Table of Contents
Introduction/ Welcome Address
The 2023 Career fair with the theme Global Careers: Navigating Opportunities Beyond Borders, was held at the International Conference Centre, in the prestigious University of Ibadan on Friday 3rd November 2023, the event was organized by the University of Ibadan proudly sponsored by First Bank and had in attendance Afrimash and other companies across Nigeria.
The welcome address was taken by Professor Oluyemisi A. Bamgbose, SAN Deputy Vice-Chancellor, research, Innovation, & Strategic Partnerships (RISP), who recognized the presence of the Chief Executive Officer of First Bank, Dr. Adesola Kazeem Adeduntan, FCIB, FCA, the chairperson ceremonial committee, the convener of the career fair 2023, and other high-level officers of First Bank and other distinguished guest.
The Vice-Chancellor went on to bring to the notice that “we live in an ever-changing world where the demands of the job market are constantly evolving. As a result, it has never been more important for our students to remain adaptable, acquire relevant skills, and enhance their employability. The theme of this year’s career fair, “Paving Way for Employability and Workplace Readiness Skills,” resonates deeply with the University’s commitment to providing a holistic education that prepares our students for the challenges of the professional world.
Furthermore, she highlighted some recent developments that the University of Ibadan has taken to ensure graduating students imbibe workplace readiness skills, including; revamping the curricula with the required industries, For instance, the Department of Industrial and Production Engineering has designed some courses whereby technocrats offer some courses in the department. Also in 2019, the University executed a memorandum of understanding with the Chartered Institute of Personnel Management of Nigeria to introduce Human Resources related courses, audited and aligned to ensure a rich curriculum.
In addition, she presented with pleasure about 500 graduate students of the University of Ibadan, who have been imbibed with workplace readiness skills, to participating organizations in the 2023 Career Fair. She also encouraged students and participants of the career fair, to seize the opportunities presented to them throughout the career fair.
Address by the CEO First Bank Group at the Career Fair
The Chief Executive Officer of First Bank Group, Dr. Adesola Kazeem Adeduntan, FCIB, FCA, who is an Alumni of the University of Ibadan, took us down memory lane, recalling his experience 31 years ago, as a recent graduate with a degree of Doctor of Veterinary Medicine (DVM) with a strong determination to succeed and excel.
He advised participants “to not just pass through the University but to allow the University to pass through them” he went further to say this year’s career fair took a different tone as they have brought together an array of companies from very diverse sectors and the organizations are here to offer mentoring to young talents present and guide them to succeed in the professional landscape and maximize opportunities.
There is no success without Succession a popular saying that resonates with him, in all spheres of life, and any system that is not paying sufficient attention to grooming the next generation of leaders will die, therefore encouraging partners to continue investing in the younger generation, and commended the University for equipping the young graduates with the needed skill required to excel in the labour market.
Beyond showcasing the opportunities presented by the prospective employers in attendance, the Career fair will also help unlock the future for this young graduate, equipping them with tools to navigate their path to a successful and fulfilling career.
Also, he congratulated the young graduate for a “job well done”, after the successful completion of their undergraduate studies, and acquiring skills and capabilities that would enable them with continuous learning to succeed in the external world, acknowledge the significant potential in all participants, encouraged be ready to take your chances, be ready to take the risk, be ready to fail, because failure is a significant part of learning, recalling the saying of Lupita Young- “It is only when you risk failure, that is when you discover things”.
The event took a different turn as the CEO of First Bank took a tour of the various company booths to look at the various brands represented at the event, Afrimash was Highly represented at the event. Participants of the events were thrilled at the presence of an E-commerce, Agritech company at the event, as students and members of the high table came to make enquires about the services rendered at Afrimash and how they can take advantage of the opportunities and benefits to elevate their career or meet the needs of their farm with high-quality inputs from Afrimash.
Keynote Speech by Innocent Obinwanne
Also, the keynote speaker: Innocent Obinwanne– People and Cultural Director, Japan Tobacco International (JTI), spoke on the topic “From Nigeria to the World: Evolving the Next Generation of Global Talents”.
He started by highlighting the importance of technology and social media to every organization and revolution of the industry and how companies can take advantage of the revolution, robotics and automation, and the use of Artificial Intelligence in the workplace to make work easier and more efficient. He went on to enlighten participants on how to prepare themselves for job opportunities and navigating careers. To do that, one has to be ready both educationally and culturally to be able to fit into any organization, build skills, and focus on self-development and networking.
10 Tips to Become Relevant in the Global Workspace
- Think ‘Glocally’ : Think of ways of localizing your global career, driving technology, and creating impact in your locality.
- Keep an Open mind about your core obligation, and be culturally savvy and culturally open-minded. Always do your research.
- Be Authentic: Authenticity is the spice you give to your originality
- Fulfill your current responsibility but strive for excellence; pay attention to details
- Keep a record of your accomplishments: keep a list of milestones you’ve overcome, it’ll help you sell yourself more effectively.
- Always be Professional; be intentional about professionalism.
- Use social media to build your career
- Take part in online fairs to build your network
- Interact with likeminded people
- Learn new things through insight and create content focusing on your skills and expertise.
He concluded his keynote speech with these 3 nuggets
“The future belongs to those who learn more skills and combine them in a more creative way”
“The future is not something we enter, it is something we create”.
“Our future is created from choices we make every minute”.
Through the Career fair, a platform was established for corporate organizations to connect with the exceptionally talented final-year students and graduates of the University and other participants present at the event, also the fair facilitated engagement and discussions about various specializations and options available in the job market and how participants can leverage on the information and tools presented to them to secure employment and thrive in the workplace and beyond.
