The Senior Special Adviser to the President on Industrialisation at the African Development Bank, Prof. Banji Oyelaran-Oyeyinka, has urged graduating students of Ladoke Akintola University of Technology, Ogbomoso, to embrace digital skills and entrepreneurship rather than relying on public sector jobs.

Delivering the institution’s 17th Convocation Lecture on titled “Can Nigeria Thrive in Times of Tumultuous and Rapid Technological Changes?” on Thursday, Oyelaran-Oyeyinka noted that more than 60 per cent of Africa’s population is aged 15–24, with over half either unemployed, underemployed, or economically inactive.

Addressing the graduating class, he said,
“Do not be content to live the ordinary life. Be the builder of the nation. As the good book admonishes, draw out your soul to the hungry, and with your skills, comfort the afflicted soul. Then your own light shall shine brighter from obscurity.”

He urged the graduates to view challenges as opportunities and to play active roles in shaping Africa’s development.

“I urge each of you to be pioneers in this transformative journey. Embrace challenges as opportunities. As you step into your future, remember that you have the power to shape the narrative of Africa’s and Nigeria’s development. Your ideas, your creativity, leadership, and your commitment to excellence will be the catalysts for change,” he said.

Quoting Anais Nin, he added, “Do not be content to live the ordinary life. As Anais Nin quipped: ‘Life shrinks or expands in proportion with one’s courage.’ Strive to stand out in these turbulent times. Do not be like those who wreck carnage on our commonwealth. Be the builder of the nation, rebuild the destroyed souls.”

He concluded with a charge to the graduating class:
“So, congratulations once again, Class of 2025. The future is bright, and it is filled with possibilities. Go forth and be the change-makers that Africa and Nigeria need.”

Oyelaran-Oyeyinka stressed the declining availability of public sector jobs and the growing need for entrepreneurial skills.

“For this reason, you must adapt to meet the demands of the digital economy by acquiring new skills that enhance employability and foster entrepreneurship abilities. University education must be combined with skills including digital skills,” he advised.

The AfDB official outlined six critical steps Nigeria must take to thrive in today’s rapidly evolving global economy. These include protecting the economy from external shocks by diversifying away from crude oil, boosting technological capacity, and promoting industrialisation and modernisation of agriculture.

He also stressed the importance of ensuring internal security and political stability, noting that insecurity has significantly disrupted economic activities, especially in the agricultural sector.

Emphasising Nigeria’s comparative advantage in agriculture, Oyelaran-Oyeyinka advocated for agribusiness development to tap into the $10 trillion global food systems market.

He called for increased investment in rural transformation, lamenting that rural communities remain underdeveloped due to poor infrastructure, limited access to education, and inadequate land ownership.

He further called for innovation and digital literacy as Nigeria navigates the Fourth Industrial Revolution (4IR), and emphasised the role of 21st-century skills in preparing graduates for a competitive global economy.

On leadership, he remarked,
“Visionary leadership is critical to reversing Nigeria’s negative economic trajectory. The poor choices made by the elite have hindered the country’s progress.”

In a gesture of encouragement, Oyelaran-Oyeyinka presented cash gifts to the best graduating student and five other top-performing graduates in technology-related fields.

The recipients were Komolafe Gbolahan, Abdulrasheed Alao (Chemical Engineering), Oladipo Omoniyi, Oyelade Oluwafikunmi (Computer Engineering), Eniade Stephen (Mechanical Engineering), and the overall best graduating student, Adeladun Adeduntan.

Speaking at the event, the Vice-Chancellor of LAUTECH, Prof. Razaq Kalilu, commended the convocation lecture as a timely and insightful intervention.

“The lecture, with its interrogative strategy, highlights the factors that have caused our national setbacks and points clearly to what Nigeria must do to thrive in these turbulent times. It is an appreciable effort towards ensuring a better Nigeria, and it is meant to challenge our graduates to contribute their quota towards achieving that goal,” he said.


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