Former Finance Minister and Member of Parliament for Karaga, Dr Mohammed Amin Adam, has encouraged students to remain resilient in the face of failure, recounting how he failed several examinations before eventually achieving success in life.

Speaking at the commissioning of a one-storey 12-unit classroom block at the Northern School of Business, where he pursued his O-Level education, Dr Amin Adam said setbacks should not discourage young people from pursuing their ambitions.

“I fell many times, I failed exams,” he told students and guests at the event.

According to him, he failed the common entrance examination that would have taken him to secondary school, forcing him to enter the school through sports.

“I came here as a footballer because Nobisco used to give some consumption to sports boys,” he said.

Dr Amin Adam noted that despite beginning as a footballer, many people today remember him as an academic, politician and pilot rather than for sports.

“Today many people do not remember me as a footballer; they remember me either as an academic, a politician or a pilot,” he stated.

He urged students not to allow temporary setbacks to define their future.

“So you can fail, but you might be purposeful and you might rise up to the challenge and the future will be yours,” he added.

The classroom block was commissioned to improve teaching and learning infrastructure at the school.