Nigeria’s Minister of Communications, Innovation and Digital Economy, Dr Bosun Tijani, has told graduating students that academic certificates on their own will not deliver the prosperous economy President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s administration is pushing for.
Speaking on Saturday, 31 January 2026, at the 35th convocation ceremony of Olabisi Onabanjo University (OOU), a public university owned by Ogun State in south west Nigeria, Tijani said graduates must focus on applying what they learned to solve real problems and create value for society, rather than seeing graduation as the final destination.
Okay News reports that the minister used the event in Ago Iwoye, a university town in Ogun State, to urge young Nigerians to turn classroom knowledge into productivity, arguing that a stronger economy depends on citizens using practical skills in their daily work.
Addressing the graduating students, Tijani said certificates matter, but they should be treated as tools, not trophies. He told the graduands that the country grows through “applied knowledge and productive skills” that come from relevant institutions, adding that the aim should be impact that benefits humanity.
He encouraged the graduates to look around their communities, identify pressing challenges, and use their education to design solutions. In his words, “What you are leaving with is an instrument,” and he advised them not to believe they had “arrived” simply because they were receiving degrees, but to see the moment as a deployment to serve society.
Tijani said Nigeria’s biggest challenge is not a lack of ambition, but weak productivity, stressing that prosperity is built when people apply skills with purpose. He said the country would improve when workers in different fields raise standards in their professions, including farmers, teachers, engineers, and public servants.
The minister also challenged universities across Nigeria to keep strengthening teaching and learning in ways that respond to real societal needs, linking this to the Federal Government’s goal of building an economy valued at $1 trillion. He argued that no economy grows faster than the relevance of its universities and the quality of their graduates, adding that when universities align their programmes with society’s needs, prosperity becomes an outcome rather than an aspiration.
As part of his contribution to technology-driven learning, Tijani announced a donation of a digital laboratory to OOU, describing it as support for deeper excellence in technology education within the institution.
Ogun State Governor Dapo Abiodun, who leads the government of the state where the university is located, also spoke at the ceremony. He reaffirmed his administration’s commitment to investing in education and said improving access to quality learning remains important for the future of Ogun State and its residents.
Earlier, the Vice Chancellor of Olabisi Onabanjo University, Professor Ayodeji Agboola, announced that 5,808 undergraduate students were graduating. He said 147 earned First Class degrees, 2,051 graduated with Second Class Upper Division, 2,927 finished with Second Class Lower Division, 571 received Third Class degrees, and 26 had a Pass grade. He added that 86 graduands were unclassified because they were from the medical programme.
Agboola also said the university is ranked 16th among 321 universities in Nigeria and has maintained 100 per cent accreditation for its courses. He added that the institution introduced nine new programmes, made up of seven undergraduate and two postgraduate offerings, as part of its expansion.
The Vice Chancellor further announced the appointment of three Professors Emeritus, a senior academic honour. Those named were Professor Adewale Sule-Odu, a Professor of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, Professor Adetola Olatunji, a former Provost of the Obafemi Awolowo College of Health Sciences, and Professor Sheriffdeen Tella, an economist.
The Pro-Chancellor and Chairman of Council, Professor Toyin Ashiru, congratulated the graduating students and urged them to protect their reputations. He warned them to avoid actions that could damage their integrity, adding that “shame could be very expensive.”
A major highlight of the convocation was the conferment of an honorary Doctor of Science degree on Mr Ayo Ojuroye, founder of Optimum Bank, a Nigerian financial institution, and Chairman of Mango Asset Management, an investment firm. Ojuroye thanked the university for the recognition and pledged to build a 750-seat ultra-modern complex at the Sagamu campus, located within the Olabisi Onabanjo University Teaching Hospital, a major medical training and healthcare facility in Ogun State.
