Ogun State Governor Prince Dapo Abiodun has said for Nigeria to make any meaningful giant leap in the 21st century, there was need for the upgrading of academic curricula in the educational institutions in line current global trends.
The governor who spoke when he delivered a lecture titled, “Quest for Excellence: The Nexus of Faith, Knowledge and Resilience at the Convocation Ceremony of Mountain Top University, KM 12, Lagos-Ibadan Expressway Ogun State, noted that education in the 21st century has continue to change and broaden in scope and in sphere.
“In the 21st century, education is no more a certificate but now what one must conceptualize. With the Fourth Industrial Revolution upon us and the rate at which technology is advancing, it is critical that we have a sufficiently educated and skilled workforce to be able to drive global competitiveness.
“I am sorry to say that currently there is a mismatch between industry demands and education curriculum. So, our education institutions need to update their curricula to align with the direction in which the world is going. If we ignore this, our young people will have irrelevant qualifications that will be unable to benefit from”, he said.
He described education as a life-long learning that transcended the four walls of classroom or academic prowess, but that which is complete, wholesome, beneficial and of great value to individuals and the society.
Prince Abiodun posited that the world is currently been ravaged and significantly altered by events ranging from climate change, insecurity and covid-19 pandemic, adding that it was time research institutions and scholars to exercise their faith, conduct research and be resilient in finding solutions to the myriad of challenges facing humanity.
“Local solutions must be sought for local challenges, but for this to happen, we need to encourage and cultivate innovation amongst our youth. We still lag behind the rest of the world when it comes to introducing disruptive technology. Human development is about creating opportunities and building a person’s ability to innovate and be entrepreneurial”, the governor noted.
While commending the private sector for partnering the State government in the provision of quality education, the governor noted that his administration has carried out several reforms in the sector including declaration of state of emergency, investment in infrastructure, human capital and capacity building and establishment of education fund to see to the development of the state’s tertiary institutions.
Governor Abiodun commended the university for improving on the nation’s human capital and enriching humanity with quality graduands, charging the youth to take part in the political process and become active player in determining the future of the country, saying doing otherwise, would give others the opportunity to determine their fate which may not be in tandem with their aspirations.
The governor at the event, made a N1m donation and an automatic employment to the overall best graduating student of the institution, Miss Oluseyi Daniella Olubunmi, from the department of Economics, who had 4.96 in her Cumulative Gross Points.
Chancellor of the University, Dr. Daniel Olukoya, in his charge to the graduands, said they have gone through many years of tutelage that would place them in a position to gave the world, urged them to be careful. When choosing friends, be master of their habits, invest on their time, guide their hearts, stand for something and be prayerful.
In his remarks, the Vice Chancellor, Prof. Elijah Ayolabi, said the university despite the challenging times, has been able to maintain a steady academic calendar through the use of online platform, saying the institution has also endeavour to maintain its tradition of academic excellence through numerous research in the the couple of years.
