Yemisi Olusina
Vice President Yemi Osinbajo, on Thursday, in Lagos State, charged Nigerian youths, particularly, graduates of higher institutions of learning, to look away from issues that could serve as impediments to their advancement in life, but to focus on how to impart the nation and their generation positively.
Osinbajo gave the charge while delivering the 23rd Convocation Lecture of the Lagos State University (LASU) at the main campus, in Ojo.
In a lecture titled ‘African Centres of Excellence in African Universities: A Veritabl Catalyst for Nation Building and Development,’ the Vice President said that Nigeria was blessed with great brains particularly among the youths that could impart positively on the nation.
He explained that with the exposure of the young generation of Nigerians in Information and Communication Technology (ICT), coupled with a sound formal education, they had the capacity to effect positive changes wherever they found themselves.
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The Vice President also advised Nigerian universities to live up to one of the purposes for which they were established which was to conduct researches into the nation’s socio-economic challenges with the aim of proffering solutions to them.
He called on LASU authorities, being one of the Nigerian Universities hosting the World Bank African Centre of Excellence geared towards conducting research into various challenges confronting Africa, to collaborate with the Federal Government in its drive to reposition the nation’s education sector.
He explained that already, plans were underway to review the primary and secondary schools curricular with the aim of exposing the Nigerian child to up-to-date knowledge in line with the global best practices.
Prof. Osinbajo urged state governments to intensify efforts at bringing the out-of-school children in their domain to the classroom.
A former President of Ghana, Mr. John Mahama, who was the Chairman of the occasion, called on African Universities to run more of Science and Technology-based courses that would train individuals to contribute meaningfully to the development of the continent.
He explained that the education curricular handed over to most African countries by the colonial master, contained more of courses grounded in humanities and Arts.
He advised African Universities to always train visionary leaders that would turn the continent round for the better.
The highlight of the programme was the conferment of higher degrees on more than 100 students of LASU.
Addressing the graduating students, Governor Akinwunmi Ambode of Lagos State, urged them to brace up to confront challenges that might face them as they climb higher the ladder of success in life.
He encouraged them to do the Lagos State University proud wherever they found themselves.