Beyond Academic Excellence, Lions Club Charges OAU Students on Character, Integrity

The Igbajo Achievers Lions Club has urged graduating A-Level students of the Obafemi Awolowo University (OAU) Centre for Distance Learning, Moro Campus, to complement academic excellence with good character, integrity, consistency and meaningful relationships as they prepare for the next phase of their lives.

The Club President for the 2026/2027 Lions Service Year, Lion Dr. Nicholas Utho, gave the charge at the valedictory ceremony for the A-Level students, held on Friday at the school hall, as part of activities marking the 2026 World Youth Day.

Utho said the club chose to engage the students on leadership because of its commitment to youth development and the need to prepare young people for responsible leadership.

He stressed that academic achievement alone was insufficient to make an effective leader, urging the students to cultivate character and integrity alongside their intellectual development.

“It is more than academic excellence. You have to build your character, have integrity, be consistent in what you do, and have relationships. That opens you to the status of being a good leader,” he said.

The guest speaker, Lion Sir Charles Omiyale, an IT consultant, serial entrepreneur, philanthropist and Chairman of the Sir Charles Omiyale Foundation, also urged the students to cultivate values and habits that would distinguish them as future leaders.

Omiyale, who is a member of the Igbajo Achievers Lions Club, identified consistency, character, mentorship and community involvement as essential qualities for effective leadership.

He said academic intelligence, family background and social influence alone could not guarantee leadership success.

“Academics alone cannot do it for you. Intelligence alone cannot do it for you. Your family background cannot do it for you. Your social influence cannot do it for you. But it is an encompassing of different traits that make you stand out as a leader,” he said.

He encouraged the students to seek mentorship, remain consistent in their pursuits and contribute positively to society, noting that leadership was built through the combination of personal values, discipline and meaningful relationships.

In his remarks, the Director of the OAU Centre for Distance Learning and Programme Director of the JUPEP A-Level Programme, Professor Olufemi Adebola, described the ceremony as the conclusion of one journey and the beginning of another for the students.

Adebola urged the graduates to sustain the spirit of excellence that brought them to the point of graduation and warned them against complacency.

He said the institution had equipped the students with academic knowledge as well as moral values, good comportment, leadership qualities and a sense of responsibility.

“This is the end of one journey, which signals the beginning of another one,” he said.

The director commended the Igbajo Achievers Lions Club for identifying with the students and supporting initiatives aimed at nurturing the next generation of leaders.

He stressed the need for continuous mentorship of young people, describing it as a responsibility that should go beyond one-off programmes.

Meanwhile, the overall best graduating student and valedictorian, Ayomiposi Owoade, recounted some of the challenges she and her colleagues faced during the programme, saying perseverance helped them overcome difficult moments.

Owoade recalled that there were occasions when students felt too exhausted to wake up early for classes, while some contemplated abandoning the programme and returning home.

She, however, said their determination eventually paid off.

“But in the end, we persevered. We sat at the bottom and recovered. And today, like objects that have gone through the fire, we have come out pure and refined in our golden emblem,” she said.

The valedictorian attributed her achievement to God and expressed appreciation to her parents, teachers, friends, roommates and fellow students for their contributions to her success.

She described her emergence as the overall best student as both an honour and a responsibility, pledging to continue working hard and make meaningful use of the knowledge and opportunities available to her.

Owoade also urged her fellow graduates not to give up as they embark on the next stage of their academic and personal journeys.

As part of its commitment to promoting academic excellence and youth development, the Igbajo Achievers Lions Club presented Owoade with a cash prize of ₦100,000 for emerging as the overall best graduating student.