African Democratic Congress National Chairman David Mark has urged Nigerian youth to embrace integrity, hard work and lifelong learning, calling education the greatest investment any nation can make in its future, in a keynote address at the 2026 Graduation, Speech and Prize Giving Ceremony of Pace Setters College in Abuja.
Mark told the graduating Class of 2026 that academic qualifications alone will no longer guarantee success in a world reshaped by technology, innovation and creativity, arguing that character, integrity, adaptability and critical thinking will define tomorrow’s leaders. Your certificate may secure your first opportunity, he told them, but it is your character that will sustain your success, knowledge may open doors, but integrity keeps them open. The former Senate President said nations that achieved sustainable development did so by deliberately investing in education, skills and human capital, arguing every classroom serves as a foundation for innovation and national progress, and urged the graduates to see graduation not as an ending but as the start of a lifelong pursuit of knowledge in an increasingly competitive global environment.
Mark advised the students to value integrity above material success, embrace discipline and perseverance, dream beyond their circumstances and focus on solving society’s problems, arguing the world rewards people who solve problems rather than merely identify them, and urged them to use their education to create value, inspire hope and positively shape their communities. Speaking on Nigeria’s future, he expressed confidence in the country’s young people, saying they possess the talent, creativity and technological capacity needed to transform the nation.
