The National Chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Professor Nentawe Goshwe Yilwatda, has challenged Nigerian youths graduating from the nation’s universities to reposition themselves for the global job market, stressing that opportunities beyond Nigeria’s borders are more abundant and increasingly accessible than limited local employment options.

Yilwatda made this call while delivering the Convocation Lecture at the Combined 6th, 7th and 8th Convocation Ceremony of Akwa Ibom State University, with the theme “Leveraging Emerging Technology to Enhance University Education and National Development.”

According to him, Nigerian universities, by long-standing design and structure, have largely operated within local frameworks, producing graduates who often compete only within domestic job markets.

He noted that in a rapidly globalising and digital world, this approach must change.

“The world has become a single, borderless labour market. Global jobs are today more available than local jobs, especially for young people equipped with the right digital skills. Nigerian youths must therefore think globally, compete globally, and work globally,” he said.

The APC National Chairman explained that the Fourth Industrial Revolution, driven by artificial intelligence, data analytics, robotics, biotechnology and digital platforms, has fundamentally altered how work is defined and where work is done. In this new era, physical location matters far less than competence, creativity and digital literacy.

He urged graduating students to see themselves not as job seekers confined by geography, but as global talents capable of solving problems for organisations and communities anywhere in the world.

Yilwatda emphasised that universities must now deliberately align their curricula, research priorities and teaching methods with global realities, embedding emerging technologies across disciplines to enhance graduate employability and national competitiveness.

He identified four critical pillars for a modern, world-class university system: graduate employability, impactful research, international outlook, and quality teaching and learning.

He stressed that technology is no longer an optional add-on, but a powerful multiplier that strengthens each of these pillars.

While acknowledging Nigeria’s vast natural resources, including oil, gas and maritime assets, particularly in Akwa Ibom State, he maintained that long-term prosperity would depend more on human capital than hydrocarbons.

“In the 21st century, oil will matter less than algorithms, and land will matter less than innovation. The true wealth of nations now lies in the quality of their human capital,” he stated.

Addressing the graduating students directly, Prof. Yilwatda charged them to become lifelong learners, creators rather than consumers of technology, and leaders of ethical impact. He encouraged them to leverage global digital platforms to access remote jobs, international collaborations and entrepreneurial opportunities.

He further called on Akwa Ibom State University to position itself as a hub of innovation by strengthening digital infrastructure, fostering interdisciplinary research, expanding industry partnerships, and embedding entrepreneurship across all faculties.

In his concluding remarks, the APC Chairman described universities as engines of national transformation and urged the graduating class to see their convocation not merely as a celebration, but as a commissioning into global relevance and responsibility.

“You are not victims of global disruption; you are the designers of the response. Graduate boldly, innovate fearlessly, and lead ethically. The world is watching, and the opportunity is yours,” he said.

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