INTERVIEW WITH SHADRACK AKINOLA- YOUNG MOTIVATIONAL WRITER

The reading culture in Nigeria is in a coma state, its needs to be awakened- Shadrack Akinola

NWA: Can we meet you

I am Akinola Shadrack Ayooluwa, famously called Pesinpapa. I hail from Abeokuta in Ogun State, Nigeria. I however bagged my scintillating Bachelor of Arts degree from the prestigious university; Olabisi Onabanjo University in Ago iwoye, Ogun State.

NWA: What is writing to you?

Writing! Hmm, writing means life. Writing means life in the sense that, it’s a collection of everything. The African Philsopher, Oladele Balogun, once wrote that education spans from womb to tomb, cradle to grave. If articles, books, journals etc aren’t written, then how will educational process occur? One of the problems African Philosophy had, was the fact that, we had so many intelligent African fore- fathers! They created proverbs, idioms, words of wisdom but only few were documented. In those early period we started jotting down our ideas in the early periods.

Now back to writing. Writing is that which explains our past, present, and future in full documentation. Writing helps reshape millions of lives right from the enclosure of your study to the world. Writing is that which makes the unknown clearly visible, that’s why I don’t only call it writing! I call it a journey into the wise forest. While you are writing to millions of people! You are equally getting yourself inspired. And if your works don’t inspire you, then it can never inspire people out there.

NWA: When did you discover your writing talent and the journey so far?

I discovered my writing talents far back as 2002. I loved writing a lot. Wrote in my school magazine back then. I wrote lots of stories though, that I can’t even tell where they are at the moment. But I resorted to being committed in my writing, when I got to know that I have this flair for motivating people. I started putting my first book together, then in 2010 which I published and launched on the 10^th of October 2014.

NWA: You won the Young Motivational writer of the year (Judges Choice) at the Nigerian Writers Awards, did you expect you will win?

Well, I wouldn’t say I expected to win! Though glad I won it. Because the motivational writing world has been flooded. We all are motivating one person or the other. You know, when you cook and people hail you about the deliciousness of your food. But you felt you only tried to feed people, not realizing the quality taste it yielded. That’s just how it is. I knew I put in my best and I got comments from the country and outside on daily basis. It must be the quality of the idea embedded in “Locate Your Rainbow”, besides many other articles I wrote and published that made luck shine upon me.

NWA: How did you feel winning the award?

Oh! I felt highly elated. This is because I thought I was giving to the society in my little way with no intention of a reward, unknown to me that my works aren’t  hidden. Going home with such a wonderful award, brought with it full satisfaction. At this juncture I cannot but quote the words of the philosopher Aristotle, that “when an action is final and self-sufficient we can term it as happiness”. Though! This is not the end of my writing; it’s only the very beginning of a billion pages to write.

NWA: What else do you do aside from writing?

Aside from writing I do a whole couple of things! I’m a motivational speaker and a computer engineer by artistry.

NWA: Tell us more about your motivational book “Locate Your Rainbow” and why people should read it?

    Locate Your Rainbow is a highly motivational book, structured basically to inform                    youths on how to think outside the box, making their lives worth living in order to                  become a blessing to themselves, their environment and their generation.       Everybody, not only youths must find time to get this book Locate Your Rainbow as it is another step toward success.

There are several life issues embedded in it and how to tackle them. This is not just some  kind of fictitious stories or some folklore, they are real life experiences.

NWA: As a writer what has been/is your biggest challenge?

My biggest challenge remains the dying reading culture in our society. It ought to be checkmated before it gets worse.

NWA: If there is one thing you are given the power to change in Nigeria what will that be and why?

The reading culture and the entire educational system in the country is in a coma state, its needs to be awaken. Alarming in the sense that an average youth wants to be in the media. If not as a hip hop artist, as a model etc. Few of the youths today, develop their IQ. Education is that which spans from cradle to grave. So, if you are not developing your intellectual IQ how do you want to proffer solution to the decadence or the holistic problematic nature in the society?

95% of the problems in Nigeria is about the ill braced educational perception acquired. If Education turns to be perceived genuinely, then there wouldn’t be much of a problem, because people will think deep before carrying out any action, or enacting any irrelevant law. Education is the key to all form of ignorance. The Nigerian Educational sector would be more active and it will not only be for students alone but the whole citizens, that is if and only if I possess the power to change them.

NWA:  Who are your favorite writers and what work(s) has made a great impact on you?

I have a list of a whole lot of writers and I enjoy all their works from our Country man Fela Durotoye even across our shores, talking of Les Brown, Zig Zigla etc, all their works are highly inspiring and I love reading their books .

NWA: How do you unwind?

Lol, I unwind by reading and writing. Most especially by being around loved ones. Because when I am busy on intellectual works, I don’t condone any form of disturbances.

NWA: What big thing are we expecting from Shadrack?

Something very big, still keeping it in the dark. Though it can’t be kept for so long any longer because it’s about to get unfolded very soon. This year to be precise.

NWA: Have you had negative comments about your work(s), if yes how did you handle it?

According to the Pythagoreans, this world is based in numbers. We all have diversified attitudes to life. One of the Locate Your Rainbow readers once contacted me. He sounded vulgar as words were gushing out of his mouth uncontrollably like a busted water pipe. I calmed him down and asked what the matter was, but he could only talk about the book not been voluminous. He added that the book was too beautiful and life touching for it to be of a few pages. I asked him how many books he read the previous week?  He answered zero. How many have you read that month? He said that was the only book he read and that he started reading on a Monday whereas the day he contacted me was on a Friday. Everybody has their approach to certain things on certain issues and at certain intervals. Youths reading culture is dead. We get bored, infuriated or feel being punished when studying. Knowing the strong message to be passed to the youths I therefore beat the size of the book down for it to encourage readers to read as many times as they wish to read it without leaving no stone unturned.

NWA: Which of your platforms can people connect to you?

I can be connected on

facebook: facebook.com/pesinpapa

Facebook page:     Locate Your Rainbow

Twitter:                    @LocateRainbow

NWA: Thank you so much for your time it’s great having you

Thank you and you welcome anytime