The Chancellor of Ekiti State University, Dr Tunji Olowolafe, has charged graduating students of the institution to uphold values of hard work, humility, and honesty, stressing that academic certificates alone are insufficient for success in life.

Olowolafe gave the charge on Saturday during the university’s 30th convocation ceremony held in Ado-Ekiti, where degrees were conferred on the graduating Class of 2026 in the presence of Ekiti State Governor, Biodun Abayomi Oyebanji, top government officials, members of the academic community, and parents.

Addressing the graduates, the Chancellor urged them to look beyond academic achievements and focus on building strong personal values that would guide their decisions and sustain them through challenges.

“A certificate, as significant as it is, is only the beginning of the real work. What you carry inside you is what determines whether you will build something lasting,” he said.

Olowolafe also emphasised the need for Nigerian universities to prioritise continuous development of lecturers, noting that quality education depends largely on the growth and exposure of academic staff.

He disclosed that the Tunji Olowolafe Foundation had, since 2024, sponsored 37 lecturers from the university to international conferences across Europe and North America to enhance research capacity and global collaboration. According to him, the initiative will now be expanded under a structured programme known as the TOF Continuous Learning Ecosystem.

The Chancellor further highlighted several interventions targeted at improving students’ practical knowledge and employability, including the establishment of an investment trading room in partnership with the university’s Department of Finance.

He said the facility, equipped with modern tools to simulate real-world financial markets, had evolved into a diploma-awarding programme recognised by the university senate and open to students nationwide.

In the area of science and engineering, Olowolafe noted that the foundation provided a fully equipped geoscience laboratory to the Department of Geology, alongside support for fieldwork, while civil engineering students were placed on internship with a construction firm handling the Lagos-Calabar Coastal Highway project.

He added that the foundation had also sustained its financial reward scheme for academic excellence, awarding N500,000 each to 200 first-class graduates in the previous convocation.

According to him, the beneficiaries will now be integrated into a First Class Graduate Club, where they will receive continuous professional development support and access to job placement opportunities across key sectors.

Olowolafe explained that all interventions were part of a broader strategy designed to ensure lifelong learning and career development for students beyond graduation through a digital platform that tracks skills and achievements.

He, however, urged the graduating students to see themselves as ambassadors of the institution, noting that they carry the legacy and expectations of the university into the wider society.

“We did not come this far to stop here, and neither should you,” he said.