OBIAGELI, EZEKWESILI URGES RUN GRADUATES TO EMBRACE AGRICULTURE

The Vice-President, Africa Region of the World Bank, Obiageli Ezekwesili, has urged Redeemer’s University graduates to embraced Agriculture and stop thinking like the old generation of Nigerians. Ezekwesili made this remark at the First Redeemer’s University Convocation Lecturer held at the RCCG Youth Centre on Saturday October 10, 2009. Her lecture was titled “Character is Destiny: The Story of Nations, Princes and Beggars.” According to Obiageli, Nigeria could realize five times revenue from Agriculture than what the nation was realizing from crude oil if Agriculture was given her pride of place in the country.

Obiageli further disclosed that the Information Technology was a gift to the African youth. She advised the youths of this nation to explore the Information Technology to their full advantage. Another area she pointed out was the Telecommunication Industry. She said that before the year 2000, there were only 500,000 telephone lines in Nigeria but that we have well over 40 millions GSM lines in Nigeria today.

On whether Universities have a role in Nation building, Obiageli said that our centers of higher learning have major responsibility in nation building through enriching science, engineering, technology, humanities and arts. She noted that Universities could provided value based education to students to instill the basis of proper ethics and equip them with the skills required to be effective leaders. She further noted that the scope and depth of the research work undertaken by the University was a measure of judgment and representation for that University.

Obiageli disclosed that every year, about 130,000 students graduated from Nigerian Universities out of which only 10% were able to get paid employment either within or outside the state or abroad. She therefore urged Universities to explore the integration of entrepreneurship within existing curricular so that students leave school thinking more on how to start their own businesses rather than seeking employment that was not there. Obiageli advised the graduates to always remember the popular saying by former American president, John Kennedy: “Ask not what your country can do for you; ask what you can do for your country”. On why Ghana seems more stable than Nigeria, Obiageli disclosed that Ghana has been able to put in place a credible electoral system and that was why things were working for them. She however said that Ghana still have some problems though.