By Shakirudeen Bankole
Speakers at the 29th and 30th convocation ceremony of the Lagos State University (LASU) have called on the Nigerian youth to become more patriotic and wear the citizenship of the country as a badge of honour.
The admotion was made Tuesday at the historic LASU convocation lecture, which feature graduating sets of 2024 and 2025 and 2025 and 2026 academic sessions.
The convocation lecture, with the topic: “From LASU to the World: Harnessing the Nigeria Diaspora as the 7th Region for National Development,” was delivered by Dr. Abike Dabiri-Erewa, Chairman, Nigeria Diaspora Commission.
The event lived to bidding as historic academic event on the country, as the Buba Marwa Auditorium of the school, venue of the proceeding, was filled to the brim with dognitateries, parents, guests and well-wishers of the over 20,000 graduating students and guests of the school.
Dabiri-Erewa, in her lecture, mirrored her life’s carrer and growth trajectory as both challenging and rewarding, saying the journey revealed salient lessons the graduands must learn from.
“Over 40 years ago, I was in this similar situation at the Obafemi Awolowo University. Sitting in the Oduduwa Hall, during my convocation, I was happy and anxious at the same time. I did not know what the future held for me. But look at where we are today, this profound growth is simply made possible because of grace of God, hardwork, consistency, skill, and commitment to excellence excellence,” she said.
Dabiri-Erewa, who was admitted to study Political Science but ended up studying and graduating with B.Sc in English, relished how she worked diligently for 15 years at the Nigerian Television Authority, got exposed to a life-changing leadership training at Harvard Business School, leveraged it to explore political aspiration, received support and blessing of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu who was then the Govrnor of Lagos, got elected into the Federal House of Representative under the Alliance for Democratic Party (AD), served as the House Committee Chairperson on Media, did the job so well and thereafter landed her current job as the Chairman, Nigeria Diaspora Commission (NIDCOM).
“To be clear, NIDCOM was a commission we were privileged to be given to start from afresh and build it from the ground up. Today, we have not only done that, we have continued to provide a bridge for the 17 million Nigerians who are scattered across foreign lands and countries today. This huge population is popularly referred as the 7th region of the country, given that the country is politically divided into six geopolitical zones,” she said.
Dabiri-Erewa said from all her travels around the world, she couldn’t be less proud of the great exploits and groundbreaking achievements that Nigerians in diaspora are leading and making happen, saying the development is a testament to the dominant spirit of excellence and resilience synonymous with the country.
According to her, “I just got back from the Silicon Valley before heading for Toronto, Canada and finally returning to the country yesterday. Nigerians are the ones ruling the Silicon Valley. Nigerians are the best Medical Doctors in the world. Ditto for Law, engineering and even entrepreneurship. This culture of excellence reflect the foundation provided by the country. And we must wear our citizenships as a badge of honour and reject the wrong narrative that describes us otherwise,” she said.
Revealing that her life’s success are attributable to many sacrifices such as discipline, hardwork, resilience, consistency and integrity, Abike-Erewa excited the audience when she revealed that her childhood ambition was to become a Rap Artist.
The Chairman of NIDCOM, while celebrating the graduands for the milestone academic achievements, said the real work has just begun as the world would demand of them solutions as proof of their knowledge.
“The proof of your knowledge is how much solutions you are bringing to the table. You not be able to convert knowledge into problem solving products and services,” she advised.
Dabiri-Erewa, offered four practical advise on how to navigate the complexity of the graduating students’ next phase of life.
“1. You must acquire skill at all cost. Your certificate is the beginning of the race. You must acquire skills. Artificial insemination, Craftmanship, project management, technology, e.t.c, the place of skill can not be substituted.
” 2. Think Global and act local. We are Nigerians. And we should be proud of who we are. Our name, spirit, culture and resilience elicits curiosity at the global stage. People want to know us. They want to study our tradition, diversity, resilience and culture of excellence. We must wear our citizenship as badge lf honour and become the ambassador of the Nigerian project wherever we go. Just as hardwork and consistency on my journalism job earned me the springboard that influenced my career growth today, Nigerians must focus on the same formula.
” 3. Be the narrative. We must tell our story ourselves. And reject the distorted and wrong narratives being peddled about us. You all should be the graduates that made the difference and exhibit the greatness that Nigeria is known for.
” 4. Be useful. Wherever you find yourself, make important contribution to the growth system. Dont just look for a job but also a problem to solve,” she advised.
In her remarks, the Vice Chancellor, Professor Ibilola-Ibiyemi Tunji-Bello, said the dual convocation was a symbolic event, as it exhibits some of the most brilliant and finest academic and morally upright young minds on the continents.
She said the event combines a total of 20, 604 graduating students from the 2024 and 2025 and for the 2025 and 2026 academic sessions.
She said a total of 8,568 students graduated for B.Sc and Diploma for the 2024 and 2025 academic session, while 6,697 students were convocating for similar titles for the 2025 and 2026 academic session.
This figure, according to her, is not inclusive of the 3,383 students
who were bagging various higher degrees across the faculties and departments among other honours.
“We are LASU and we are great. This is so because of the remarkable milestone that this day represents. Our mandate is not only to produce graduates who can secure jobs but those who in their academic brilliance and impressive characters, will bring solutions to myriad of global and national problems.”
Speaking to the graduands, the Vice chancellor who acknowledged the convocation was her last as the helms woman in the affairs of the school, said the academic milestone as made possible because of the sacrifices the students have made.
She also demanded of the students to stand in unison and Express gratitude to the academic and non-academic staffs of the school who have been instrunentals to shaping and molding them academically and morally.
” As I address you today, this convocation is going to be my last here as the Vice Chancellor of this prestigious university. And I couldn’t be prouder of our remarkable achievements and support throughout my time.
“Dear graduating students. Today is your day. We are all here to celebrate you. Your hardwork, resilience, discipline, consistency and many personal sacrifices you have made. We are so proud of you. Stand up and stand tall. And do not forget that wherever you go, you carry with you the image and reputation of this beautiful citadel of learning. Go and make us all proud. Congratulations to you all,” she said.
Speaking with our correspondent, Professor Olufemi Adigun Lawal, the Dean of Faculty of Social Science, said LASU has taken audacious step to address the menace of mental health crisis in the country and the shortfall of healthcare professionals required to attend it.
He said his faculty recently received 21 newly employed lecturers, following the unprecedented approval of the request by the school Senate.
” LASU should be commended for many of its innovative approaches to resolve some of the developmental challenges in the country, particularly with regards to the mental health crisis.
“For instance, my faculty just received 21 newly employed lecturers, with the Departnent of Psychology benefitting immensely from it. This recruitment is speaking directly to the the school desire to address issues related to mental health problems by producing professionals – Clinical Psychologists, Behavioral Psychologists with focus on Child Pathological Behavioral patterns, therapists and counselors among others.
“So with this development, you should expect better lectures, robust academic research, and improve general academic output. And all thanks to the incredible leadership of our Vice Chancellor and the Senate,” he added.
The overall best graduating students for the 2024 and 2025 academic session was Ayuba Lawal Olawale of the Ptoject Management Department, who graduated with the CGPA of 4.96.
Adebanjo Samuel Olamide of the department of Aeronautic Engineering said the best graduating student for the 2025 and 2026 academic session, with a CGPA of 4.97
