2 hours ago
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By Millicent Ifeanyichukwu
The National Universities Commission (NUC) has urged Nigerian universities to strengthen quality assurance, industry collaboration and entrepreneurship to improve graduate employability and global competitiveness.
Dr Ayoteju Ogun, NUC Lagos Office Coordinator, made the call on Friday at Trinity University’s fifth convocation.
Ogun, Deputy Director in the Executive Secretary’s Office, represented Prof. Abdullahi Ribadu, the NUC Executive Secretary.
He urged universities to equip graduates with relevant skills to address emerging challenges and improve their global competitiveness.
He said quality assurance must underpin teaching, credible assessments, relevant curricula and measurable learning outcomes.
“Quality assurance must transcend regulatory compliance and become an enduring institutional culture reflected in effective teaching, credible assessments, relevant curricula and demonstrable learning outcomes.
“The world you are entering will demand more than certificates. It will demand competence, creativity, integrity and resilience,” he told the 2026 graduating class.
Prince Samuel Adedoyin, Chancellor of Trinity University, said the institution was releasing ambassadors into the world rather than merely awarding certificates.
Advising the graduands to put God first, Adedoyin urged them to embrace five virtues: godliness, creativity, industry, inner drive and discipline.
“My children, as you go into the world, note that godliness is your moral compass.
“I want to leave you with these: go and represent godliness, creativity, industry, drive and discipline. Go and be entrepreneurs and make us proud,” he said.
Pastor Samuel Olatunji, the Pro-Chancellor, said the university’s second convocation of the year demonstrated its commitment to capacity-building and continuous improvement.
He told the graduands that their degrees were not a finishing line but a passport to new worlds of knowledge.
Olatunji urged them to remain willing to learn, unlearn and relearn throughout their careers.
“As you go forward, hold on to virtuous character. Talent will open doors for you, but character will keep you in the room.
“The world wants more successful people but needs more useful people. Be useful wherever you find yourself,” he said.
Earlier, Prof. Clement Kolawole, Vice-Chancellor of Trinity University, Yaba, urged the Federal Government to extend educational financial support to private institutions.
“I reiterate my appeal to the Federal Government to allow students in private universities to benefit from the innovative financial support available to their counterparts in public institutions under NELFund,” he said.
Kolawole also advocated legislative backing to enable NELFund and TETFund to extend their interventions to private institutions.
He argued that Nigerians should not face discrimination based on where they studied or worked.
The vice-chancellor said the university welcomed donations to assist indigent students struggling to complete their programmes.
He cited parental loss, withdrawn sponsorship and economic hardship among the circumstances threatening some students’ education.
Kolawole thanked individuals and Region 70 of the Redeemed Christian Church of God for supporting the university financially, materially and morally.
He also acknowledged their assistance to outstanding Nursing Sciences and Computer Science students, inviting prospective donors to support specific cases
Kolawole named Miss Osazuwa Tioluwalase of Political Science and Miss Esezobor Joy of Computer and Information Science as the two graduands with perfect 5.00 CGPAs.
He attributed their achievements to brilliance, obedience, discipline, hard work and God’s blessings.
The vice-chancellor disclosed that a final-year student apprehended for stealing another student’s laptop was denied a degree at the convocation.
The graduating class comprised students admitted in the 2022/2023 and 2023/2024 academic sessions.
They recorded 79 first-class degrees, 147 second-class upper degrees, 54 second-class lower degrees and four third-class degrees.
The university also recorded two perfect cumulative grade point averages of 5.00.
The event attracted visiting pro-vice-chancellors, registrars from other universities, foundation members, governing council members, senators, staff and parents. (NAN)
MIL/KTO
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Edited by Kamal Tayo Oropo
English (US) ·