By Ghazali Ibrahim
Abubakar Suleiman, CEO of Sterling Bank Group, has changed the life of one of the bank’s security guards after an unexpected display of talent at the bank’s Cafe One coworking and digital space.
During a recent visit, Suleiman reportedly expressed disappointment over the subpar paintwork on one of the café’s walls and requested that it be redone. Unknown to him, a security guard on duty, who also paints and sells handmade portraits as a side hustle, overheard the conversation and decided to seize the opportunity.
By the next day, the guard had transformed the wall into a breathtaking hand-drawn blackboard mural that turned the space into what observers described as “an oasis of creativity and imagination.”
The CEO, stunned by the work, immediately offered the guard a job in Sterling Bank’s creative department.
The young artist will officially assume his new role as a full-time staff member on Friday, August 1, with an entry-level salary of N528,000 per month.
“This story proves that young Nigerians are not waiting for permission to create,” Suleiman said while praising the guard’s initiative.
The story has since gone viral, sparking conversations about talent discovery, opportunities, and the power of self-belief among disadvantaged young Nigerians.
