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By Gabriel Dike
The Vice Chancellor of Babcock University (BU), Ilisan, Ogun State, Prof. Afolarin Ojewole, has advised the institution’s graduating set of 2026 to acquire additional skills that will come handy after their graduation.
Prof. Ojewole who spoke at the 2026 career and education fair, emphatically told the graduating students that skills they acquired in BU will open doors for them.
The VC stressed that the era of depending on white collar jobs was gone insisting that they will need the skills acquired during their studies in the immediate future to contribute their quota to the society.
He said: “You need an attitude that is a winning attitude, a get up and go attitude. It is said that the world always and the universe makes room for anyone who knows where they are going. Maybe you have seen the folks with a degree in their hands may not necessarily have open doors ahead of them.
“Doors don’t open until you push them. People don’t give you your right until you demand and ask for it. It is not just your degree that will make room for you.
“It is the skills that you build. I usually like to ask people a Bible question. What gave David in the Bible access to the palace? The first access he had was not because he killed Goliath.
“So don’t be satisfied with just your degree. Do your best to develop skills. Skills in AI, skills in computer, skills in public speaking, skills in interpersonal relationships, in resolution of situations between people, skills in approaching people and being personable.
“Develop skills that will open the doors for you before your degrees will. I want to challenge you based on the great agenda that our determination is to raise alumni, graduates of Babcock that are globally relevant. Don’t think of your local village or your city or even your state of origin or Nigeria as where your influence ends.”
The Vice President, Advancement and Development, Dr. Olaniyi Arije in his remark expressed delight that the university has been making waves and its products are doing well in different fields.
Arije explained that BU is striving to be the best in Nigeria, Africa and beyond, adding, “we are developing strategies to compete with other universities. We have MoU with several universities.’’
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Associate Vice President, Alumni, Connectivity and Philanthropy, Dr. Jonathan Dangana, said the career and education fair was an opportunity to reignite the interest of BU students and further expose them to experts doing well in their different fields.
He disclosed that the event will help their students tap from the wealth of experience of the guest speakers, noting that over 60 percent have found purpose of what to do after graduation.
A former graduate of BU, Caleb Aromeh told the graduating students: “I had a lot of uncertainties about what was going to happen after school. Beyond the degree, what was life going to look like? I had no plan.
“I was a nurse. Even though I wasn’t particularly, you know, excited to tell my friends I was a nurse, I was graduating as a nurse, but one thing I knew at the time I was leaving Babcock was that I was never going to practice nursing.
“I knew that. That was the only thing I was certain about. But then, when I stepped out of Babcock, the first reality was that the road ahead was very, very difficult.”
Aromeh, Global Lead, Digital Innovation, AI and Entrepreneurship, Mastercard Foundation, advised the students to acquire skills aside the BU certificates, adding, ‘’If are leaving BU without technology skills, there is still time to acquire new skills.’’
In her contribution, Amanda Dara-Afolabi, who graduated in 2015 from BU, said; ‘‘After studying computer information system, I didn’t think that I was not going to use my degree. I thought I would be a digital marketer.
“I thought I was going to be very much in the tech field. But somehow I found myself in media. New opportunities. I had no experience. I had never watched anybody. I had no mentors. But it was an opportunity that excited me. And I took it. I like to say the rest is history.”
She tasked the students to take advantage of the opportunity of BU entrepreneurial programme and develop a skill they will use after graduation.
President of the graduating set, Damilola Obada said: “It has not been an easy since we started this journey. It’s been very stressful, amazing, wonderful time we have all had at Babcock University and the majority of us that are seated here, we weren’t given opportunities or choices to make as regards to whichever university that we would love to attend but we found ourselves in BU.
“Some of us now have different looks from when we were in our 100 level and now we are here today looking radiant and ever beautiful.”
