Degrees Not Enough, Students Must Graduate With Skills — Vice Chancellor

Vice-Chancellor of Nile University of Nigeria Professor Dilli Dogo has said universities must go beyond awarding certificates and focus on equipping students with practical skills required to succeed in the modern workforce.

He stated this during an interaction with journalists in Abuja yesterday as he marked four years in office.

The vice-chancellor stressed that the future of higher education lies in producing graduates who are not only academically qualified but also capable of competing globally through practical competence and innovation.

According to him, universities must move away from the traditional emphasis on paper qualification and instead prepare students with the skills needed in the 21st century economy.

“Education in the 21st century is not just about certification, it is about getting people to key into the expectations of society and industry so that at the end, the products are industry ready,” he said.

He added that the philosophy guiding the institution aligns with the broader vision of its proprietor’s, Honoris United Universities.

“The motto of Honoris which is the first and largest pan-African private higher education network with 16 institutions in 10 African countries, is Education for Impact.

That places an extra responsibility on us as a university. That is why beyond certification, beyond degrees, we work all the time to ensure that we do things differently to ensure that whoever graduates from this university is skilled enough to face the 21st Century workforce,” he said.

Dogo emphasised that the institution deliberately integrates professional training, entrepreneurship and industry partnerships into its academic programmes to ensure graduates leave with real workplace competence.