“My name is Anthony Oluwafemi Olaseni Joshua and like many of you here, I’m a child of the Commonwealth.
“I was born in Watford and my heritage is Nigerian. I come from the Yoruba people, who are the largest and some might say the loudest ethnic group in all of Africa.
I MET FEMI OTEDOLA YESTERDAY in London… and for the first time in my life, I was genuinely star-struck.
The timing couldn’t have been worse. He was on a phone call, walking with purpose, and I was cycling with someone who wasn’t a confident rider, so stopping for a proper conversation wasn’t really an option.
I greeted him and apologised for interrupting. To my surprise, he responded with a warm, welcoming smile. That small gesture stood out to me.
In a hurry, I did what most people would: I introduced myself, asked for a quick photo, thanked him shook his hands and rode away.
But from the moment I turned away, I kept replaying that moment.
I told myself, “He was on a call, I didn’t want to be rude.” And maybe that was true. But maybe it was also because I wasn’t prepared for an opportunity I never expected to have.
Looking back, I wish I’d asked one thoughtful question. I wish I’d taken a few minutes to learn from someone whose journey represents decades of experience, resilience, and achievement. I wish I’d shared some of the ideas I’ve been working on or asked him about his book that I’ve read a few times.
Instead, I left with a selfie 🥲.
And that’s when this hit me: opportunities rarely announce themselves. Sometimes they appear unexpectedly and disappear within seconds. The difference between a memorable moment and a missed opportunity is often preparation.
I’m not going to dwell on what I didn’t do (I PROBABLY WILL). But I’ll take the lesson.
The next time I meet someone I admire, I will try to be remembered for the conversation and not just the photo.
Until then: I’ll keep learning, keep building meaningful relationships, and stay ready for whatever opportunity comes next.
This is Otunba Femi Pedro submitting his letters of credence to the Governor-General of the Commonwealth of Australia.
This means that he has officially resumed his duty as the Nigerian Ambassador to Australia, New Zealand, Fiji, Solomon Islands, and the Oceanic States.
I like his outfit. He made a bold statement with it.
Messi equalled the World Cup’s goals record. Then he said just because Ronaldo, an all-time great and World Cup winner, doesn’t have the record, it is just a statistic in the end.
Lol. Something some people would have posted on their IG immediately after the game, he didn’t even mention it.
Some are chasing records (any record, at all at all na im bad records) and getting some, but the very embodiment of the records that matter doesn’t even care. Life.
If we date, don’t stop being you. Keep having fun, keep seeing your friends, keep chasing your goals, and keep enjoying your life. A relationship should add to your life, not take away from it. Just make sure you save time for us too.