The Chancellor and Chairman, Board of Regents, Landmark University, Dr. David Oyedepo, has warned that this generation may lose its heroes to social media disaster if an urgent step to checking free and unhindered access to social media is not taken.
While enunciating the role of effective time management in attaining self-sufficiency and self-reliance in life, Oyedepo urged the graduates to always demonstrate productive responsibility in tasks ahead of them.
He gave the warning during his address titled 'Combating the Challenge of Education without Integration', at the seventh convocation ceremony of Landmark University, Kwara State.
Oyedepo said social media unconsciously robbed people, especially youths, of their future through time wastage.
"This social media saga has eroded the substance of destiny of most youths today because they chat all day, with no time left to think, plan, programme and engage productively in the pursuit of any task," he said.
Asserting further that everything of value delivers through investment of time, he stressed that youths, who spend less than 10 to 20 per cent of their time on their task per day must not expect to get the same result with another who spend 70 to 80 per cent of their time on their task.
He added: "What is supposed to be a plus has suddenly become a major minus. We must devise means to put a check on free access to social media, particularly those that are not adding values".
He also advised parents of the graduates to give them a free hand towards developing themselves. He said: "No eaglet emerges as an eagle in the nest. These young people are no longer babies; therefore, they must not be found on your laps. Every eaglet must be allowed to go out to the air, or else they would die as eaglets in the nest. Give them the opportunity to develop their wings. Do not try to bathe a son when he is not sick; don't try to dress up a daughter when she is not paralysed. Give your sons, daughters, or wards the opportunity to develop their wings, and I know that many will soar much higher than their parents."
In his keynote address, Group Managing Director, Hebron Group, Alphonsus Inyang, who spoke on 'Leveraging Agripreneurship for Employment, Wealth Creation and National Development', called on the graduands and most Nigerian youths in general to allow agriculture stimulate their interest, noting that the future belongs to those who are willing to tap the goldmine – agriculture and the business opportunities that come with it.
He stated that the nation was not looking for jobseekers but job creators; hence agripreneurship could assist in job and wealth creation for national development.
Vice Chancellor of the University, Prof. Adeniyi Olayanju, noted the institution swiftly and seamlessly migrated its academic activities into online platform towards adapting to the new normal occasioned by the COVID-19 pandemic to enable the completion of their academic journey.
"In spite of this pandemic situation that foisted lockdown on the world, our faith and stake in driving continuous engagement with students and improvement in our services never changed. This was made possible by the huge investment of the proprietors into Information Technology (IT) infrastructure and for this we are immeasurably grateful," he said.
The varsity's Registrar, Fola Oyinloye, said 433 graduated with 46 first class honours, and 34 postgraduate students for both Master's and Postgraduate Diplomas in the Class of 2020.
