By Olaniyi Ajibola
University has originally been defined as an arena of academic learning and character moulding , serving as a transformative space for intellectual growth and personal development, and making it an indispensable tertiary education sub-sector everywhere in the world.
Interestingly, the first and oldest continuously running institution of higher learning in the world, recognised by UNESCO and Guinness World Records is located in Africa. That is University of al-Qarawiyyin in Fez, Morocco, it was founded in 859AD and began as a Mosque and School, teaching religion, grammar, logic, medicine , mathematics, and astronomy.
Perhaps, this historical fact has informed the deeper perspectives of one of the leading political leaders on the continent about the intrinsic value of university education in the 21st century. Prince Dapo Abiodun, the Governor of Ogun State, South West Nigeria has given a broader insight on the philosophy behind university education beyond certification, insisting that university education must produce more than degree holders but solution providers .
The position of Governor Abiodun on education is rightly in tandem with the thought of the late black American social crusader, Malcom-X, who on June 28, 1964, during the founding rally of the Organisation of Afro-American Unity in New York City posited that ,” Education is our passport to the future, for tomorrow belongs only to the people who prepare for it today”.
Delivering the convocation lecture at the Postgraduate Convocation Ceremony of Babcock University, Ilisan-Remo, in Ikenne Local Government Area of Ogun State last Tuesday, the Ogun State Governor challenged Nigerian graduates to deploy the knowledge and skills acquired through their academic pursuits to develop practical solutions to the numerous challenges confronting the country.
Because the campus offers both learning and character moulding, he urged them to combine innovation with integrity as they prepare to shape the nation’s future, saying universities are not merely centres for acquiring knowledge but institutions that prepare individuals to apply learning for the advancement of humanity.
Regrettably, the intellectual deficit and innovative deficiency in the nation’s institutions of higher learning have constituted serious bane to the production of skilled and creative graduates of global standard, who possess the requisite competence and capacity for transformation.
Many analysts have argued that the problem emanated from the advent of ‘Miracle Centres’, the menace that seriously rendered many Nigerian students intellectually lazy and completely eroded reading culture among them, hence, the seeming corruption in the university system with resultant compromise that birthed array of half-baked graduates that perpetually remain unemployable with nothing to offer the country .
However, Governor Abiodun described those graduands from Babcock University as some of the brightest minds of their generation, whose scholarship, innovation, leadership, and character would shape the future of Nigeria, Africa, and the wider world.
He said,” Universities occupy a unique place in human civilisation. They do far more than transmit information; they sharpen minds, refine convictions, mould character, and prepare citizens capable of advancing society”.
Governor Abiodun commended Babcock University for consistently demonstrating that education achieves its highest purpose when intellectual excellence is complemented by moral responsibility, stressing that competence without character could become dangerous.
There is no doubt that the Governor was speaking from the perception that defined his policy on education in Ogun State, having met a nearly collapsed education sector upon assumption of office in 2019, as largely unmotivated teachers and lecturers were struggling for survival in many decrepit educational facilities across the state.
The Governor, therefore, enumerated his administration’s efforts towards reversing the deficit, adding that the sector has witnessed unprecedented reforms since then, through the Ogun REHAB Initiative, which has led to the renovation of public schools and improved learning environments across the state, as well as Ogun Teach, through which more than 6,000 teachers have been recruited to strengthen teaching and learning in public schools.
Considering the family background of the Governor as a son of educationists who both made indelible impacts in the South West geo-political zone of Nigeria, he said the reforms underscore his administration’s belief that education is not merely a social service but the most strategic investment in the future of the people,
“By combining infrastructure renewal with digital innovation, data-driven planning, teacher empowerment, and strategic partnerships with institutions like Babcock University, we are building an educational ecosystem where knowledge inspires innovation, research drives enterprise, and planning produces globally competitive graduates equipped to lead in a knowledge-based economy,” he said.
Governor Abiodun made it abundantly clear at the event that education remains the bedrock of his administration’s vision for sustainable development, assuring people of the state that his administration would continue to invest heavily in the sector because the prosperity of tomorrow depends on the quality of education provided today.
Congratulating the graduating students and the management of Babcock University, the Governor commended the institution for sustaining its reputation as one of Africa’s foremost faith-based universities, where academic excellence is combined with character development.
In his usual way of rewarding excellence as motivation for higher productivity, the Governor announced cash rewards of ₦1.5 million for the overall best Postgraduate Diploma (PGD) student, ₦2 million for the best Master’s graduate, ₦2.5 million for the best PhD graduate, and ₦2.5 million for the overall best undergraduate student.
Governor Dapo Abiodun, by his words and deeds at Babcock University has demonstrated the rare intellectual creativity expected of a leader in the 21st century Nigeria, digging beyond the surface as always and conceptualising issues of national interest above conventional thinking.
Definitely, the Governor deserves the Award of Good Governance conferred on him by the Management of Babcock University, recognising his deliberate and intentional policies that have transformed the state evenly and beyond imagination in the last seven years, as he determines to do more for the state he loves so much.
Congratulations , Governor Dapo Abiodun, CON, on your award, sir.
Ajibola is a Senior Special Assistant to the Governor on Strategic Communications
