By Promise Eze
Nigerian-born US naval officer, Victor Agunbiade, has decided to wave goodbye to the US Navy to come down to Nigeria to make a big difference.
He made this known in a tweet on Sunday.
“I have sailed and flew to over 40 countries but now I have the honor of a lifetime to return to my native country, Nigeria on an official capacity,” he tweeted.
But who is Victor Agunbiade and what’s his motivation behind returning back to Nigeria?
Victor Olusegun Agunbiade, the only male child in the family was born into an Anglican family of seven; Mr. and Mrs. Alfred A. Agunbiade; and his four sisters in Ijebu-Ode, South-Western, Nigeria.
As reported by TheCable, he left Nigeria for the US in 2007 and in 2008, enlisted as a storekeeper in the navy. Five years later, he was commissioned as an officer and would later join Camp Lemonnier where he now plays a key role in naval operations across Africa.
He made fame in 2017 when he was named the US Navy ‘Officer Recruiter of the Year’, just about two years after becoming a recruiting officer.
He was honoured alongside 17 others in what the US navy said was a “testament … for their talent acquisition expertise and positive impact in their local communities.”
In an interview with DVIDS, a defense information platform, he credited his successful career to the lessons he learnt as an immigrant in the US and while in Nigeria.
According to Agunbiade he is guided by two major principles in life which is dad inculcated in him: “Treat people with respect (and) always give your best in what you do.”
“I pray my son chooses to join the Navy for three reasons. First, I hope he does it so he can appreciate what the country has given our family. Second, it will teach him respect for diversity, and third, I hope he does it because this uniform has changed my life and I know it can change him for the better, too.
“The best part about being in the Navy is the travel, especially when I was on a ship. I’ve been able to visit 30 countries without paying anything out of pocket,” he added.
Agunbiade who runs a nonprofit, Alfred A. Agunbiade Memorial Foundation, is hoping to use the organization to push forward the frontiers of Youth Empowerment, Education and Success in Nigeria.
Speaking on his motivation for coming back to Nigeria on Twitter, he noted that it had nothing to do with politics.
“Like I said earlier, one does not need to join politics to join hands in nation building. I am a Naval Officer and I am proud of what I do now and the support I give my family members and Nigeria youths!,” he tweeted.
“Nigeria birth, raised and launched me and I am so thankful. In my native country, Nigeria lies the bones of my parents! I can never forget that!.”
