The Founder and Chancellor of the Kola Daisi University, Ibadan, Chief Kola Daisi, has said Nigeria is currently in desperate need of innovative leaders, who would come up with ideas to turn around the situations in the country.
Daisi, who is the Basorun of Ibadan, said this in his address at the second convocation of the KDU in Ibadan.
The nonagenarian tasked the graduates of the university to go and effect massive changes in their various fields, saying the world was waiting for their exploits. He added that the key mission of the university was to nurture quality graduates with high employability attributes and competencies.
He said, “I admonish you all to go out there and be good ambassadors of this university. Aside your learning, your character should be impeccable, showcasing the quality of training you have imbibed during your sojourn here.
“The importance of quality graduates cannot be overemphasized, most especially in a time like this when the nation is in dire need of innovative leaders. It is our hope that you will all be worthy ambassadors of Kola Daisi University, who will go out there to do great exploits in your various fields.
“You are to be problem solvers, finding solutions to challenges in your areas of interest. I am sure you have been adequately equipped for this.”
The Pro-Chancellor and Chairman of KDU Governing Council, Mr Remi Babalola, charged the graduates of the school to be good ambassadors of the KDU and to be problem solvers.
Babalola, who is a former minister of state for finance, tasked the graduates to challenge impunity, recklessness, lawlessness and to pursue common good anywhere they found themselves.
Babalola said, “You have no excuses and you have everything you need to change your world. Rest assured, the clouds will break. Have some patience, engage in delayed gratification. Place substance over appearance, character over power and prestige.
“The world is currently facing fundamental challenges and Nigeria in particular is undergoing unusual self-inflicted existential issues; these demand higher levels of determination, courage and self-belief to be a value creator.”
The Vice Chancellor of the university, Prof. Adeniyi Olatunbosun, in his address said KDU produced 92 graduates out of which 13 graduated with first class degrees.
He lauded those who donated money to the university and urged others to emulate them to promote education in the country.
“It will interest you to note that one of the projects of these graduating students was the processing of paper from cassava peels, this goes to show that our youths have the potential to contribute immensely to nation building given the right environment,” he added.
The immediate past Vice Chancellor of University of Ibadan, Prof. Idowu Olayinka, who was the convocation lecturer said public universities alone could not take care of the demand of teeming youths to access tertiary education in the country.
He noted that the perception of private universities in the country had changed especially with the unstable academic calendar in publicly varsities.
He said many lecturers in public universities were now sending their children to private varsities because of their stable academic calendar, while advocating inclusion of private universities.
He said, “The debate as to whether private universities should benefit from funding support from the Tertiary Education Trust Fund (TETFund) is yet to be decided. Our humble position is that the private universities should be given opportunity to access research funds from TETFund since at the end of the day university education is both a public and a private good. “
