A software expert, Mr Abayomi Adetu, has urged graduands of Bells University of Technology, Ota, to leverage technology to realise their potential and become employers of labour.
Adetu, a guest speaker, gave the charge at the institution’s 18th Technology Fair Exhibition on Wednesday, as part of activities marking its 2026 convocation ceremony.
The exhibition had the theme: “Architecting the Future of Integrating Security Paradigms into Technological Entrepreneurship”.
Adetu said excellence in technology required technical mastery, creativity, adaptability, ethical judgement and entrepreneurial courage.
He stressed the need for graduands to harness their potential to create jobs, noting that government and multinational companies could not provide adequate employment for everyone.
“The graduands should regard education not merely as a qualification but as a foundation for solving problems, building ventures, creating employment and contributing meaningfully to national development.
“Do not look at certificates, but look at potentials and translate ideas to impacts,” he said.
Adetu advised the graduands to develop solutions to Nigeria’s challenges by harnessing technology and building their capacities.
He listed healthcare, education, security, agriculture, governance, and money and payment systems as sectors facing challenges that could be addressed through technological innovation.
The software expert urged the Federal Government to provide infrastructure, including stable electricity, good roads and adequate security, to enable youths to develop impactful innovations and create employment.
He said Nigerian engineers, doctors and founders working across Europe were leading teams and excelling in their fields because of the conducive environment.
He, however, said the situation was different in Nigeria.
In his welcome address, the Vice-Chancellor of the institution, Prof. Abel Olorunnisola, said the students’ projects displayed at the exhibition reflected the university’s motto.
He said the projects resulted from relentless inquiry, rigorous problem-solving and a refusal to settle for mediocrity.
Olorunnisola said the university’s young innovators were designing tools based on cyber-resilient architectures and smart data protection to secure commercial applications.
He said the innovations were designed not merely to survive in tomorrow’s market but to lead it.
The vice-chancellor urged industry leaders, investors and corporate partners to collaborate with the university’s talents, invest in their intellectual property and help transform their secure, entrepreneurial visions into thriving enterprises.
Also speaking, the Chairman of the Ceremonial Committee, Prof. John Daramola, said the university organised the event to create a platform where technological creativity met practical and secure commercialisation.
Daramola said the technology fair featured project demonstrations, research exhibitions and pitch sessions covering software engineering, cybersecurity, systems design and technology-driven business models. (NAN)