Nigeria, Sept. 3 -- Kashim Shettima, Nigeria's vice president, former two-term governor of Borno State, banker, politician, and businessman, has a story that young people can actually learn from as he clocks 60 today, Wednesday, 2 September.

Shettima is not perfect. No one is. Perfection belongs to the Almighty, our Creator. But there are real lessons to draw from how he has navigated life, built his career and risen through different stages of leadership. I will try, as much as possible, to break some of these lessons down for easy understanding and assimilation.

First, as a young Nigerian, understand that education and skills are your first source of power. Vice President Kashim Shettima understood this and acted upon it. He studied A...