OOU VC unveils bold digital vision as students hold 'future tech' conference
The Vice Chancellor of Olabisi Onabanjo University, Professor Ayodeji Agboola, has declared that Nigerian universities must move beyond producing job seekers to nurturing innovators and job creators, as he formally
- By Ernest Nwokolo, Abeokuta
The Vice Chancellor of Olabisi Onabanjo University, Professor Ayodeji Agboola, has declared that Nigerian universities must move beyond producing job seekers to nurturing innovators and job creators, as he formally opened the institution's maiden Future Tech Conference.
The conference, themed “Next Frontier: Building Africa's Digital Future,” was uniquely organised by students of the university—an initiative the Vice Chancellor described as unprecedented and a sign of a transformative shift in higher education across Nigeria.
Speaking at the event on Friday, Agboola said the university's vision is anchored on a three-pronged strategy—Education, Employability, and Employer—aimed at equipping graduates with practical skills to thrive in a rapidly evolving digital economy.
According to him, the traditional model of churning out graduates for non-existent jobs is no longer sustainable.
“We realised that there is no way anyone can become an employer of labour without being skilled. Our focus is to ensure that students are well-educated, employable, and ultimately become employers themselves,” he said.
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He explained that the initiative, which began about four years ago, is already yielding results, with students demonstrating growing capacity in creative thinking, entrepreneurship, and digital innovation.
Agboola noted that the conference evolved from a series of student-led workshops that showcased impressive innovation, leading to the university securing a competitive grant from the African Union Commission.
He added that the institution had also engaged key stakeholders in Nigeria's digital ecosystem, including the Minister of Communications, Innovation and Digital Economy, Bosun Tijani, to deepen conversations around technology-driven development.
“What surprised me most is that the students came together on their own to organise this conference. It shows they are already internalising the mindset of converting problems into solutions,” the VC said.
The conference also featured a lineup of resource persons who exposed participants to emerging trends in technology, law, and entrepreneurship.
A 400-level Chemical Science student, Ayomide Oduneye, delivered a presentation on Web3 and the future of the internet, highlighting how decentralised technologies are reshaping digital interactions and opportunities.
Similarly, a 500-level Law student, Agbolade David, spoke on intellectual property protection, stressing the need for young innovators to safeguard their ideas in an increasingly competitive digital space.
An external resource person, Paul Jatau, challenged participants to move “from complaints to solutions,” urging them to channel everyday challenges into innovative business ideas.
Also speaking, the Chief Executive Officer of PricePally, Luther Lawoyin, emphasised the importance of starting small and nurturing ideas into scalable ventures, drawing from his entrepreneurial journey.
In a major boost to the university's digital infrastructure, Agboola announced that the campus would be fully powered by fibre-optic internet connectivity by the end of April, ensuring fast and reliable access across all buildings.
The project is being executed in partnership with telecommunications giant Globacom, with fibre links extending directly to the campus to support research, learning, and innovation.
