02/03/2026
Earlier today, I delivered the 6th, 7th and 8th Combined Convocation Lecture of Akwa Ibom State University, where I challenged Nigerian youths graduating from our universities to reposition themselves for the global job market, stressing that opportunities beyond Nigeria’s borders are more abundant and increasingly accessible than the limited local options we often compete for.
Speaking at the convocation ceremony with the theme “Leveraging Emerging Technology to Enhance University Education and National Development,” I emphasised that, by long-standing design and structure, many of our universities have operated within local frameworks—producing graduates who compete mainly within domestic job markets. In a rapidly globalising and digital world, this approach must change.
The world has become a single, borderless labour market. Today, global jobs are more available than local jobs, especially for young people equipped with the right digital skills. Nigerian youths must therefore think globally, compete globally, and work globally.
I explained that the Fourth Industrial Revolution, driven by artificial intelligence, data analytics, robotics, biotechnology, and digital platforms, has fundamentally altered how work is defined and where it is done. In this new era, physical location matters far less than competence, creativity, and digital literacy. Our graduates must see themselves not as job seekers confined by geography, but as global talents capable of solving problems for organisations and communities anywhere in the world.
I also stressed that universities must deliberately align their curricula, research priorities, and teaching methods with global realities. A modern, world-class university rests on four critical pillars: graduate employability, impactful research, international outlook, and quality teaching and learning. Technology is no longer an optional add-on; it is a powerful multiplier that strengthens each of these pillars.
While Nigeria is richly
