Achieving Academic Excellence in Dominion University
An Address Delivered by the Vice-Chancellor, Prof. A.O. Olorunnisola, at the 3^rd Matriculation Ceremony of Dominion University on Friday April 8, 2022

 The Chancellor

Members of the Board of Trustees

Members of the Governing Council

The Acting Registrar

The Acting Bursar

The Acting Librarian

Visiting Vice-Chancellors

The Guest Speaker of the Day

Deans of Faculties & Student Affairs

Heads of Departments

The Matriculating Eagles

The Proud Parents of the Eagles

Distinguished Guests

Gentlemen of the Press

Ladies and Gentlemen

I am delighted to welcome you all to the 3^rd matriculation ceremony of Dominion University, Ibadan.  A university is generally regarded as a factory for knowledge generation, application and dissemination; and a grooming institution for future leaders. This University was as set up as a unique institution committed to the pursuit of academic innovation, skill-based training and a tradition of excellence in teaching, research and community service. It was envisioned as a centre of excellence engaged in highly qualitative teaching, scientific research and training experiences that will engender the production of well-rounded, locally relevant and globally competitive graduates who are not only employable but are also employers of labour.

Matriculation is a rite of passage of some sort. It is a ceremony at which the names of new students are entered into the register (in Latin matricula) of the university, at which point they are formally, officially and ceremonially admitted into the studentship of the university. Today, we are matriculating a total of 136 students (Eagles in Dominion University parlance, following the Pace Setters, and the Light Bearers), comprising 72 males and 64 females who have been admitted into our eleven academic programmes in the Faculty of Arts, Social and Management Sciences and Faculty of Computing and Applied Sciences. I congratulate these Eagles and their parents on this great and memorable occasion and I pray that you will all witness your convocation day with happiness as you have witnessed this matriculation day. An eagle is a symbol of beauty, bravery, courage, honour, pride, determination and grace. Eagles have powerful vision; they are fearless, tenacious and high flyers. The eagle teaches us to remain patient, but ever-present, always keeping our eyes on the future while not forgetting to take note of our present surroundings; to have a profound vision of the future and to constantly remind ourselves to remain focused. May your lives reflect all these noble attributes of an eagle.

At this juncture, I wish to let every Eagle here present know that pursuing a degree programme in Dominion University demands an exceptional capability and a significant commitment of time and resources because at the end of a three or four year programme we expect you to have acquired Godly character and a high-level competence not only in the subject matter of your study, but also in other important marketable skills including effective oral and written communication, computers literacy, critical thinking (ability to synthesize and analyze), inter-personal skills, time management skill, information seeking/management skills, emotional maturity, people management skills, et c. For you to achieve academic excellence here, you must:

• Establish your own academic goals and develop the hunger for excellence. It is very possible and realistic for many of you to graduate with first class irrespective of your course. All it takes is to believe that you can do it and to work really hard
• Focus your efforts, develop an effective time management systemand don’t to relent when you don’t meet up with your expectations. All you have to do when you don’t meet up with an expectation in your academic pursuit is to pray, identify your mistakes and learn from them.
• Understand yourself-Don’t compare your reading time table with that of someone else. Know the exact time you assimilate well when you are studying. If you are a type that cannot joke with your sleep, then, don’t force yourself to read overnight.
• Avoid friends that don’t add value to your life and don’t leave friends who contribute to your life. Choose your friends wisely.

Having performed excellently well and acquired your degree after three or four years of study in this university as the case may be depending on your level of entry, the next thing you would be looking forward to is gainful employment. It is sad to note, however, that the era of white-collar jobs for most university graduates is gone in Nigeria. Youth unemployment rate in the country averaged 23.63% from 2014 until 2018, reaching an all- time high of 38 % in the second quarter of 2018. Several factors contribute to this prevalence of unemployment. These include: 1) relatively high population growth rate, 2) deficient school curricula and teacher training, 3) deficient infrastructure, 4) lack of vibrant industry to absorb competent graduates, and 5) flawed and inconsistent public policies on education and employment. Though there is a diversity of empowerment programmes in the country aimed at creating opportunities for youth employment, they have failed to solve a nation’s unemployment challenge. It is important, therefore, for Nigerian youths to acquire vocational training in and out of the university that can make them self-employed. It has been established that small and medium scale enterprises rather than multi-national companies are the engines of growth in any economy. Besides, the Nigerian economy, as currently structured, presents numerous opportunities for youths with the right set of skills and positive attitude to showcase their ingenuity. One of our goals as a university, therefore, is to expose you to vocational and entrepreneurial education during your training. I urge you all to take advantage of this golden opportunity of sound academic and vocational training that Dominion University offers to be able to stem the tide of unemployment.

Welcome you to Dominion University! May you be leaders of your generation!

Prof. A.O. Olorunnisola, FNSE, FNIM, FMSN, R.Engr. (COREN)
Vice-Chancellor
April 8, 2021