Malete (Kwara), Dec.14, 2023 – Prof. Ishaq Oloyede, the Registrar of Joint Admission and Matriculation Board (JAMB), has advised Nigerian students to also learn demonstrable skills while at school.
Oloyede gave the advice on Thursday while delivering the 10th and 11th Convocation Lecture at the Kwara State University, Malete, Kwara State.
He spoke on: “Learning, Unlearning and Relearning: Prerequisites for the Digital Age”.
He said degrees would no longer be sole guarantors of jobs, but demonstrable skills would.
Oloyede said the imperative of learning, relearning and unlearning could not be be over-emphasised as the tonic that gives vitality to successful living in today’s Information age.
”Graduation is not the termination of learning, but the beginning of learning and a matriculation into the university of life.
”Those who can learn, relearn and unlearn are the successful ones and those without the mindset that accomodates the triad are bound to perpetually lament.
”New opportunities will emerge in the high tech sector and many skills that were not otherwise thought in traditional schools would be needed.
Oloyede said the onus lied on everyone to get prepared for the challenges of the Information Age by taking life long learning seriously and being willing to change as circumstances unfold.
”Remember that learning, unlearning and relearning are the compasses that will guide you in the uncharted territories of Digital Age.
”As youths and graduates in the 21st century, learning is not limited to the four walls of the university.
”The mindset of a successful graduate is that of a perpetual learner, and you must be receptive to new knowledge and ideas as they come.
”The digital age has made learning to be sacrosant to living and existence; and unlearning is the second skill needed to be acquired in order to survive and succeed in the information age,” he said.
According to him, unlearning means the deliberate and conscious act of letting go of obsolete or counterproductive knowledge acquired over the years, while relearning is about learning after learning since we tend to forget.
”In the digital age, clinging to outdated ideas and methods can hinder progress.
”Unlearning is not easy, as it often requires us to confront the limits of our knowledge, but nevertheless, it is an essential step in personal and professional growth.
”Old beliefs and notions should be unlearnt as these ideas and notions are largely responsible for the strife that pervades the society at global and social levels,” he said.
The acting Vice Chancellor of KWASU, Prof. Jimoh Shayk-Lukman, said the lecture cannot be more timely and more relevant in this period when certain knowledge is fast becoming obsolete at an ever increasing pace.
”The ability to unlearn outdated concepts and practices, and relearn new ones therefore becomes a crucial skill.
”This is because we live in an era of unprecedented technological advancements, the lecture today will broaden our horizon.
”This is especially so when our educational institutions must become catalysts for transformation, preparing our graduates not just for the challenges of today, but for the rapidly evolving landscape of the digital age,” he said.
