Marufudeen Adeniyi Shittu, Professor and Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Administration) of Lagos State University of Education (LASUED), has urged youths to complement their academic qualifications with entrepreneurial and employability skills to become self-reliant and contribute meaningfully to national development.
He gave the advice at the third convocation ceremony of Bn Ballo College of Arts and Islamic Sciences, Ojebode, Ibadan, Oyo State, an institution affiliated with the University of Ilorin.
A total of 31 students graduated at the 2025/2026 convocation, with 14 of them earning first-class honours.
Shittu stressed the need for graduates to move beyond the acquisition of academic knowledge by developing practical skills that would enable them to create opportunities for themselves and others rather than depend solely on paid employment.
According to him, graduates must broaden their knowledge, embrace innovation and deploy their expertise to address contemporary societal challenges.
‘What you have learnt should contribute to the contemporary system. With Islamic Studies, you can contribute to governance, policymaking and other career opportunities.
‘Society needs you to contribute to national development and not become a liability. Use your talents to grow, create opportunities and make meaningful contributions to humanity,’ he said.
The convocation lecturer urged the graduates to draw inspiration from accomplished scholars and apply their knowledge to productive ventures, including entrepreneurship, trade and service to humanity.
He also advocated the integration of employability and entrepreneurial skills into the Arabic language curriculum across the various levels of education to prepare students for the demands of the modern economy.
Shittu further charged the graduates to uphold the values they had acquired, remain committed to excellence and justify the sacrifices made by their parents and guardians towards their education.
Similarly, Wahab Olasupo Egbewole, SAN, Professor of International Law and the Vice-Chancellor of the University of Ilorin, who was Chairman of the occasion, congratulated the graduands, urging them to uphold the College’s standards of integrity, discipline and academic excellence in confronting life’s challenges.
Egbewole, spoke through Yahya Oyewole Imam, Professor of Islamic Studies and Director of Affiliated Institutions at the University of Ilorin, commended Bn Ballo College for its commitment to academic standards, describing it as one of the best institutions affiliated with the university.
He urged the graduates to work hard, demonstrate the discipline and moral values acquired during their studies and remain good ambassadors of their institution wherever they found themselves.
With the country approaching another election cycle, he cautioned the graduates against allowing themselves to be used for political thuggery or other unlawful activities.
‘You may engage in politics, but please render your services with diligence and honesty,’ he advised.
The vice-chancellor also encouraged them to pursue continuous learning and regularly update their knowledge and intellectual capacity to remain relevant in an increasingly dynamic world.
Earlier, Ibrahim Alli Adelani, Provost of the college, said the institution, established in 2017, comprised primary, secondary and tertiary education components and remained committed to providing quality education to produce productive individuals and worthy ambassadors of the institution.
He encouraged the graduating students not to end their academic pursuits at the diploma level but to seek higher qualifications, noting that some graduates of the institution had secured admission into various higher institutions within and outside Nigeria.
‘Do not stop here. Take your education to a higher level and continue to make us proud. Highly knowledgeable and intellectually equipped individuals are better positioned to solve societal problems and remain relevant, not only in their country but globally,’ he said.
Adelani appreciated the University of Ilorin management, particularly the Vice-Chancellor and the Director of Affiliated Institutions, for their support, adding that arrangements were underway to commence degree programmes at the college.
At the ceremony, Yahya Oyewole Imam, (Prof), the Director of Affiliated Institutions, University of Ilorin, conferred Diploma in Arabic and Islamic Studies certificates on the graduating students.