Former President, Chief Olusegun Obasanjo, has warned of the dire consequences of growing youth unemployment in the country.
According to Obasanjo, “If there is no job for the unemployed to feed themselves and also to contribute to the development of the country, then, we will all be sitting on gun powder.
“If university education was not for development then, it was not serving any useful purpose. It must be for development, personal, local, national and even global and that is very important.”
The former president spoke at the 10th anniversary and 6th and 7th convocation ceremonies of Tai Solarin University of Education, TASUED, Ijagun, Ijebu Ode.
He said that education is a meal ticket for anybody that has it, adding that it is also a means of breaking the poverty cycle.
Obasanjo therefore called for a concerted efforts by th three tiers of government in the country to ameliorate the situation.
“I believe in lifelong education. Nobody should stop learning until he or she die,” he said.
He said that he accepted the award because of the personality the school was named after, saying that Tai Solarin was one of the greatest educationists the country has ever produced.
He also told the audience that he was honoured to be honoured in conjunction with Chief Hannah Idowu Dideolu Awolowo, insisting, “Anywhere Mama is being honoured, we must join hands to to honour her.”
Obasanjo was honoured with an Honourary Doctorate of Education in Political Science while HID was honoured with Honourary Doctorate in Business Education while Aliko Dangote was conferred with Honorary Doctorate in Science and Business Education. HID Awolowo’s daughter, Mrs Tola Adeniran, received the award on behalf of her mother’s behalf.
Ogun State governor, Senator Ibikunle Amosun, in his speech at the occasion said: “This year’s convocation ceremony, which marks the successful completion of another academic session, is a continued demonstration of commitment to the production of qualified teaching personnel for our education system.
“You are all expected to use your collective wisdom, knowledge, ability and exposure to sustain and promote the ideals of this great institution.”
He disclosed that the 12 First Class students would be given automatic employment by the state government.
The Vice -Chancellor of the University, Professor Oluyemisi Obilade, in her welcome address, said: “The university is a specialised university, uniquely positioned to respond to national and global educational needs for equipping graduands with the necessary and pedagogical skills as well as content knowledge for effective teaching and learning.”
