The Chancellor of Gold Coast University, Bishop Dr. Gideon Titi-Ofei, has issued a challenge to Ghana’s next generation of leaders, urging them to conquer the fears that stifle ambition and to boldly pursue their dreams.
Delivering a keynote address at the Executives Under 40 Conclave held at the university’s conference room in Accra, Dr. Titi-Ofei spoke to hundreds of young entrepreneurs and professionals, drawing from his own journey of overcoming adversity to build a successful institution.
“Don’t allow fear to stand in the way of your dreams,” he declared to the audience. “Fear has never built anything. Fear has never launched a business. Fear has never created a future. Only bold dreams do that.”
The Chancellor recounted his personal story of leaving secondary school at Form Four, studying privately, and defying scepticism to pursue higher education. He shared a pivotal moment when a professor warned him against starting a business, cautioning that failure would make him unemployable.
However, Dr. Titi-Ofei revealed that a profound personal conviction overrode this fear. “God said to me, ‘My breath in you contains everything you need to succeed.’ That truth changed everything. I realized that fear only has the power we give it.”
Embracing this belief, he established his first school with extremely limited resources. “I went on to establish my first school with very limited tools a basic statistical software, a printer, and a loan of GH¢500.00,” he recounted.
Within three years, he had not only paid off the debt with interest but had also turned a profit and reinvested to expand his ventures. Beyond entrepreneurship, Dr. Titi-Ofei outlined a distinct philosophy on leadership, stating, “I do not manage performance. I manage potential. Performance is who you are today. Potential is who you can become tomorrow.” He illustrated this by revealing how staff at Gold Coast University who started without degrees or formal qualifications had grown into senior roles like registrars and directors because someone believed in their capacity to learn. “They did not come in as stars. But they were willing, and that was enough,” he said.
He called on both individuals and institutions to adopt a mindset that prioritises innate ability over polished credentials, posing the question, “Anyone can recognize a polished star. But can you identify the light in someone who’s still struggling?”
Concluding his address, Dr. Titi-Ofei left the young leaders with a resonant call to action, reminding them, “Many are called, but few act because of fear. Move forward even when you are afraid.”