The 2023 Labour Party presidential candidate, Peter Obi has accused the Nigerian government of harbouring more corrupt individuals than the wider society.
Speaking at Nexford University’s 4th graduation ceremony in Lagos on Saturday, Mr Obi lamented that Nigeria is being exploited by public officials who misuse resources for personal gain.
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Mr Obi, who was the guest speaker of the ceremony emphasised the importance of strong leadership, noting that it is crucial to manage the affairs of the country.
“For governance, don’t think when we talk about vices, it is only Yahoo boys. There are actually more Yahoo people in government than there are outside because we have turned the entire country into a crime scene where people inside are stealing and people outside are stealing,” he said.
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Leadership for change
Mr Obi further spoke on quality leadership urging the graduates to become positive change agents in their communities.
“It is about leadership and igniting the future. It is not rocket science but it is difficult. It is being able to have a strong character, the ability not to do the wrong thing,” he said.
“It is for you to help to bring a better change in that society that you want to live in. You have acquired knowledge today. Use what you have learnt to help us change society.
“You are a victim of Nigeria because our age and the age before has refused to do what is right and you are suffering it.”
In her remarks, the former Minister of Solid Minerals and CEO Human Capital Africa, Oby Ezekwesili highlighted the importance of selfless service as the bedrock of leadership.
Mrs Ezekwesili urged the graduates to engage in services that impact positively on both their workspace and the country as a whole.
“Service is the best of leadership. We hope that you see graduation as an opportunity for service to the work,” he said.
“The world of work you are in is different from our world of work. This whole world that you are in, you have to master it.”
Need for online education
Speaking to journalists on the sidelines of the event , Mr Obi emphasised the critical role of online education as a tool for addressing Nigeria’s educational challenges and driving national development.
He highlighted successful models from countries like Pakistan, India, and Turkey, which have used online platforms to educate vast populations effectively.
Mr Obi stressed that Nigeria must combine online and physical education to cater to its large population while enhancing access to quality learning.
“We need to massively educate people because education is one of the most important tools of development. The more educated any country or society is, the more developed,” he said.
Nexford graduation, AI programmes
NXU is an American online university headquartered in Washington DC. It was established in 2019 and has enrolled “thousands” of Nigerians according to the Nigerian Country Director, Oghogho Inneh.
Ms Inneh noted that about 1,200 students were conferred degrees including Bachelor of Business Administration (BBA), Master of Business Administration (MBA) and Master of Science in different programmes.
In his comments, the founder of the institution, Fadl Al-Tarzi, emphasised the university’s commitment to advancing education through technology, particularly with the integration of Artificial Intelligence (AI) into its programmes.
Mr Al Tarzi noted that Nexford has offered AI specialisation for nearly five years and has embedded AI across all courses.
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He highlighted the transformative potential of AI in connecting Nigerian talents to global opportunities and driving economic growth.
“AI has the potential to significantly boost productivity, accelerate research, and solve complex problems in record time,” he stated.
He, however, cautioned that AI could also displace jobs, urging stakeholders to prepare for the technological shifts impacting Nigeria and global markets.
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