*MONDAY, 12TH OCTOBER 2026
Theme: “From Certificate to Enterprise: Africa’s Graduates as Architects of the Continent’s Economic Future”
Your Royal Majesty, Oba Mufutau Muhammad Gbadamosi Oloyede, Okikiola Esuwoye II, Ajagungbade I, Olofa of Offa and Chancellor of the University of Offa;
The Executive Governor of Kwara State;
The Founder and Proprietor of the University of Offa, Dr. Chief Rasaq Omoniyi Oyewale;
The Pro-Chancellor and Chairman of the Governing Council;
The Vice-Chancellor, Professor Kazeem Alagbe Gbolagade;
Members of the Governing Council and Senate;
Honourable Ministers and Members of Parliament;
Distinguished Traditional Rulers;
Members of Convocation;
Faculty and Staff of the University;
Proud Parents and Guardians;
And, most importantly, the Pioneer Class of 2026;
Ladies and Gentlemen;
Good morning.
It is a great pleasure to join you at the maiden convocation of the University of Offa. I bring warm greetings from His Excellency John Dramani Mahama, President of the Republic of Ghana, who asked me to represent him today. He sends his warmest regards to His Royal Majesty, the Governor, the University community, the graduating class and the people of Offa.
The City of Offa holds a very special place in President Mahama’s personal story. Many years ago, as a young man, he lived here with his stepmother, Madam Lucy Balogun, a daughter of this community. He remembers with fondness the warmth, generosity and strong communal spirit of the people of Offa.
When he returned to this city in 2015, His Royal Majesty did him the great honour of conferring on him the title-Aare Atolase of Offa Kingdom. He received that honour with humility and a deep sense of belonging. President Mahama therefore values this invitation greatly. Although duty has kept him away today, Offa remains close to his heart, and he looks forward to returning.
The President carries that belief in African kinship into his work on the world stage. At the African Union, the United gNations and other global forums, he has spoken for fairer development finance, stronger African institutions, reparatory justice, peace and opportunity for young people.
In 2027, Ghana will assume the Chairmanship of the African Union and many across Africa look forward to President Mahama’s experienced leadership.
I am equally delighted that today marks the investiture of His Royal Majesty as the University’s first Chancellor. Your Royal Majesty, congratulations. I also congratulate the Founder, Governing Council, Vice-Chancellor, faculty and staff whose vision and sacrifice have brought this institution to this day.
This convocation is unlike any that will follow. Today, the University of Offa graduates its pioneers. The Class of 2026 will forever be the first, and that distinction carries honour and responsibility. Others will follow the path you establish.
FROM CERTIFICATE TO ENTERPRISE
Dear Graduates, today’s theme speaks directly to the Africa you are entering. Our continent needs skilled doctors, teachers, engineers, scientists, entrepreneurs, public servants and professionals in every field. My first message is simple: your certificate is a foundation; it is not a finish line.
Previous generations were often told to study hard, obtain a certificate and find a good job. That remains a legitimate ambition. But today’s world also needs people who can identify problems, create value, adapt to change, use technology intelligently and open opportunities for others. That is the journey from certificate to enterprise.
Enterprise means more than starting a company. It is a mindset of initiative, creativity, problem-solving and resilience. Whether you enter business, public service, academia or a profession, that mindset will remain a great asset.
You graduate while artificial intelligence, digital technology, climate pressures and changing patterns of trade are reshaping the world. Africa cannot remain a spectator. We must help shape these changes and make them work for our people.
A GENERATION OF OPPORTUNITY AND RESPONSIBILITY
Your generation has opportunities that previous generations did not possess. Digital tools allow an idea developed in Offa, Accra or Lagos to reach people across borders. Young Africans are already building enterprises in finance, agriculture, healthcare, the creative industries and digital services. You can contribute to that progress.
Governments must create the conditions in which enterprise can flourish through quality education, reliable infrastructure, access to finance, predictable regulation and decent employment. Young people also have a role. Ask what problem you can solve, what service you can improve and what value you can create.
