Develop local tech solutions, Chrisland VC tells graduates

The Vice-Chancellor of Chrisland University, Abeokuta, Ogun State, Prof. Oyedunni Arulogun, has charged computer science graduates to uphold professional ethics, embrace innovation and deploy technology to address societal challenges.

Arulogun also urged the graduates to use their digital skills to develop solutions to the numerous challenges facing the country.

The vice-chancellor gave the charge on Monday during the maiden induction of 53 graduates of the university’s Department of Computer Sciences into the Computer Professionals (Registration Council of Nigeria).

She said computer professionals should develop applications to support farmers, improve healthcare delivery, strengthen education and promote financial inclusion.

“We believe that our computer professionals should develop applications that support farmers, improve healthcare delivery, strengthen education and enhance financial inclusion. Do not use technology to exploit the vulnerable; use it to empower the people,” she said.

Arulogun further encouraged the graduates to embrace entrepreneurship and identify practical problems they could solve through technology.

She said, “At Chrisland University, we aspire to produce graduates who will not simply ask, ‘Where can I find employment?’ but also, ‘What problem can I solve, what value can I create, and whose life can I improve?’”

The vice-chancellor warned that technological advancement without integrity, accountability and responsibility could turn digital innovations into instruments of harm rather than tools for human development.

Addressing the inductees, she likened computer professionals to weavers whose technical knowledge and creativity form the fabric of innovation, while their professional ethics determine its strength and durability.

“You may write brilliant code, develop sophisticated applications and design intelligent apps, but without integrity, responsibility and accountability, your technological achievements may become instruments of harm rather than tools for human advancement,” she said.

Arulogun noted that the graduates were entering the profession at a time when artificial intelligence, cybersecurity and other emerging technologies were transforming industries and reshaping education, healthcare, agriculture, banking and governance.

She said the growing influence of technology had made ethical judgment as important as technical competence, urging the graduates to develop secure, inclusive, reliable and socially responsible digital solutions.

“The world is no longer asking, ‘What can technology do?’ It is increasingly asking, ‘What should technology do, for whom, and at what cost?’” she said.

Arulogun urged the inductees to embrace three principles: integrity, innovation and lifelong learning. She stressed that professional standards must not be compromised for financial gain, personal convenience or career advancement.

She also challenged them to develop indigenous technological solutions rather than remain consumers of innovations created abroad.

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“Nigeria and Africa need professionals who move beyond consuming technologies developed elsewhere to designing solutions that are peculiar to our challenges,” she said.

In his keynote lecture, the Head of the Department of Computer Science at Babcock University, Ilishan-Remo, Ogun State, Dr Seun Ebiesuwa, urged information technology professionals to update their skills continuously to remain relevant in the rapidly evolving digital economy.

Ebiesuwa also warned the graduates against sharp practices, urging them to build their careers on integrity and professional competence.

Speaking on the theme, “Technology Without Borders: The Strategic Role of Information Technology Professionals in Building a Sustainable Digital Future,” he said technological developments were changing the way people worked, learned and conducted business across national boundaries.

He noted that virtual meetings, remote work and online education had demonstrated how digital technologies could connect people and institutions without requiring physical movement.

According to him, the pace of change in computing meant that professionals must constantly acquire new knowledge or risk being left behind.

Ebiesuwa also called for the responsible use of artificial intelligence, warning against excessive dependence on AI tools for academic assignments, research and routine professional tasks.

He said that although AI could improve efficiency, users must retain the ability to think independently, exercise sound judgement and defend the work they produced.

In his goodwill message, the Head of the Department of Computer Sciences at Chrisland University, Prof Zacchaeus Omogbadegun, urged the graduates to uphold confidentiality, accountability, respect for privacy, intellectual honesty and commitment to the public good.

Omogbadegun stressed that professional registration should not be treated merely as a certificate but as a commitment to ethical practice, continuous professional development and the responsible application of computing knowledge.

He urged the inductees to remain worthy ambassadors of the university and use their expertise to support development in Nigeria and the global community.

He also advised them to acquire professional certifications, attend conferences and workshops, participate in professional associations, contribute to open-source projects and pursue further education where necessary.

The President and Chairman of the Computer Professionals Registration Council of Nigeria, Dr Eyo Essien, represented by a council member, Prof Adesina Sodiya, also urged the newly inducted graduates to uphold professionalism and develop digital solutions to advance national development.