Former Head of State, General Yakubu Gowon, on Tuesday urged graduating students of the University of Lagos to apply themselves to the service of humanity and national development.
Gowon spoke at the 2012/2013 convocation of the institution in Lagos.
He urged the graduates to wake up to their responsibilities by contributing immensely to nation building.
He said: “You must continue to apply yourselves in the process of nation building for the benefit of your respective communities and yourselves as individuals and the nation at large.
“I was once your visitor and I will like to say that you have continued to say that this institution has continued to progress and grow from strength to strength.
“It is, therefore, expected that you all apply yourselves in your various ways to turn the fortunes of the institution and the nation at large around.”
Gowon assured the students that the government was taking steps to address unemployment among the youth in the country.
He said: “You all must be positive of finding jobs, whether in the government circle or as self-employed persons.
“Just ensure that you remain the good ambassadors we expect you to be and give your best always to the glory of God and mankind.”
Meanwhile, 36 of the 3,264 graduating students bagged First Class honours from various disciplines.
The Vice-Chancellor, Prof. Rahamon Bello, said that certificates of graduates from the Faculties of Arts, Education, Environmental Sciences, Sciences, Social Sciences and the Distance Learning Institute would be distributed at the venue.
Bello said the Faculty of Arts would be graduating 482 students, while 420, 246 and 493 would be graduating from the Faculties of Education, Environmental Sciences and Sciences respectively.
The don said that 655 and 968 students would also be graduating from the Faculties of Social Sciences and the Distance Learning Institute respectively.
He said the university was committed to maintaining the tradition of producing quality first class graduates that would compete favourably with their counterparts in any part of the world.
Bello said the institution’s management was committed to the vision of being a top class university through learning, research and community service.
According to him, the university has continued to relate well with other top universities worldwide in the area of research and international partnership.
He said: “Last year, we hosted three top universities from South Africa and their visits have resulted in the institution being one of the pioneer members in the newly-formed 15-member Consortium of African Research Universities.”
Bello said the university, in conjunction with a Chinese partner, Soochow University, had commenced a Bachelor of Arts Degree programme in Chinese Studies in the Faculty of Arts in the 2013/2014 session.
He said the development was in line with the university’s continuous internalisation bid to respond to the reality of the growing influence of China in the world economy.
The vice-chancellor congratulated the graduates and urged them to always endeavour to be good ambassadors of the institution.
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