Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Trobell International Nigeria Ltd, Lawal Garba, has urged students of Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria, to make integrity, excellence, continuous learning and resilience the foundation of their personal and professional development.
Garba, an alumnus of the university and Fellow of the Nigerian Institute of Quantity Surveyors, gave the advice at the weekend during the second edition of ABU’s “Lunch with the Vice-Chancellor” programme at the Yusufu Bala Usman Hall, Main Campus, Samaru.
Speaking on the theme, “The Lawal Garba Way: Building Enterprises, Creating Opportunities, Transforming Lives,” the businessman said his journey from a Quantity Surveying graduate to an entrepreneur was driven by persistence, discipline, hard work and faith rather than privilege.
The programme, introduced by the university last year, provides an informal platform for students to interact with the Vice-Chancellor and accomplished personalities who can offer practical lessons on academic, career and personal development.
Garba said his career was marked by setbacks, missed opportunities and difficult decisions, adding that he sometimes had to reject immediate gains in order to remain faithful to his long-term values.
He recalled that Trobell Nigeria Ltd started on a modest scale and gradually built its reputation through competence and trust.
“In one early project, we were selected not because we were the biggest firm, but the client believed in our commitment to deliver,” he said.
According to him, the experience demonstrated that credibility and trust could be more valuable to a business than its size.
Garba identified five principles he described as important to lasting success: integrity, excellence, continuous learning, relationships and resilience.
“Integrity is everything,” he told the students, noting that he had seen multimillion-naira contracts awarded largely because of trust developed over years.
He also encouraged the students to pay attention to details and maintain a commitment to excellence, regardless of how insignificant a task might appear.
“The day you stop learning is the day you start becoming irrelevant,” Garba said, stressing the need for young professionals to continuously acquire new knowledge and adapt to technological changes.
He said professionals who failed to embrace digital tools and modern project-management systems had gradually lost relevance in their fields.
On networking, the businessman said relationships had played a significant role in some of the opportunities he encountered during his career.
“Treat everyone with dignity. Maintain relationships. One conversation can change your life forever,” he advised.
Garba further urged the students not to be discouraged by failure, describing setbacks as an inevitable part of the journey towards success.
He said Nigeria remained a country with enormous opportunities, particularly in agriculture, technology, mining, energy, manufacturing, infrastructure, the digital economy and the creative industry.
The ABU alumnus encouraged students to develop skills that could make them competitive in the labour market and broaden their knowledge beyond their areas of study.
He recalled complementing his training in Quantity Surveying with knowledge of business and management, which he said contributed to his professional growth.
Garba also called on the students to view leadership as an opportunity to serve others, saying the greater value of success lies in creating opportunities and contributing to the development of communities.
He expressed appreciation to the university for inviting him back to share his experiences and urged ABU to continue nurturing leaders, innovators and entrepreneurs capable of contributing to Nigeria’s development.
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