The federal government has reaffirmed its commitment to sustaining investment in capacity building and economic opportunities for Nigerian youths, with President Bola Tinubu telling the University of Nigeria Nsukka’s 55th convocation that the country needs young people’s knowledge and creativity to achieve its development goals.
Represented by University of Benin Vice Chancellor Edoba Omoregie, Tinubu acknowledged anxiety among young Nigerians about their future but assured them that his administration is doing everything possible to keep them productively engaged, citing expanded tech hubs, digital skills training and funding for young entrepreneurs, alongside plans to reposition the National Youth Service Corps toward skills and technology focused training. He praised the university’s leadership under Vice Chancellor Simon Uchenna Ortuanya for aligning its development with the Renewed Hope Agenda, citing improvements in infrastructure, research output and digital transformation.
Ortuanya said his administration has initiated more than 100 strategic projects across the university’s three campuses within its first year, reflecting what he called an unwavering commitment to institutional renewal, and said the university recognizes that its future relevance depends on transforming research into enterprise and knowledge into measurable social impact. The university conferred honorary doctorates on six distinguished individuals during the ceremony, including First Lady Oluremi Tinubu, honored for her contributions to public service and women’s empowerment, alongside industrialist Williams Agbo, architect Kaycee Kelechi and American faith leader W. Franklyn Richardson, recognized for his humanitarian and educational contributions.
