..Ooni, Gov Oyebanji Hail Airline For Keeping Ekiti Connected By Air
Afe Babalola University, Ado-Ekiti (ABUAD), has awarded an honorary Doctor of Letters degree to the Executive Chairman of United Nigeria Airlines, Prof. Obiora Okonkwo, in recognition of his contributions to society.
The award was presented at the university’s 14th convocation ceremony on Wednesday in Ekiti State, where Governor Abiodun Oyebanji and the Ooni of Ife, Oba Adeyeye Enitan Ogunwusi, praised the airline for maintaining flights to the state.
The Ooni commended United Nigeria Airlines for making air travel to and from Ekiti easier, noting that it was currently the only airline operating flights to the state from both Lagos and Abuja.
Governor Oyebanji also praised the airline for supporting community development through its corporate social responsibility projects.
He said he had commissioned a primary healthcare centre and a solar-powered borehole donated by the airline in Aso-Ayegunle a day earlier.
According to the governor, the facilities had been handed over to the state Ministry of Health and were already in use.
The honour came a day after Okonkwo delivered ABUAD’s 14th convocation lecture, which focused on the need to reform Nigeria’s education system to equip students with practical skills, entrepreneurial abilities and strong moral values.
The lecture, titled *“Functional Education and the Nigerian Project: Strategic Human Capital Development for National Renewal,”* called for a shift from an education system centred largely on theory to one that prepares graduates for employment, business creation and national development.
Okonkwo argued that although functional education had featured prominently in government policies and university programmes, there was a need to clearly define what it meant and measure its impact on learners and society.
He urged universities to align their courses with Nigeria’s economic needs, technological growth and labour market demands.
He also called for stronger practical training, research and entrepreneurship programmes in fields such as agriculture, engineering, medicine, business, law and the sciences.
Beyond academic and technical skills, Okonkwo stressed the importance of good character, saying education could not drive lasting development without honesty, discipline and accountability.
“Human capital without moral capital cannot sustain national development,” he said.
He identified integrity, patriotism, responsible leadership, hard work, compassion and respect for others as values universities should deliberately teach students.
Founder of ABUAD, Aare Afe Babalola, a Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN), praised the lecture and promised to send copies to the National Universities Commission (NUC), the Federal Ministry of Education and President Bola Tinubu for consideration.
Babalola described the lecture as one of the most brilliant he had heard, saying its recommendations could help guide reforms in the education sector.
He also raised concerns about the growth of universities without adequate facilities and standards, calling for stricter checks before institutions are approved to operate.
He stressed the need to ensure that universities had the facilities and capacity to deliver quality education.
Former NUC Executive Secretary and Chairman of the Nigerian Universities Ranking Advisory Committee, Prof. Peter Okebukola, also praised Okonkwo’s lecture, saying it covered the key qualities and skills expected of a functionally educated person.
ABUAD Vice-Chancellor, Prof. Smaranda Olarinde, described the lecture as an important opportunity to discuss issues affecting universities, Nigeria and society at large.
Olapeju is a journalist and aviation reporter.
