Nigeria's Minister of Education, Dr.Tunji Alausa has charged the Lagos State University and other universities and tertiarty institutions in the country to be committed to producing quality graduates who are nation builders and not job seekers, saying they are incubators for national transformation and not mere Institution of learning
Alausa who was delivering the 28th Convocation lecture of the university on its Ojo main campus, titled : "Patriotism, Citizenship and National Ownership: The Imperative of Collective Responsibility for Nigeria’s Future”, on Tuesday, also revealed that over N45billion was disbursed by Nigeria Education Loan Fund (NELFUND) to students in public tertiarty who applied for the facility in 2024, so as to enhance the educational pursuits of teeming population of youths in the country
The Minister at the Convocation held under the Chairmanship of National Chairman of All Progressive Congress APC, Dr.Abdullahi Umar Ganduje, charged every higher institution of learning to see its role beyond academic excellence, rather should cultivate the act of leadership, innovation and passion for social justice in every graduate
"Lagos State University, as a leading institution of higher learning, has a pivotal role to play in producing graduates who are not just job seekers but nation builders. This responsibility goes beyond academic excellence. It demands that we cultivate leadership, innovation, and a passion for social justice in every graduate", he stated
Alausa said his ministry had launched transformative policies to ensure that education serves as a true catalyst for national growth and ownership under the Nigeria Education Sector Renewal Initiative (NESRI)
"These reforms aim to transform Nigeria’s educational landscape and position our graduates for global competitiveness and therefore Moving Our Country from a Resourced Based to a Knowledge Based Economy"
"We have SIX High Priority Interventions within The Nigeria Education Sector Renewal Initiative (NESRI) for Renewed Hope-Our Expansive Technical and Vocational and Training (TVET) agenda-Science Technology Engineering Mathematics and Medical Sciences-Clear Strategic Interventions to reduce the current high Burden of Out of School Children -Girl Child Education-Data & Digitization Education Quality Assurance", the Minister stated
He stressed the need to strengthen the synergy among academia, industry, and government.
Research, innovation, and policy development according to him, must align to drive sustainable growth and national development.
"Youth as Architects of Nigeria’s Future You, the graduates, are the heartbeat of Nigeria’s future"
"With over 70% of Nigeria’s population under the age of 30, the youth hold unprecedented power to influence the nation's direction", he maintained
The Minister then enjoined the graduating class of 2024 of LASU to embrace continuous learning of new skills beyond their degree certification, so as to globally relevant in their chosen areas of interest
He stressed the need for them to take advantage of business opportunities in the Agro-allied Entrepreneurship and create wealth for themselves
"Identify gaps in the market and develop solutions that add value.Embrace Agro-allied Entrepreneurship: This has immense opportunities and potential for significant Income generation.Be a Tech Entrepreneur: In this era of AI and Machine Learning", he advised
The Minister urged them to be good ambassadors of LASU by being committed to the nation building, using the knowledge and skills acquired as graduates
"Be the generation that redefines Nigeria’s future through hard work, integrity, and a relentless commitment to progress. Let us embrace our collective responsibility to build a nation where every citizen feels a sense of belonging, ownership, and pride.Nigeria’s future is in your hands—own it, nurture it, and build it" , he charged every one
The Minister had earlier inaugurated a completed building of Faculty Of Arts funded by TETFUND, under the tenure of the Vice-Chancellor, Prof. Ibiyemi Ibilola Olatunji-Bello
The ceremony continues on Wednesday with the award of Degrees, Diplomas and Master's Degree to deserving graduands for the 2023/2024 Academic Session of the university Inside the Buba Marwa Auditorium, Ojo main campus.
No comments:
Post a Comment