The Pro-Chancellor of Tai Solarin University of Education Ijagun, Ogun State, Professor Rahmon Bello has called on federal and state governments to double their efforts in creating schemes that would enable the creation of more job opportunities for graduates, arrest inflation, and render hope for young graduates. Bello was speaking at the Combined Convocation of the Institution. He said that Tai Solarin University was a great institution, not only because it is the premier University of Education in Nigeria but also because of its curriculum that trains its students and gets them certificated in various vocational skills.
This was just as the Vice Chancellor of the University, Professor Oluwole Banjo, revealed that Tai Solarin University was determined to actualize the dream of the founding fathers by producing the best generations of leaders through practical engagement aimed at possessing high-level manpower needed for nation-building. Professor Rahmon Bello explained that the University gives the basic entrepreneurial training needed and that it is proud of its investment in the graduates and urged them to be its good ambassadors in the world.
“I want to encourage you to invest your time wisely in the outside world while picking up job careers and to engage in what will be beneficial to you and your families. Take advantage of your vocational and entrepreneurship skills acquisition and become self-reliant, through setting up your own businesses and becoming employers of labour. The reality of the situation today is that very few jobs are available out there and most of us must be ingenious to help ourselves. Take advantage of various government business funding programmes and you will be uplifted rather than getting disappointed or dejected. You should see your educational attainment as a means to an end and not an end itself” he admonished.
The university don urged the Alumni Association of the University to remember to give back to the University in the future when they have found their feet firmly on the ground, and prayed that God Almighty will see them through and make them excel in all their future endeavours.
“Let me also congratulate the staffs of the University who have contributed immensely to seeing you through to this day. God will continue to enhance them as well. I would like to use this medium to call on the federal and state governments to double their efforts in creating schemes that will enable the creation of more job opportunities for our young graduates, arrest inflation, and create hope for them. Special funding and training schemes for businesses created by young graduates are needed to make a difference, particularly for the likes of our own graduating students who already have vocational skills. This is mostly needed to sustain the intellectual enhancement and general well-being of our youth in their fatherland. There is a need to urgently invest heavily in addressing the deteriorating and dilapidating social and infrastructural system as a means of creating new jobs as well as a way of slowing down the mass exodus of our productive population to foreign countries in search of greener pasture as a result of economic hardship and insecurity.
Professor Oluwole Banjo added that the university is the nation’s pride and the Flagship University of Education in Nigeria, 2nd in Africa, and 8th in the world, saying that “the serene academic environment of the compact and beautiful campus makes it a unique university in Nigeria. Tai Solarin University of Education was established in 2005 and the ceremony marked the 18th anniversary of the institution’s founding. Since its establishment, Tai Solarin University of Education has been waxing stronger in all ramifications, playing leading roles in the development of teacher education, vocational and entrepreneurial training among Nigerian universities.
“We teach future teachers in curriculum contents and methodology. Our students graduate with two certificates; one in course content and the other in a vocational discipline of their choice. Our main objective is to produce and equip our graduates with employable skills that would make them employers of labour in their choice of vocation and make them globally competitive in the teaching of subjects in the new entrepreneurship curriculum contents of Nigeria’s new education syllabus. We place so much emphasis on vocational studies to the extent that any student that fails his/her vocational and entrepreneurship courses would not graduate from this university regardless of his/her brilliant performance in the main course of study.
Tai Solarin University is a friendly environment where tomorrow’s leaders are house-trained and nurtured to become good ambassadors of the nation and our university at all times. We are determined to actualize the dream of producing the best generations of leaders through practical engagements towards possessing high-level manpower needs of nation building within the global context of defined goals of University Education,” he stated.
The Vice-Chancellor emphasised that the University has, since inception, been producing such leaders who he said are indeed nation builders in their own rights, adding that many of the graduates of the university are no more job seekers, but rather are employers of labour. He said that, the day was a day filled with a profound sense of achievement, excitement and hope.
“We have gathered here to celebrate the incredible journey of our graduates and to mark the beginning of a new chapter in their lives. The university is having combined 13th, 14th, and 15th convocation ceremonies at which we are graduating a total of twelve thousand seven hundred (12,700) students in the various degrees of the university and three hundred and twenty-nine (329) in the Postgraduate College. Out of this number, one hundred and thirteen (113) graduated with first class. I want to begin by expressing my warmest congratulations to the graduates. Your hard work, dedication, and unwavering commitment have brought you to this pivotal moment. You have not only acquired knowledge but have also grown as individuals, and today, you reap the rewards of your perseverance. I also want to acknowledge and appreciate all the staffs, both academic and non-academic, who have contributed to the success recorded today by the students. Your mentoring and support have made their educational journey to be smooth. Let me appreciate the parents, family members, friends, and well-wishers who are here today; your love and encouragement have been a constant source of strength for our graduates. Your sacrifices and unwavering support have made this day possible.
Graduates, let’s give a heartfelt round of applause to show our gratitude to those who stood by us through the thick and thin of your studentship” he said.
Professor Banjo advised the students that as they move forward into the next phase of their lives, it’s important to reflect on the values that have been instilled in them during their time at Tai Solarin University and remember the importance of intellectual curiosity, critical thinking, and the pursuit of knowledge.
“Continue to ask questions, seek answers, and never stop learning. Ladies and gentlemen, as you graduate into the world, you’ll find yourselves at various times at crossroads, on the precipice of a world filled with opportunities, In a world that is constantly changing and evolving, the knowledge you’ve acquired is invaluable. You are equipped to not only adapt to changes but to be agents of positive change. As you step out into the world, remember that success is not just about personal achievements but also about the impact you make on others and the world around you. I encourage you to embrace the challenges that lie ahead. It is through adversity that we discover our true potential and resilience. When you encounter obstacles, remember that they are opportunities in disguise. Be persistent, be determined, and never lose sight of your dreams” he advised.
