…..96 bag First Class honours; Folu Adeboye receives honorary doctorate
….VC hails convocation as defining moment in institution’s “unstoppable ascent”
By Peter Taiwo, Lagos
Caleb University, Imota, Lagos, on Wednesday graduated no fewer than 1,924 students at its 15th convocation ceremony, charging them to unlock and strategically deploy their God-given potentials for global relevance in an increasingly competitive and technology-driven world.
The ceremony, marked by academic pageantry and spiritual fervour, also witnessed the conferment of honorary and doctoral recognitions on distinguished personalities, including Pastor (Mrs) Foluke Adenike Adeboye, fondly called Mummy G.O., in celebration of her contributions to education, family values and spiritual leadership.
Delivering the convocation lecture titled “Positioning Your God-Given Potentials for Global Impact,” the General Overseer of the Foursquare Gospel Church, Rev. Sam Aboyeji, urged the graduands to see their degrees not as a finish line but as a starting point for lifelong learning and impact.
Aboyeji emphasised that every individual is endowed with extraordinary capacities meant to be discovered, developed and positioned for the benefit of humanity, noting that potential represents the capacity to become everything one is capable of becoming.
Drawing insights from faith, science and leadership principles, he reminded the graduates that beyond academic certificates, their upbringing, values, networks, skills and life experiences constitute talents entrusted to them.
Quoting from the biblical parable in Matthew 25:14–30, he stressed that God rewards faithful deployment and multiplication of abilities, not mere possession. “The tragedy of life is not lack of opportunity, but misplaced or unused potentials. Every human being is born with potentials; sadly, not all are opportune to fulfil theirs,” he said.
According to him, global relevance depends largely on a mindset of lifelong learning, adaptability and competence, irrespective of one’s field of study.
In a strong push for digital competence, Aboyeji urged the graduates to leverage the enormous resources available on the internet, particularly in the era of Artificial Intelligence (AI), to further develop themselves. “Being digital is a life journey of continuous learning. Your global relevance and impact largely depend on it,” he added.
He also advocated deliberate grooming of the girl child for global influence, lamenting what he described as outdated stereotypes that confine women to domestic roles.
Citing the example of Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, Director-General of the World Trade Organization, he said Nigerian women have repeatedly demonstrated capacity to excel on the global stage when given opportunities.
The cleric further appealed to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to consider more inclusive intervention policies for private universities through the Tertiary Education Trust Fund (TETFund), particularly in areas that enhance safety and quality education for the girl child.
He highlighted young Nigerians making global waves, including Iyin Aboyeji, co-founder of Andela and Flutterwave; Oluyinka Olutoye, renowned for groundbreaking fetal surgery; and Temie Giwa-Tubosun, founder of LifeBank, as proof that excellence and innovation can emerge from Nigeria.
Aboyeji urged the graduands not to despise humble beginnings but to pursue excellence consistently, think beyond borders and become solution providers in a world in search of answers.
In his address, the Vice-Chancellor of Caleb University, Prof. Olalekan Asikhia, described the convocation as “a defining chapter in Caleb’s unstoppable ascent in Nigeria’s higher education ecosystem.”
He announced that out of the 1,924 graduates, 96 undergraduates emerged with First Class honours, 719 earned Second Class Upper Division, 728 secured Second Class Lower Division, while 82 graduated with Third Class degrees.
The graduating class comprised 1,625 undergraduates, 299 postgraduate students and 22 doctoral candidates. In the postgraduate category, 46 students earned distinctions, 143 made merit, while 88 obtained pass grades.
Prof. Asikhia said since assuming office on June 2, 2025, his administration has been guided by a Seven-Point Agenda anchored on creating a godly environment for dream fulfilment, academic excellence, research and innovation, local and international collaborations, institutional governance, entrepreneurship and sustainability, as well as climate and environmental responsibility.
“Our vision is to produce graduates who are not just certificate holders but solution providers, innovators and nation-builders,” he said.
He disclosed that the university successfully hosted its 2025 Employability Fair themed “Preparing Graduates for the World of Work,” during which several students secured internship and job offers.
According to him, fresh student enrolment for the 2025/2026 academic session reached 3,616 as of November 30, 2025, driven by a nationwide marketing expansion across the six geopolitical zones.
A major highlight of the ceremony was the conferment of an honorary doctorate on Pastor (Mrs) Foluke Adenike Adeboye, wife of Pastor Enoch Adeboye, General Overseer of the Redeemed Christian Church of God.
Dignitaries described her as a matriarch of grace and discipline, whose lifelong commitment to education, youth development and spiritual mentorship aligns with the university’s philosophy of raising total men and women.
From its humble beginnings in 1986 as a tutorial centre in Ketu to its establishment as a university in 2007, Caleb has grown into Lagos State’s largest private university, positioning itself as a respected force in Nigeria’s higher education landscape.
As the graduates filed out of the Imota campus amid cheers from parents and well-wishers, the message of the day resonated clearly: armed with knowledge, character and faith, they are expected not merely to seek success, but to create impact on a global scale.