KNOWLEDGE INNOVATION AND VALUE ADDITION
African universities must remain central to this work. A modern university must teach students to think, test ideas and solve problems. Entrepreneurship, digital skills, research and critical thinking should reach across disciplines. Universities should work with industry and help promising students turn final-year projects into useful products and viable enterprises.
I encourage the University of Offa to make enterprise, research and innovation part of its identity. Your Vice-Chancellor, Professor Kazeem Alagbe Gbolagade, has an academic connection with Ghana through his previous service at the University for Development Studies. I hope that connection supports stronger partnerships across Africa.
Across the continent, we must move beyond exporting raw materials. Our future depends on adding value to what we produce and developing African solutions to African needs. In Ghana, the 24-Hour Economy initiative seeks to help businesses expand production and create jobs. A productive economy must give young people room to turn knowledge and ideas into sustainable livelihoods.
THINK AFRICA
Graduates, think beyond borders. Your market is not confined to Offa, Kwara State or Nigeria. The African Continental Free Trade Area offers a larger African market. Build products that can travel, develop ideas that can scale and form partnerships across the continent. Kwame Nkrumah understood that Ghana’s future was tied to Africa’s future. That responsibility now belongs to your generation.
Africa’s financial architecture also matters. As the African Union Champion on Financial Institutions, President Mahama is advancing stronger continental institutions to support Africa’s ambitions. The relevance to a graduate in Offa is simple: ideas need capital. Businesses need affordable finance. Young innovators need patient investment, efficient payment systems and access to markets.
WOMEN SHAPING THE FUTURE OF AFRICA
Let me say a special word to the young women graduating today. Africa cannot reach its full potential while women are underrepresented in leadership, enterprise, science and technology. Let your education open doors to employment, leadership and service. We need women who will build businesses, lead institutions and shape public policy. Your success is part of Africa’s progress.
GHANA NIGERIA AND OUR SHARED FUTURE
Ghana and Nigeria are bound together by history, commerce, culture and family ties. Our young people study in each other’s institutions, build businesses across our borders and share music and ideas. We also continue the serious debate over which country makes the better jollof rice. Beneath that friendly rivalry lies a deeper truth: our futures are connected.
Africa will advance faster when her countries cooperate. Our universities must collaborate, our businesses must find partners across the continent, and our young people must see opportunity beyond national borders. As Ghana prepares to lead the African Union in 2027, President Mahama will continue to make the case for a more integrated, peaceful and economically resilient continent.
As I conclude, let me speak briefly about failure. A business idea may not work. An application may be rejected. A carefully prepared plan may meet a market that has changed. Failure is painful, but it is not final. Learn from it, adjust and begin again. Never allow a temporary setback to define you.
To the parents and guardians whose sacrifices made this day possible, I salute you. In Ghana, we would say, Ayekoo. To the lecturers and staff, your work is evident in the graduates before us. To the Founder and all who built this University, congratulations. Your Royal Majesty, congratulations once again o n your investiture.
To the Pioneer Class of 2026, your certificate may open a door, but character will determine what happens after you enter. Skill can earn an opportunity; integrity earns trust. Do your work well, keep your word and use what you have learned to improve the lives of others.
A FINAL CHARGE TO THE PIONEER CLASS
Go and build. Build businesses, institutions and solutions. Build bridges between people and ideas. If the opportunity you seek does not appear immediately, start with what is in your hands. Great enterprises often begin when one person pays close attention to a problem that others have learned to tolerate.
Years from now, when you return, may you point to work that created jobs, strengthened a community, advanced knowledge or restored hope. You are the first graduates of this University. Make the word first mean that you set the standard, carried others with you and left a path worth following.
Africa’s economic future will be shaped by people prepared to begin, persevere and serve. You have received the education and earned the certificate. Now go forward with courage and take your place among the builders of that future.
Congratulations, Pioneer Class of 2026. May God bless you, the University of Offa, the people of Offa, the Federal Republic of Nigeria, the Republic of Ghana and our beloved continent, Africa.
I thank you.
