AKINWALE ABOLUWADE
Prof. Timothy Adejumo, Vice-Chancellor of Precious Cornerstone University (PCU), Ibadan, has urged Nigerian leaders to urgently address the nation’s deepening socioeconomic challenges to stem the rising exodus of young professionals.
Prof. Adejumo, at a press conference to unveil activities for the university’s fourth convocation ceremony and seventh Founder’s Day celebration slated for November 7 to11, 2025, lamented the deteriorating security, weak infrastructure and inconsistent governance in the land.
These, according to him, were the factors forcing many young Nigerians to seek opportunities abroad, posing grave implications for national development.
“People always look for greener pastures. If one gets better opportunities, he or she will leave. Most young people are looking for ways out of this country,” he lamented. “If everybody goes away, who will develop this country? There is no place as good as home. Our leaders must make this place comfortable for us in terms of security, infrastructure, and other essentials.”
Amid these concerns, the VC highlighted PCU’s strides in academic excellence, innovation, and entrepreneurship, describing the forthcoming convocation, tagged ‘The Trailblazer Set,’ as a celebration of resilience and outstanding achievement.
A total of 143 students will graduate, bringing the university’s alumni base to 456. Fourteen students earned First-Class Honours, 65 Second-Class Upper, 47 Second-Class Lower and 17 Third-Class degrees. The Best Graduating Student, Mr. Lawal Eniola Kolawole of the Department of Computer Science, finished with a CGPA of 4.84 on a 5.0 scale.
The VC disclosed that each graduand will receive an entrepreneurship certification alongside their degree, reinforcing the institution’s commitment to nurturing innovators and job creators. “They are change-makers being released to be blessings, not burdens. At PCU, our students are trained to be employers of labour, not job seekers,” he said.
The week-long convocation activities include a Foundation Day thanksgiving service on Sunday, November 9, to be led by the Chancellor, Bishop Francis Wale Oke, who will also anoint the graduands. The grand finale on Tuesday, November 11, will feature the Award of Degrees and Prizes and the conferment of honorary doctorates (Honoris Causa).
The convocation lecture, titled, ‘Beyond Certificates: Preparing Graduates for Relevance in a Knowledge-Driven Economy,’ will be delivered by Apostle Joshua Selman.
Detailing PCU’s recent accomplishments, Adejumo announced that the university has secured full accreditation from the National Universities Commission (NUC) for all its existing programmes. Seven new programmes, Nursing Science, Public Health, Medical Laboratory Science, Human Nutrition and Dietetics, Music, and Creative and Performing Arts, are currently undergoing NUC resource verification.
He added that the institution has launched postgraduate programmes in Microbiology, Accounting, and Business Administration (M.Sc., M.Phil., Ph.D.), as well as a Part-Time MBA. PCU has also expanded its entrepreneurship and innovation initiatives.
The 2025 Entrepreneurship Week, themed “Spark Innovation; Ignite Entrepreneurship,” led to the registration of 47 student-led enterprises with the Corporate Affairs Commission (CAC), further reflecting the university’s drive to equip students with real-world business skills.
“Our goal is to equip graduates with the mindset and tools to create jobs, drive innovation, and positively impact their communities,” Adejumo noted. He emphasized that PCU’s holistic model—anchored on excellence, faith, moral integrity, and community service—remains vital in raising a new generation of national change-makers.
“We are raising a generation of visionary leaders whose education is rooted in excellence, faith, and character,” he added.
Precious Cornerstone University, owned by The Sword of the Spirit Ministries, Ibadan, will confer honorary doctorate degrees on Pastor Nathaniel Bassey, Pastor Jerry Eze, Pastor Poju Oyemade, Apostle Joshua Selman, and Pastor Sola Osunmakinde during the convocation.
