In addition to the cash gifts, Abiodun witnessed the conferment of Doctor of Philosophy degrees on two senior officials: Dr Iziaq Salako, the Minister of State for Health and Social Welfare, and his Chief of Staff, Dr Oluwatoyin Taiwo.
Speaking at the event, the governor urged graduates to pursue lives of integrity, innovation, and service. He warned that education without character poses a danger to society and urged universities to produce graduates who combine intellectual excellence with moral responsibility to address Nigeria’s development challenges.
“Breaking new ground does not always mean discovering new continents; sometimes it means uncovering new possibilities within familiar circumstances,” Abiodun said, noting that the future would belong to those who pair innovation with integrity, and technical mastery with humility and ethics.
The governor highlighted Ogun State’s ongoing education reforms, including recruiting more than 6,000 teachers through the Ogun Teach Program and rehabilitating schools under the Ogun Rehab Initiative. He also cited the state’s digital education reforms, such as the Learner Identification Number initiative, which has been adopted as a national framework.
Announcing the donation, Ogun State University’s Vice-Chancellor, Prof. Afolarin Ojewole, noted that Abiodun pledged N2 million each to the overall best graduating students in the Master of Science, Master of Philosophy, and Postgraduate Diploma categories, with the top Doctor of Philosophy recipient receiving N2.5 million. The governor also extended the same gesture to the overall best undergraduate student, to be presented at the upcoming undergraduate convocation.
Salako earned his Doctor of Philosophy degree in Public Health, while Taiwo received a Doctor of Philosophy degree in Public Administration.
The VC reiterated Babcock University’s GRACE Mandate—Global Relevance, Research Focus, Adventist Roots, Competence, and Entrepreneurship—and urged graduands to complement professional competence with humility and moral courage wherever they go.
Commenting on the broader implications, the president and vice-chancellor emphasized that the award of doctoral degrees marks not an end but a beginning—a call to mentor younger scholars, ask tough questions, and ensure scholarship remains relevant to humanity.
For context, the university described its graduates as people shaped by discipline, perseverance, sacrifice, and faith, with a commitment to integrity and service in their professional careers.
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