July 7th, 2022 – Nile University held its 3rd annual career fair as part of its ongoing efforts to boost student employability. The event, which was organized by the University’s Career Services Center, had a record attendance of over 3,000 students and alumni as well as more than 40 organizations.
Speaking about the significance of the event, Dr. Fausat Aleshinloye, Head of Student Services at Nile University stated, “This career fair is a major milestone for us at Nile University because it is the biggest and the first to be organized since we became members of Honoris United Universities. Employability is a key objective of Honoris, and this is reflected in its vision to continuously invest in reshaping the delivery of education to match the needs of employers against the backdrop of the fourth industrial revolution by preparing the 21st-century African talents for a more digitalized technologically advanced future.”
Dr. Fausat’s claims about the importance of the career fair and student employability to the institution was supported by the presence of members of the university’s senior leadership team—such as Prof. Dilli Dogo (Vice-Chancellor), Mr. David Olowola (Registrar), Mr. Lateef Kareem (Chief Financial Officer), Mr. Gerald Osugo (Director of Strategy and Business Development), amongst others— at the event.
A panel discussion featuring accomplished, high-profile individuals like Mr. Emmanuel Okwara Jnr. (Country Director, Equiti Nigeria), Mrs. Nnenna Obeka (Chief Promoter, Naomi Center for Empowerment), Mr. Odinaka Ikejibe (Zonal Head, Business Banking with Access Bank), Dr. Ogo Ifeoma Akabogu (State Manager, Bank of Industry), Dr. Lanre Phillips (Education Sector Manager, HP Inc.), and Mr. Ridwan Ganiy (Chairman, PAADC) served to further enhance the profile and effectiveness of the event in preparing students for the future of work.
Speaking on the role of the fair in giving students an edge over their counterparts in the competition for employment opportunities, the Vice-Chancellor of Nile University, Prof. Dilli Dogo, stated “One of our key objectives at Nile University is employability and this career fair typifies our desire to expose our students, partners, and stakeholders to future opportunities. We realize that when graduates and interns apply for jobs, they compete against thousands of applicants for the same position. To that effect, we are leveraging our relationships with partner organizations to bring these employers directly to our students and alumni”.
Lending credence to the Vice-Chancellor’s remarks were the high-profile organizations such as Bank of Industry, Association of Chartered Certified Accountants (ACCA), Aluko and Oyebode, Access Bank, HP Inc., to name a few, at the event who interacted with and interviewed students for job and internship opportunities. Among the beneficiaries of the fair was Martha Ugwunwa, a 500-level Computer Engineering student, who praised Nile University for organizing the event. According to her, “Listening to the advice and experiences of the panelists as well as interacting with the representatives of the different organizations present was an eye-opening experience that helped me know what to expect in the labor market”.
By further bridging the gap between students and employers through its 3rd annual career fair, Nile University continues to enhance its positioning as a leading provider of employability-focused education in the country.