools were located on Broad Street in those days.

Compared to your days, what has changed about Lagos?

Lagos has changed in many ways. We used to play football on Broad Street. There were half a dozen cars and we could recognise the sound of each one’s horn. We could tell if it was the car of the commissioner of the colony or that of the governor and so on. Broad Street was lined with trees on both sides. These were beautiful, imported trees. Tinubu Square was the main bus station. The Supreme Court was right at the centre until it was destroyed and a fountain was built there. Also, there used to be a colonial church, it was exclusively for the use of white people as Blacks were not allowed in. Opposite the Race Course, where the Independence Building is, used to be the Toronto Playground where we played football. It’s no more there now. We don’t have a sense of history in Nigeria. Lagos has changed, and of course, the population now can’t be less than 20 million. Compare that with 250,000 in those days. Many people come into Lagos and think that the streets are paved with gold; (but) you can get gold anywhere if you are creative and innovative.

Which schools did you attend?

I started at St. Paul’s Breadfruit School, Lagos in 1938. Then I attended Methodist Boys High School, Broad Street, from 1945 to 1950. Many of my classmates are now dead but a few like Professors Oladoke and Oshofowora and some others are still alive. Then, education was really good. The teachers were thorough with their teachings. We had inspectors of schools that went round to monitor activities in schools. The methods of teaching were effective and textbooks were available at affordable prices. We also had a good reading culture. In my school it was compulsory for pupils to read novels; it was part of the exams; although, the colonial masters thought everything that was not English was fetish, just as local languages were undervalued and misrepresented. After finishing from Methodist Boys High School, I travelled to England in 1955. I studied at the Marylebone College of Commerce, London. At the same time, we started studying at the Chartered Insurance Institute, also in London. Two other Nigerians and I were the first full-time students of the institute. At that time, we were told that insurance, shipping, finance and things like that could not be learnt from books, and that one had to work to gather experience. During that period, I was a Western (Nigeria) Government scholar and the late Chief Obafemi Awolowo insisted that insurance could be taught. He asked how much the institute wanted, they quoted the price and he paid it. That was how the director of the institute started classes for the three of us. Out of it grew the College of Insurance. Before then, they had not thought of establishing it, but they have not given us any credit for this. Later, I went to the Industrial Society, London, where I took some courses. Then, I went to Henley – The Management College, UK, which was affiliated to Brunel, and studied for the MBA. It was like our administrative staff college here in Nigeria. I attended Henley from 1986 to 1987. Over the years, I have been educating myself.

Where did you work when you returned to Nigeria after your first degree?

I worked at the Royal Exchange Assurance Group. I had been there before I left for England. It was about the only insurance company in West Africa then. There was no competition. I started with them in 1952, and then I went to the UK on study leave and returned to work there. I was there until 1968 when I became Group Area Manager for Lagos. Then, I was employed by the Great Nigeria Insurance Company Limited, which was owned by the old Western Government. I was asked to help turn it around because it had been operating at a loss for eight years. In three years, we turned it around and the company made its first profit. And I built the Great Nigeria House for them. In 1973, I was invited by the Federal Government to do the same thing. I was appointed the Managing Director, National Insurance Corporation of Nigeria. I worked there for three years. I could have stayed longer, but I just couldn’t cope with the politicians and civil servants. During that time, I was a consultant to the Ministry of Trade when it was being established. I am a private sector man and my thinking was quite different from theirs. So, I left and set up my own business in 1975. My company was originally Standard Chartered Insurance Brokers because Standard Chartered Bank was my partner then. But when I wanted to start the training and conference centre, in Ibadan, they felt that it was a fool’s dream, and that it might not make money; so, they pulled out. Today, the place is like a big university campus. It started with 63 bedrooms, now it has 214 bedrooms, a half-Olympic-sized swimming pool, a gold course, gymnasium and so on. It’s a place where people can come to study in comfort. Eventually, we changed the company’s name to the acronym, SCIB, and we are still SCIB Nigeria Insurance Limited to date. We have two arms, SCIB Insurance Brokers and FIM Consultants.

I kept on going back for more training and re-training. In 1971, I went back for a course in the City of London. I retired in 2002, I was 70 then and I had done 50 years in insurance. Then I went back to school. I went to an academy in Italy and brushed up my painting. After that, I went for a summer course in Oxford University where I studied Creative Writing because I wanted to start telling stories and writing poetry. It got so interesting that I decided to go the whole hog. So, I went back to the school in 2009 and I did a Bachelor of Arts degree programme in English Literature at Buckingham University, UK. I was 77 at that time. I even got a prize in my first year. It was a prize donated by the local residents for the best student.

How did you cope with studying for a Bachelor’s degree at 77?

I don’t blame the younger ones, they are just studying to get a pass for a career, but I studied for pleasure, to deepen my knowledge and to help me write good stories. I enjoyed it so much that I went on and did the Master of Arts (in English Literature). At the end of the programme, which I passed with merit, I took a picture with the Chancellor, who was so thrilled, and it was in the newspapers. The Chancellor said, here is an old man getting his MA with merit. The course lasted for three and a half years. The ratio of lecturers to students wasn’t ever more than one to 15 in a class. I had two professors that supervised my thesis. I really enjoyed it.

How did your children feel about your going back to school?

At first, they thought, “Oh, daddy, it would be too strenuous for you!” My sons who had tried to discourage me were all pleased and they came for my graduation. Now, I’m talking of going back to the School of Oriental and African Studies to do a D.Phil.

How did you feel going to school with the age mates of your grandchildren?

