Former Vice President, Prof. Yemi Osinbajo, on Saturday tasked the management of Miva Open University on critical thinking and problem solving skills to change the education dynamics.
Osinbajo gave the advice while delivering his keynote address at the 2024 Matriculation Ceremony of Miva Open University in Abuja.
The former vice president said innovative, efficient, tech-savvy, problem-solving employees who are skilled collaborators or co-creators was what the employers required presently.
He called on education policy makers including teachers, students and employers of labour to key into this to solving real-life problems.
”Miva Open University is the future of university education. Growth and high students is what’s at the forefront.
”We believe that higher education in Africa can be effectively delivered to the number of those who want university degrees if we have to build physical universities to accommodate them.
”Every year, more than 1.7 million applicants write the UTME exams conducted by JAMB, and an average, I think, of about 400,000 gain admission to the universities,” he said.
Osinbajo expressed concern over the inability of the 1.3 million, mostly young people, who annually were eligible but did not have an opportunity for university education.
”There is absolutely no way that a brick-and-mortar approach to providing infrastructure for university education can ever work.
”We must also realise, and when I say we, I mean education policymakers, teachers, students, and employers of labour, that education as we knew it is gone forever.
”Now and in the future, what we will teach, how we will teach, will never be the same again.
”This change is motivated by the type and quality of employee that the market wants today and that the market will take for granted tomorrow,” he added.
He, therefore, tasked the students to embrace integrity, hardwork and diligence as the cornerstone of real success.
In his remarks , the Vice-Chancellor of the university, Prof. Tayo Arulogun, tasked the matriculating students on skills, knowledge, and digital competencies the university offers, to position them in a rapidly evolving global economy.
”As an enrolled student, you have signed on to become part of a vibrant and dynamic community of lifelong learners.
”As you embark on this journey. I encourage you to embrace this opportunity to network, collaborate, and learn from fellow students. Professors, and professionals in your field,” he said.
Prof. Chuks Ekwueme, who was one of the newly inducted professors of Practice in Computer Science, expressed delight for his professorial portfolio.
Ekwueme, also the Chairman, Uniccon Group, urged the new students to concentrate and work hard in order to achieve their goals.
One of the matriculating students, Emmanuel Imoh-Abasi said she chose the university because of the flexibility it offered her to venture into other businesses.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that no fewer than 3,000 were matriculated as the first sets of students into the 14 undergraduate programmes of the university. (NAN)