Unilorin don links poor attitude to time management to increasing poverty

Speaking with the Tribune Online in Ilorin, a senior lecturer in the department of Microbiology, faculty of Life Sciences in the University of Ilorin, Dr. Amina Ahmed El-Imam, said that people who are not conscious of how they use their time productively are in a close relationship with poverty.

“There’s a direct link of how we spend our time and how successful we are. There’s a direct link between how we manage our time and poverty. There’s a common saying that time is money. Believe me, it’s actually correct. It might not be exactly equivalent obviously. Some individuals make a whole country’s budget in a day! That’s the extent of the possibility of how we can apply our time. We say we are not rich, we are waiting for miracle, but we don’t divide our time into productive activities, but instead waste it on unfruitful conversations, or we delay people that can benefit us.

“For instance, a friend missed out on a N50million national research fund grant when he came one-and- half hour late to the meeting they were supposed to select the team that would benefit the grant. He lives to regret it.

“If you do not use your time productively or to make money or you’re not conscious and intentional of how you spend your time on economic viable programmes, the person is in a close relationship with poverty. So, to improve our economic lot as a people, we need to invest our time in productive activities that can yield economic returns”, she said.

Dr. El-Imam, a former banker and a PhD holder in Microbiology from the University of Nottingham, UK and a fulbright research fellow in the North Carolina State University, USA, just finished writing two books, titled, “Time management for professional women” and “Knowing microbes”.

The university lecturer, who said that many Nigerians’ tardiness to time management is ‘terrible’, added that every minute could potentially be exchanged for money.

“Actively or passively, we could invest our time in making money or investing it in recreational activities that could benefit our mental health or physical activity that could benefit our physical health. If you don’t take care of how you spend your time, one would just find out that time is just wasted and you lag behind your peers.

For instance, when  a person caused a delay in commencement of a meeting by lateness, the person may have succeeded in wasting productive man-hour of the total number of people he had delayed.

Dr. El-Imam, who said that She participates in community service as part of tripod of academic life which include teaching and research, added that she runs a free book club where she encourages reading and writing among younger generation.

Talking about her two books, Dr. El-Imam said that “Knowing microbes” aimed to simplify studies in Microbiology, which she said is an advanced discipline.

“Time management contains tips and strategies borne out of personal experiences on how I have utilized my time better t han some others.

“Today’s woman is running two full-time jobs in the running of her matrimonial home and her professional jobs within same 24 hours every day.

“There’s no more normal skills among our women, but super hero skills to run homes. You have to use your mind to maximize every minute of your time. The book aims to teach how to prioritize your family responsibility against your career and strike balance. Interestingly, no preferential treatment in favour of women in their places of work. Thus, you need to make use of your peculiar circumstances. That’s what the book is all about.

“The book aims to create awareness about nuggets contained therein and how to make use of them to readers’ advantage”.

She also said that the books would not only benefit women, but men too, adding that the tips contained therein are universal.