Embrace change, Fayemi urges varsities
Minister of Mines and Steel Development and immediate past governor of Ekiti state, Dr. Kayode Fayemi, has urged universities to embrace change, re-imagine possibilities and revitalise continuously for national development.
The minister said this on Monday while delivering the 49th convocation lecture for the 2015/2016 convocation of the University of Lagos (UNILAG) Akoka titled ‘Building a Successor-Generation: Reflections on Values and Knowledge in Nation Building,’ held at the main auditorium of the institution, now renamed J.F Ade Ajayi Auditorium.
According to him, in contemplating the challenges of leadership and development in Nigeria therefore, there is the need to critically reappraise our educational institutions and make necessary interventions to ensure they not only have adequate funding, world class physical structures and functional teaching equipment but the right social environment that supports the education of the total man.
“As far back as the independence epoch of our great country, our founding fathers held that intellectual emancipation was one of the pillars of sustainable national liberation. The patriarchs made the achievement of freedom from ignorance through universal education an urgent national priority during their time. It is therefore not misplaced for society to look to our universities to produce successive generations of elites that can fix our country and help achieve strategic national development priorities”, he said.
The convocation lecturer and alumnus of the university however shared with students of UNILAG six key lessons and life skills that his alma mater taught him which include learning how to learn, discipline, adaptability, following their passion, seizing the moment and quit whining.
Chairman of the occasion, Major General Ike Nwachukwu (rtd) in his opening address, urged the older generation to allow younger generation to take over the affairs of the nation, saying failure to do so will make the country to grow in cycle of underdevelopment and poor governance as well as mere hopelessness.
“It is not only the duty of a leader but an obligation to nurture younger generation so as not to deny our society of fresh, innovative and productive ideas. We need to reform our concept and operational systems in the minds of our leaders to nurture the next generation. We must give our young people the opportunity to lead and serve this country”, he said.
Earlier at the unveiling ceremony of the legacy projects by the Senate of UNILAG, Pro- Chancellor, Prof. Jerry Gana, said all the past VCs that were honoured with the monuments served the university well.
He said good leadership is something to be promoted because leadership is key, adding that no nation or family can progress without good leadership.
“We want to make sure that all students raised in this university exhibit quality of good leadership. Good leaders are sound in character and demonstrate in life what they have been teaching. We want to raise these Vice Chancellors to the level of role models not only to UNILAG students but to the country in general. They were selfless in their services to this university and we admire them tremendously”, he said.
