The former governor of Lagos State, Mr Babatunde Raji Fashola (SAN), has charged the 11,886 fresh graduates of the University of Ilorin (UNILORIN), now preparing for the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC), to embrace wherever they are posted as well as assimilate the people’s culture and traditions.
Delivering the school’s 40th convocation lecture on Wednesday, Fashola said, ‘There are gains therein because I was once like you. You will gain a lot.’
Fashola, who said that he still maintains the friendship he had during his youth service 38 years ago, advised the graduates to ignore whatever negative story is told of Nigeria.
‘We have a beautiful country in spite of bad labelling in certain quarters. You will surely confront Nigeria’s diversities – different foods, cultures, traditions and languages.
‘Work very hard because your lives really depend on it. Respect the spaces of your hosts by understanding the lines you should not cross, please do not abuse their hospitality; also, make friends with your colleagues during the NYSC exercise,’ he urged.
After the NYSC experience, the former minister for Works, Housing and Energy advised the fresh graduates to avoid arrogance and undue ego as they enter the real world.
‘After Service, there won›t be any more monthly allowance that was cushioning your financial pressure even as you search for the elusive jobs,’ he said, urging them to under this condition, stick to their close family members, saying: ‘they will push you back up when dejected.’
Fashola also urged them to shun relationships that flaunt unexplained wealth, saying that ‘there is no easy and fast money anywhere in the world that does not have consequences.’
He also advised the students to have the courage to shun any attempt that they would feel bad about presenting to the public.
He asked them to imbibe the attitude of saving at whatever level because their parents may no longer be there for them again, ‘always find opportunities in your difficulties,’ he said.
Speaking on the topic: ‘The Gen-Z Playbook: Navigating Work and the Real World,’ Fashola charged the students to stretch beyond limit, their uniqueness and natural talent in their future endeavours.
Also speaking, the pro-chancellor and chairman of the Governing Council of the institution, Mr Abiodun Aluko, appreciated President Bola Tinubu for the financial packages rendered by the National Education Loans Fund (NELFUND) to indigent students.
He thanked the president for approving the payment of the N50 billion academic earned allowances, ‘that had been a source of agitation since 2022, when it was first approved by the previous administration.’
The vice chancellor, Professor Abdulwahab Egbewole (SAN), in his presentation, titled ‘The Man is the Style, and the Style is the Man,’ said that 10 of the school’s academic staff were recently ranked among the most cited scholars on Google Scholar.
He also said that the varsity secured full accreditation status from the National Universities Commission (NUC) for 36 of its 37 programmes while one was granted interim accreditation. ‘This is a reflection of our commitment to academic excellence and institutional integrity,’ he stated.
The school graduated 11,868 with 316 First Class; 4,120 graduated with Second Class (Upper Division), 5,939 Second Class (Lower Division), 1,078 Third Class and eleven in Pass.
The ceremonies also included graduation of 175 MB; BS graduands, 94 (Nursing,) 40 (Optometry,) 36 (Veterinary Medicine) and 64 Physiotherapy graduands with also 13 Diplomas.
‘Higher Degrees to be awarded at this 40th Convocation Ceremonies are 1,520. Out of this, there are 182 Postgraduate Diplomas, 916 Master’s from various Faculties, 188 professional Master’s and 234 Ph.Ds,’ Egbewole listed.