VC Southwestern University Urges Academic Excellence With Skills

Chancellor of Southwestern University, Babatunde Odufuwa, has stressed the need for educational institutions, policy formulators and students to strive to acquire both academic excellence and skills, saying it would make them remain globally relevant in the current competitive job market.

He also noted that the 21st-century employability landscape worldwide prioritises skills and certifications, lamenting that Nigeria places more emphasis on certificates.

The chancellor spoke at the institution’s combined 4th and 5th Convocation Ceremonies, which saw 865 students graduating from the university recently at the University Campus Square, Okun-Owa, in the Odogbolu loca council of Ogun State.

Odufuwa, who called for more focused investment in learning, said a nation’s growth and development rest on the quality of education of the people.

He said, “Today, we celebrate a significant milestone in the lives of our graduating students. As we confer degrees upon them, we underscore the importance of balancing academic excellence with skills acquisition, which has been the focus of Southwestern University, Nigeria.

“Nigeria’s obsession with certificates over skills has led to a plethora of problems, threatening our nation’s development.

“For years, we’ve prioritised academic achievements over practical skills, creating a culture where certificates are valued more than practical competence. This has led to cheating in exams, inadequate preparation for the workforce and worse still, catastrophic consequences. We’ve seen building collapses, avoidable deaths in hospitals, and plane crashes, all attributed to certified but unskilled personnel.”

He blamed the inadequate attention to skill acquisition on the formulators of education policies, who emphasise academic excellence over skills acquisition, as seen in academic policies and reflected in various curricula churned out for various levels of education.

Odufuwa also blamed employers who emphasise certificates over skills, saying, “This has encouraged students to embrace shortcuts and cheating in examinations just to acquire certificates for employment. The certificates add no value to most holders and to the nation at large. At best, the certificates reflect mediocrity, thereby hindering Nigeria’s growth, particularly in this era of technological innovation, which is very practical and skills-oriented.”

To reverse the trend, he urged policymakers to come up with policies that balance academic excellence with skills acquisition. He also advises employers to prioritise skills and the government – federal, state and local governments – to work together to drive the balance.

The vice chancellor of the institution, Prof Amusa Adetunji, congratulated the graduands and charged them to be agents of impact in society and worthy ambassadors of the school.