The age disparity was no problem for me because I was used to working with young people. The average age of students in my class, without me, at that time was about 22. I had something that prepared me; I had always been in the Boys Scouts and I had always been working with children. Maturity sometimes does help education and learning; one understands more quickly. When I did my MBA, I finished my dissertation on time because I was drawing from my experience. By then, I was already a general manager. I didn’t use much from what I learnt from textbooks. Age is not a disease or barrier. It is an advantage, but it depends on every individual. Some of them feel lazy, claiming they are too old. One is never too old for anything. You are never too old to pursue your dreams or achieve them. Nothing is impossible if you put your mind to it.

What are the high points in your work life?

I started working as a civil servant in 1951. I worked at the Inland Revenue Department from January, 1951 to March, 1952. I resigned from there because one was not allowed to use one’s initiative. I went into the private sector where initiatives and merit were recognised. By early 1955, I was a management trainee. In 1958 when I returned from the UK, I became a manager. By 1962, I was a general manager. That took a lot of hard work. I suppose I was affected by the first nursery rhyme I ever learnt in life at Breadfruit School: ‘Good, better, best. May I never rest until my good is better, and my better is best,’ and that is what I’ve always attained. I always aimed at that. In scouting, I got to the top. In management, I first started as an assistant manager. Also, I started as a founding member when the Nigeria Institute of Management was established in 1961, I eventually became its President. You can always attain whatever you want, but you must work hard and diligently and pursue it single-mindedly. Concentrate on what you know how best to do. I was interested in writing and painting, but I needed to make money first. And I concentrated on doing that. When I retired, I shifted my emphasis to painting and literature. Now, I’m enjoying them. I have three manuscripts ready for publication. I already have two published books on Yoruba culture. By this time next year, I should have added at least three more books.

How do you create time for all these things despite your busy schedule as CEO of different firms?

One, you must get your priorities right. Two, you must be focused; know what you want and how to set about it. Also, be conscious about time management. I wake up very early. By 5.30 am or 6am, I’m up. Then I do some exercise. I have a small gym in my bathroom. Then, I’m ready for work as if I haven’t retired. I come up to my office. I have 10,000 books in my library and in other rooms. I also have 27 dictionaries. Without reading, I have no life. I have to read and write something every day. I also have time for my leisure. I know when to stop and work or use my thread mill. Then, you need discipline. I think scouting also helped me, it is really a form of practical teaching. I joined the Boy Scout in 1942. I became the Chief Commissioner, Boy Scout of Nigeria, from 1990 to 1992; Chairman, Africa Scout Committee, from 1986 to 1989; and First Vice Chairman, World Scout Committee, from 1990 to 1993. In July 1979, I was honoured with a Bronze Wolf, the highest award in the world for scouting, by the World Scout Committee for services to scouting internationally. Also, I was awarded the Elephant Award, Africa’s highest, by the Africa Scout Committee for services to scouting in Africa, while I was honoured with the Gold Eagle award, Nigeria’s highest, by the Boy Scouts of Nigeria.

How did you meet your wife?

We lived in the same area and she attended Methodist Girls High School, which was next door to my school. So, I often saw her on my way to school. This was in 1948. I knew her elder sister, who also attended the Girls School. One day, I commented on their resemblance and the elder sister told me she (my wife) was her younger sister. I liked her and we became friends. We got married on August 17, 1955, before I travelled to the UK. I was 23 then. I did all my things very quickly. But we did not have our first child until seven years later. My first son is now my next door neighbour. Next week, we would have been married for 59 years. I thank God it worked very well. After 59 years we are still together and we are praying that we are going to live to see our great-grandchildren.

What would you say are the secrets of a successful marriage?

I have discovered that the secret of a good, successful marriage is not ‘give and take;’ it is, ‘give and give.’ Give everything that you have. I tell people that marriage is a life-long contract. Young people today would get married today, and in three years time, they want a divorce. It shouldn’t be so. I travel a lot for scouting, and still do, and everywhere I go, my wife comes along with me. She is part of me now. That’s the way it should be. Your wife is half of you. Without your wife, you are not a complete person. People don’t see it that way. Marriages are not meant to be broken, they are also meant to be enjoyed, not endured. If you want 10 attributes from your wife and you’re lucky she has five or six of them, thank your stars, count your blessings and examine them one by one. That’s what makes for a happy marriage.

What’s the secret to your long life and youthfulness?

God sent me to the world for a purpose and I have to fulfil that purpose before I go. If God gives you the brain and good health, you just can’t afford to waste it. I served on the University of Ibadan Endowment Fund Committee from 1973 until March this year when I resigned. I became its chairman in 2005. It was a voluntary job. Nobody has ever paid me. I would travel to Ibadan for meetings and pay for my own hotel. Whenever they wanted me, I was there for them. And it was a pleasure doing it. God rewards people who give freely. What you do in secret, God sees it and He would reward you publicly. This is why I have succeeded in life. If God gives you something, it’s for people around you. The spirit of giving and service would make a better Nigeria.

What kind of exercise do you do?

I used to do a lot of walking, but not as before. Also, I used to play golf, but since I had cervical prognosis, I’ve stopped. Walking keeps one in shape. I also go for a swim first thing in the morning and last thing at night.

Do you have any regrets?

The only regret I have is that I’m getting old and I cannot do all the things I want to do and achieve all the things I want to.

What are you most fulfilled about in life?

It’s the way I’ve lived my life, the way I’ve brought up my children – they are all professionals and are doing well. Also, my passion for insurance.

What’s your favourite food?

I eat beans a lot, as well as a lot of vegetables and fruits.