Campus News

Experts urge UNILORIN students to be resilient, tech-driven

By Mustafa Abubakar

Tech entrepreneurs have charged students of the University of Ilorin to be resilient, purposeful, technologically driven, and courageous in facing future challenges.

               The experts made the call penultimate Tuesday (May 27, 2025) at the CareerFest X TechSummit 2025, hosted by the UNILORIN Google Developer Groups (GDG) on Campus in collaboration with the University Student Union.

               The Summit, which was held at the University Auditorium, brought together Nigeria’s leading voices in technology, innovation, personal development, and the arts to educate, empower, and engage students on navigating their careers in a rapidly evolving world.

               Speaking at the event, the CEO and Co-founder of Chowdeck, Mr Femi Aluko, who shared an emotional and practical account of his professional journey in a session titled: “From Where I Stood to Where I’m Standing: How I Built a Career That Builds Others”, spoke about resilience, mentorship, and the power of building for others while growing personally.

               “True growth is not just personal. It’s about creating platforms where others can rise too. Success is not a solo race. It becomes more fulfilling when your story inspires others to believe in theirs”, he said.

               On his part, Mr Gbenga Okunniyi, who addressed the challenges of balancing education with career ambitions in his presentation, “Balancing School, Work, and a Career In Tech”, urged students to maximise their time and be intentional about building real-world skills.

               “Your degree is your foundation, but what you build on it is your responsibility”, he noted.

               Mr Femi Taiwo, who is CTO at INITS Limited, who took the audience into the future on the topic, “Building a Future-Proof Path in the AI Era”, emphasised agility, continuous learning, and adaptability as must-have traits for succeeding in tech.

               “In the AI era, it’s not just what you know, but how fast you can learn and unlearn”, he said.

               Mr Adora Nwodo, a software engineer at Microsoft, in his presentation disclosed the “Four C’s to skyrocket your Tech Career” as Curiosity, Consistency, Community, and Communication.

               He advised students to always, “Stay curious. Build in public. Tell your story, and never stop learning”.

               In his presentation, Mr Ebuka Chidube, the Digital Marketing Manager at PiggyVest, encouraged students to intentionally craft careers that align with their passions and values.

               In his presentation titled, “How To Build a Career That Works for You,” Mr Chidube likened career planning to product design.

               Earlier in his address, the lead organiser of GDG on Campus, UNILORIN, Mr Femi Obadimu, expressed appreciation to the speakers, attendees, and partners for making the event a success.

               “We wanted to create a platform where tech, creativity, and purpose meet. Seeing the energy in the room tells us this vision is alive”, he said.

               The Summit, which was attended by a large number of University of Ilorin students and Tech- driven youths from outside the University campus, was highlighted with a networking session that allowed students to interact directly with speakers and peers, fostering collaboration beyond the event.