The former President of Nigeria Chief Olusegun Obasanjo has said that the biggest problems facing Nigeria are lack of formal education and development.
The former president stated this while giving a speech at the second convocation ceremony of Chrisland University which held at the school premises in Abeokuta on Thursday, 26th November,2020.
Obasanjo disclosed that about 14million children who ought to be in school are out on the streets.
He said,"We have 14million children that should be in school and are not in school that's more than the population of many African countries
He then urged the graduating students to remain focused in spite of the difficulties in Nigeria, adding that, “there are still opportunities".
The Governor of Ogun state, His Excellency, Dr Dapo Abiodun, who was ably represented by the Commissioner for Education of the state, Mr Abayomi Arigbabu, praised the institution, saying it is a promising institution and equally praised the administration for their work.
The First Lady of Ogun State, Mrs Bamidele Abiodun, who was there in her own right, commended the faculty and students of the university, for the work they put in, saying, “The year 2020 has been challenging for all of us but through it all, you have put together a splendid ceremony, I say well done”.
The Vice Chancellor of the school, Prof Chinedum Peace Babalola congratulated the twenty-eight graduates who were being awarded with bachelor degrees and professional certificates in entrepreneurship, saying the lecture would further open their eyes to opportunities in self-employment.
Amongst the 28 graduates are five First Class graduates with the best overall graduating student as, Folashade Kikelomo Mary, who graduated with a 4.80CGPA from the College of Natural and Applied Sciences.
Prof. Babalola said the university had instilled in the students entrepreneurial skills that would turn them into job creators and not job seekers.
She however added that the university management was proud of the number of graduates having been part of the university’s history.
Babalola also disclosed that the founder and Chancellor of Chrisland University, Chief Dr Winifred Awosika had officially renamed an existing male hostel to immortalize a detribalized Nigerian, Prof. Sunday Nwosu, and extended Dr Awosika';s warm welcome to the invited guests and students as well as her commendations of Vice Chancellor, management, senate and lecturers of the University,.
The guest speaker at the convocation, Commissioner, Human Resources, Science and Technology African Union Commission, Her Excellency Prof Sarah Anyang Agbor, gave the keynote address which she titled, “Leadership, Sustainable Growth, and National Building in Africa: A Reflective Perspective”.
In her address, the AU commissioner charged African leaders to have the political will that ensures sustainable growth, even in the community level.
She said; “African leaders must have a political will that speaks to sustainable growth in our communities. Effective leadership styles will create sustainable growth/development for the citizenry in the continent”.
She listed the problems Africa faces in leadership as; institutional and structural weaknesses, limited attention to private enterprise development, poor governance, and limited staff motivation.
She added that, “Among the critical issues Africa faces today, is the bludgeoning youth population and with it, the challenge of youth unemployment. Recent data from the National Bureau of Statistics here in Nigeria reveals that unemployment rate as at the second quarter of 2020 is 27.1%”.
Prof. Agbor further indicated that the African Union Summit adopted agenda 2063, which includes seven aspirations, is a ‘blueprint’ and ‘master plan’ with which to achieve the Africa we want.
She said, “For us to achieve the Vision 2063, change the glooming narrative of the African youth, the leaders must invest in good governance to achieve this goal. Good governance is a reflection of an effective leadership and vice versa.
“Show me a leader with a penchant to serve his people, meet the needs and aspirations of his citizens, and achieve collective growth for the populace and I will show you a leader who is result/performance oriented and implements good governance.”
She further cited the Chairman of the event, Former President Obasanjo as one of such effective leaders, quoting him as saying that “Nigeria has no business with poverty. With our human and material resources, we shall strive to eradicate poverty in our country.”
The convocation ceremony was attended by other distinguished guests from all walks of life including, the Alake of Egba Land, Sir Michael Adedotun Aremu; his Council of Chiefs; seven AU delegates from Addis Ababa accompanying the AU Commissioner, Pro.f Sarah Ayang AgborPro-Chancellor of the University, Distinguished Professor Ayodeji Olukoju; the Management Team, Members of the Governing Council, staff and students of Chrisland University, as well as many others .
