‘Your Degree Is a Responsibility, Not Just an Achievement’ — Redeemer’s Varsity VC Charges 2,471 Graduates to Solve Problems, Serve Humanity

Oriontimes Newsroom| October 8, 2026

EDE — The Vice-Chancellor of Redeemer’s University, Professor Shadrach Olufemi Akindele, has challenged the institution’s graduating students to move beyond celebrating their academic achievements and use their knowledge, competence and character to solve problems and serve humanity.

Akindele gave the charge on Thursday during the university’s 18th Convocation Ceremony held at the institution’s campus in Ede, Osun State, where 2,471 graduands were presented for graduation.

The Vice-Chancellor described the convocation as more than an academic ceremony, saying it represented a transition into a new phase of life in which the graduates would be expected to translate years of learning, discipline and sacrifice into meaningful contributions to society.

He told the graduating class, known as the “Christ Ambassadors Set,” that their certificates represented both achievement and responsibility.

“Go forth with competence, character, and godly values, and remain worthy ambassadors of Redeemer’s University,” Akindele charged.

The graduating cohort comprised 2,009 undergraduate students, 21 diploma graduands and 441 postgraduate graduands.

At the undergraduate level, 213 students earned First Class honours, while 988 obtained Second Class Upper honours, meaning that 60 per cent of the undergraduate graduating class fell within the two categories.

The university also produced what the Vice-Chancellor described as its highest number of PhD graduates, with 52 PhDs, alongside four MPhils, 207 MScs, 67 MAs, 28 MBAs and 83 PGDs.

From certificates to societal impact

Akindele urged the graduates not to measure the value of their education solely by the certificates they received, but by what they would eventually accomplish with the knowledge acquired.

He encouraged them to become problem-solvers, innovators and responsible citizens capable of contributing to the development of Nigeria and the wider world.

His message aligns with a broader challenge facing universities globally: preparing graduates for economies increasingly shaped by artificial intelligence, digitalisation, automation and rapidly changing labour-market requirements.

That concern was also reflected in remarks delivered on behalf of the National Universities Commission.

NUC: Universities must prepare graduates for AI-driven world

The former Executive Secretary of the National Universities Commission, Professor Abdullahi Y. Ribadu, represented the commission at the ceremony and stressed that the true measure of a university goes beyond the number of degrees it awards.

According to Ribadu, universities must be judged by the quality of their graduates, the knowledge they generate, the research they produce, the innovation they nurture and the impact they make on society.

He warned that the rapid transformation driven by science and technology, artificial intelligence, digitalisation and changing employment demands requires universities to remain dynamic and forward-looking.

He therefore urged graduates to embrace emerging technologies responsibly while allowing competence, integrity and excellence to guide their professional lives.

“Your degree marks an important achievement; what you do with it will determine its significance.”

The NUC representative also linked the theme of the convocation, “Learning with a Vision,” to the need for purposeful action.

He explained that while vision provides direction, its realisation requires discipline, perseverance and deliberate action.

Ribadu encouraged the graduates to pursue lifelong learning and use their education to create opportunities and solve problems rather than merely seek employment.

Research investment rises from ₦25m to ₦200m

Speaking on the university's academic development, Professor Akindele disclosed that Redeemer’s University had expanded its investment in research and innovation.

He said the university previously invested ₦25 million in six staff-led research projects, while its research budget had subsequently been increased to ₦200 million in the current financial year.

According to him, the increased funding reflects the institution’s determination to strengthen its culture of inquiry, innovation and solution-driven scholarship.

He added that five inaugural lectures were delivered during the academic year and that researchers at the university had secured several grants.

The university also recorded an increase of 20 professors during the year, which the Vice-Chancellor described as historic in the institution’s development.

From classroom excellence to professional certification

Akindele also highlighted professional achievements recorded by the university’s students, particularly in accounting.

He disclosed that eight undergraduate students qualified as Chartered Accountants through ICAN examinations, with one student reportedly achieving the professional qualification as early as the 200 level.

The achievement, he said, demonstrated the university’s emphasis on combining academic education with professional competence.

Redeemer’s University records national, international recognition

The Vice-Chancellor further highlighted the university’s growing research and international profile.

He said the 2026 Times Higher Education Sustainability Impact Rankings placed Redeemer’s University second overall in Nigeria and first in seven of the 17 Sustainable Development Goals.

He also disclosed that the university had been selected by the Tertiary Education Trust Fund (TETFund) to train lecturers from universities across Nigeria for Master's and PhD programmes.

Beyond Nigeria, Akindele said Redeemer’s University had secured a Mastercard Foundation grant to train scientists from African countries at Master's and PhD levels in genomics research over a five-year period.

Council commends graduands

In his welcome address, the Pro-Chancellor and Chairman of the University’s Governing Council, Professor Oluwatoyin Ogundipe, said the ceremony represented the culmination of a journey that began five years earlier.

Ogundipe congratulated the graduands on behalf of the Governing Council, noting that the university had impacted them with knowledge and discipline.

He also commended their parents and guardians for the sacrifices and support that contributed to their success, while expressing the Council’s pride in the university’s academic staff.

‘The future demands more than ambition’

The NUC, in its message to the graduating class, reminded the students that Nigeria’s development is inseparable from the quality of its higher education system.

It called for stronger collaboration among government, regulatory agencies, universities, industry and other stakeholders to improve research, innovation, employability and graduate competencies.

For the graduates of Redeemer’s University, therefore, the next stage begins with a challenge that extends beyond the convocation hall: to turn education into competence, competence into solutions, and achievement into measurable impact.

As Ribadu told the graduands, they should not merely possess ambition, but pursue it with purpose, and allow their achievements to create value beyond themselves.

The ceremony concluded with congratulations to the graduating class, their families and the entire Redeemer’s University community.