* His Advice to Youths About Jobs
The National Chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Professor Nentawe Goshwe Yilwatda, has announced a personal donation of ₦100 million to Akwa Ibom State University to support cutting-edge research with direct societal and economic impact.
He also pledged to link the Vice Chancellor of the University with appropriate authorities in the United States of America to set up a world-class institute with the University campus. This, he said, will make the students of the institution globally competitive.
Professor Yilwatda made the donation in line with his strong advocacy for repositioning Nigerian universities as engines of innovation, national development, and global competitiveness.
He stated that the grant is dedicated to strengthening research output that addresses pressing national challenges and translates knowledge into practical solutions.
According to him, research is the soul of a world-class university, but research without impact remains ineffective unless it illuminates society, informs policy, and fuels innovation.
He noted that Nigeria’s investment in research remains below 0.5 per cent of GDP—far beneath the OECD benchmark of 2 per cent—describing this gap not as a limitation, but as a clear opportunity for visionary intervention.
Professor Yilwatda explained that the research fund is expected to prioritise high-impact areas critical to Nigeria’s present and future, including flood modelling in coastal regions, climate adaptation strategies in the Niger Delta, optimisation of offshore oil production, sustainable fisheries management, and renewable energy integration.
He emphasised that emerging technologies, such as artificial intelligence-driven modelling, big data analytics, and global digital research platforms, must be deployed to move research from abstract theory to tangible societal impact, particularly in resource-rich and environmentally sensitive regions like Akwa Ibom State.
Drawing lessons from global best practices, the APC Chairman referenced leading institutions such as the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and Stanford University, where interdisciplinary research and strong industry linkages have driven regional development and global innovation ecosystems.
He stressed that Akwa Ibom State University has the potential to replicate such success by aligning research with local strengths while maintaining a global outlook.
In addition to the financial donation, Professor Yilwatda proposed to increase the research grant if the initial ₦100 million is transparently and effectively utilised. He further pledged to personally supervise and monitor the implementation of the research projects, ensuring accountability, excellence, and measurable outcomes.
He also highlighted the importance of international collaboration and digital connectivity, noting that modern universities must operate locally while competing globally. Through virtual research clusters, co-supervised doctoral programmes, and online visiting scholars, Akwa Ibom State University, he said, can position Uyo as a visible node in the global knowledge network.
Professor Yilwatda reaffirmed that strengthening research must go hand in hand with improving the quality of teaching and learning.
He advocated the adoption of blended learning models, AI-driven adaptive systems, virtual laboratories, and immersive simulations, particularly in marine biology, offshore engineering, and energy analytics, to prepare students for a technology-driven global economy.
Describing the donation as both a commitment and a challenge, he urged the university community to see research funding not as an entitlement, but as a responsibility to deliver solutions that uplift society, strengthen industry, and advance national development.
“This intervention is about building capacity, credibility, and confidence in Nigerian research. When research is impactful, universities become catalysts of development, and nations become globally competitive,” he said.
Nigerian Youths Must Look Beyond Local Job Markets, Embrace Global Opportunities – Prof. Nentawe Yilwatda
Also, Professor Yilwatda has challenged Nigerian youths graduating from the nation’s universities to reposition themselves for the global job market, stressing that opportunities beyond Nigeria’s borders are more abundant and increasingly accessible than limited local employment options.
Professor Yilwatda made this call while delivering the Convocation Lecture at the Combined 6th, 7th and 8th Convocation Ceremony of Akwa Ibom State University, with the theme “Leveraging Emerging Technology to Enhance University Education and National Development.”
According to him, Nigerian universities, by long-standing design and structure, have largely operated within local frameworks, producing graduates who often compete only within domestic job markets.
He noted that in a rapidly globalising and digital world, this approach must change.
“The world has become a single, borderless labour market. Global jobs are today more available than local jobs, especially for young people equipped with the right digital skills. Nigerian youths must therefore think globally, compete globally, and work globally,” he said.
The APC National Chairman explained that the Fourth Industrial Revolution, driven by artificial intelligence, data analytics, robotics, biotechnology and digital platforms, has fundamentally altered how work is defined and where work is done. In this new era, physical location matters far less than competence, creativity and digital literacy.
He urged graduating students to see themselves not as job seekers confined by geography, but as global talents capable of solving problems for organisations and communities anywhere in the world.
Professor Yilwatda emphasised that universities must now deliberately align their curricula, research priorities and teaching methods with global realities, embedding emerging technologies across disciplines to enhance graduate employability and national competitiveness.
He identified four critical pillars for a modern, world-class university system: graduate employability, impactful research, international outlook, and quality teaching and learning.
He stressed that technology is no longer an optional add-on, but a powerful multiplier that strengthens each of these pillars.
While acknowledging Nigeria’s vast natural resources, including oil, gas and maritime assets, particularly in Akwa Ibom State, he maintained that long-term prosperity would depend more on human capital than hydrocarbons.
“In the 21st century, oil will matter less than algorithms, and land will matter less than innovation. The true wealth of nations now lies in the quality of their human capital,” he stated.
Addressing the graduating students directly, Professor Yilwatda charged them to become lifelong learners, creators rather than consumers of technology, and leaders of ethical impact. He encouraged them to leverage global digital platforms to access remote jobs, international collaborations and entrepreneurial opportunities.
He further called on Akwa Ibom State University to position itself as a hub of innovation by strengthening digital infrastructure, fostering interdisciplinary research, expanding industry partnerships, and embedding entrepreneurship across all faculties.
In his concluding remarks, the APC Chairman described universities as engines of national transformation and urged the graduating class to see their convocation not merely as a celebration, but as a commissioning into global relevance and responsibility.
“You are not victims of global disruption; you are the designers of the response. Graduate boldly, innovate fearlessly, and lead ethically. The world is watching, and the opportunity is yours,” he said.
The donation marks a significant milestone in the partnership between leadership, academia, and national development, reinforcing the shared vision of transforming Akwa Ibom State University into a globally relevant centre of excellence