SUCCESS AND EXCELLENCE- PROFILE OF CHINEDU ECHERUO

I was excited when I heard the news of Apple Inc.'s acquisition of Hopstop.com- an emergent dot com company specializing in directory hosting online with headquarters in New York City.   This trail blazing event for an African lays a good precedent in Africa's drive to modernize; founded on innovation, technology and fiscal independence. 

The recipient of this singular honor, Chinedu Echeruo, 38, who has become another sterling example of a Young African Pioneer with leadership qualities worth emulating, created Hopstop.com from his ingenious imagination in 2005, as an online city transit guide offering map apps of over 300 cities around the world. Over a span of 8 years , the company has grown with numerous awards in tow to become a Fortune 500 company with prospect for phenomenal growth in the future.

But while we celebrate this exemplary young African with the foresight for success, it is important to appreciate some variables that worked together to make him 'blow up' in time, enough to be recognized and affiliated to Apple Incorporated. He first invested a bulk of his resources on getting quality education which gave him the edge to compete globally. Coupled with his sterling education, he was strong and creative enough to innovate an online resource today indispensable to tourists and commuters in advanced cities of the world. With commitment, development and research, Chinedu Echeruo built Hopstop.com from scratch to become the multi million dollars enterprise we all celebrate today.

The lesson for Young African Pioneers in the making to learn from the life and success of this young man is that globalism has opened frontiers formerly closed to blacks by reason of race or country of origin to excel in life. With a keen drive for excellence and leadership cultivated in young and virile minds of Africans in various fields like science, technology, fashion, art, music, movie , research and innovation, like that of Chinedu Echeruo of Hopstop.com, it is my fervent belief that Africa is on the way to a complete modern renaissance that will guarantee her total emancipation and set her on the path to greatness. If you believe in this ideal like I do, please say amen.

Aluta continua,

Wale Owoeye Esq.