By 
On Sunday, January 27, 2002, there was chaos in the Mile 2 area of Lagos State. Everyone was running around with the exception of a chemistry teacher who was strolling quietly down the street. The pandemonium was due to the bomb explosions that occurred in a neighboring city (Ikeja Military Cantonment, Lagos). You may wonder why the teacher did not run with the others. Could it be that she was fed up with life? No! He did not run because he had a good understanding of the components of the atmosphere, of which nitrogen that does not support combustion has the highest percentage composition (about 79%). This made her understand that no matter what happened, the explosion could not extend to where she was and that was the secret of her tranquility.
First of all, what is knowledge? Knowledge is simply information, understanding, and skills acquired through education or experience. It can also be defined as the state of knowledge about a particular event or situation. A person who has knowledge about something is well informed about it. Francis Bacon said “Knowledge is power” and you and I know how important power is. If that is the case, we can emphatically consider that Knowledge, which is Power, is very important. Now, the question is: What is the importance of knowledge?
Knowledge gives you an advantage over others who lack it. In the short story above, one can clearly see how the chemistry teacher had an advantage over others who were running wild out of ignorance, some even in the direction of the explosion. He had this air of confidence around him, a peculiar characteristic of knowledgeable people. Giving correct judgment or showing great discernment is another importance of knowledge. One needs knowledge to be able to discern good from evil. It was this same knowledge that helped the wisest man, King Solomon, to discern who the real mother of the baby was in the popular biblical story.
Another importance of knowledge is in the area of scientific and technological advance, which has made life much easier than it was in the past. Today, moving from one place to another can be done in the blink of an eye with the help of airplanes, helicopters, cars, etc. In addition, interconnectivity has been simplified. Now one can easily connect with people from all over the world via the Internet, telephones, etc. In the field of agriculture, mechanized agriculture has contributed to increasing agricultural production.
If you want to earn the respect of others, gain knowledge. I say this because knowledge earns respect. Think of any great man or woman whom you respect so much and you will see that the person actually reached that height because of their knowledge in certain aspects of life. To reinforce my point, let me mention a few names: Michael Faraday (father of electricity), Ben Carson (a great neurosurgeon), Dr. Alexander Fleming (discoverer of penicillin) and even Barack Hussein Obama (a great lawyer and first black man). President of the USA).
The point I am about to make to you may seem funny, but it is true. Knowledge makes people always look young. Relax! I would explain it to you, but before that, I would like to give you some examples of people who fall into this category according to my own judgment. The 1986 Nobel Prize winner Prof. Wole Soyinka, former Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria – Prof. Charles Soludo and the popular Nigerian actor who appeared years ago in the television drama “Things Are Falling Apart”, Pete Edochie, are some of the practical examples that I wish to highlight. Year after year, these people look the same or sometimes even younger. This is because knowledgeable people are problem solvers; It’s easier for them to find solutions to virtually every problem, so they have little to nothing to worry about, as worrying too much causes rapid aging. In addition, the knowledge they have acquired helps them to know what to consume and what not to consume unlike an illiterate person who eats anything as long as it is edible, regardless of its health effects.
The importance of knowledge cannot be overemphasized because it is an integral part of life. In fact, I would apologize to the ignorant that ‘knowledge is life’ because the two are inseparable. The longer you live, the more you learn. As TL Osborn says, “When you stop learning, you start to die.”