Jonathan David

By Henry Ojelu

Like the biblical David, Jonathan David’s road to success was tough and rough. From contending with lack at a young age to failing in examination and business, Jonathan had his fair share of life’s challenges.  But the young engineer is today one of the most sought after facilitators and trainers at local and foreign Oil and Gas conferences. In this interview, he shares his inspiring journey to success.

Jonathan

Upbringing

I was born and raised in the ever-bustling city of Kano in Northern Nigeria. I am the second child in a large family of nine. Life for me as a kid was just full of adventures. It was simpler times and not much of today’s security challenges existed, so I had the approval of my parents to just be a kid. Strangely, my adventures always centred on creating or building stuff, learning a skill or something that ended up putting some extra money in my pocket. I am tempted to think I was born an entrepreneur.   At some point in my childhood, I picked up skills as a trainee mechanic, carpenter, and welder. I even engaged in rearing birds among a host of other things. I guess my curious mind wouldn’t just let me be like other kids. I give credence to my dad who gave me the liberty to express myself.

Memorable  childhood experience

My childhood is replete with lots of experiences, but the singular experience that affected me the most did not just happen in a moment; it was constant throughout my years as a kid. That’s the gift of a close-knit family and a stable home. Love was never lacking whether we had plenty or times were difficult. I still remember taking a ride on my dad’s shoulder to buy suya in our neighbourhood. I don’t forget how we would not want to fall asleep before my dad returns from work so we could partake of the suya or barbecued chicken he would come home with. I must commend him for creating an environment that enabled us to thrive as kids. That stable home meant my curiosity could be nurtured. I looked at him and learned the drive to be better even today as a father myself.

Challenges growing up?

Growing up was not all rosy, there were tough times for the family especially during the frequent riots in the north then. The economy simply grinded to a halt and we had to start life all over again. Sometimes we had to be sent home from school because we were not able to pay the fees. But I am grateful for these experiences. I have seen both sides of the coin and like Paul the Apostle in the Scriptures; I have known how to be full and sometimes lack. It keeps me grounded, that no matter how successful I get, I must stay humble and live simply.

Life lessons

The towers of success are built from the trenches of sweat and blood. No one becomes successful by accident, success is intentional.   A curious mind, education, and grit or staying power are critical factors to success. And by education, I am not talking about only going to school for a degree. I have learnt from just watching people, discussing with bright minds, networking, attending conferences, reading, taking courses.   I still remember failing Jamb, failing at my first business venture, losing the chance at juicy employment, losing money at the start of my current business. My most important lessons came in the pits of defeat and failures. Besides, if defeat never existed there would be no victory. If failure never existed there would not be success.

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Success factors

Resilience, never-give-up attitude, knowing my deficiencies and strengthening them. Knowing my strengths and capitalizing on them. An openness to learn new things. Being curious, reaching beyond what others think is possible. I am actually a hopeless dreamer, an eternal optimist. I spend time to do the hard work required to birth those dreams. And far greater than my effort is the God factor.

Training, conference engagements

My background is in Electronics Systems Engineering and in my practice, I have had the opportunity of working in the Processing, Renewable Energy and Oil and Gas Industries. The training programs we run are meant to provide industry professionals with the required skills and certifications to perform at the highest levels. So we provide training programs on the entire spectrum of Maintenance, Reliability, Asset Performance Management and Operational Excellence. Our conferences are meant to be the hub or a platform for maintenance, reliability, asset managers and other engineering / technical disciplines and supporting professionals to connect with each other, learn from the industry leaders that share knowledge at these events and create opportunities for individual, corporate and societal growth. Currently, we have created two annual conferences. The Maintenance Summit Port-Harcourt which holds in April of every year and the Africa Maintenance and Reliability Conference which takes place every November.

Vision

The Maintenance Institute is the vehicle with which we have determined to raise world-class professionals in Nigeria and Africa at large. That’s our simple goal. A professional in Nigeria should be able to compete for 100 per cent with any professional anywhere in the world and not be treated any less because he or she is from Nigeria. To achieve this, we organize both paid and free world-class events to groom all levels of engineering professionals. We also provide consultancy services in the fields of Maintenance, Reliability and Asset Performance Management.

Relevance of maintenance, reliability

Every engineering professional does one of two things; either you design and build or you maintain. The larger population of engineers are simply employed to maintain equipment and keep them in their optimal state. The risk level in the Oil and Gas Sector is very high and the consequences of failure can be catastrophic like the Piper Alpha, Texas refinery and more recently the BP incident in the Gulf of Mexico. Hundreds of families have lost their breadwinners because of these failures. Maintenance and Reliability Professionals are at the forefront of ensuring pieces of equipment are designed right and in top shape to avoid these failures hence the need for them to be equipped to perform at the highest levels. That is where we come in. And not just in the Oil and Gas Industry, these same scenarios are applicable in Manufacturing, Utilities, Pharmaceuticals, and much more

Leadership failures

Success does not happen by accident, it can be predicted. The trajectory of a nation is determined by a predetermined strategy of which leadership and governance are critical parts. If our current trajectory does not show we are heading in the right direction then we must be humble enough to admit it and redirect our efforts in the right direction.

Advice for youths

I dare say Nigeria is a land of opportunities. From the eyes of an entrepreneur, every problem is an opportunity to be capitalized on. Yes, the realities that stare us in the face are totally not in our favor but through these challenges, we can shine against all odds and build a country that would be the envy of the world. The pride of Nigeria is in her young men and women surviving despite the odds. Like Nehemiah in the bible, we must arise and build. It is a difficult road we must travel; even Nehemiah had to face the opposition.   At some point, they even had to build with one hand and hold a weapon with another. Together we can build a viable nation.

Mentorship

I have had several mentors in my life’s journey. Number one on the list is definitely my parents. Their passion for the best education for us still inspires me today. My first boss in my working career, Dr Engr. Ofualagba Godswill had an undying love for continuous improvement and continuous learning even when there seems to be no need. He infected me. My good friend Elias Acquah opened my eyes to see new possibilities by simply doing his job. There are more which I cannot mention here, but mentorship, though informal in most cases,  has provided a lamp when my paths seem dark and I cannot see the other side of the tunnel. Everyone young man or woman needs a mentor to inspire them to be better.

VANGUARD