Chuks Okocha in Abuja
The National Chairman of the African Democratic Congress (ADC), Senator David Mark, has charged Nigerian youths to embrace integrity, hard work and lifelong learning, describing education as the greatest investment any nation could make for its future.
Mark gave the advice yesterday while delivering the keynote address at the 2026 Graduation, Speech and Prize-Giving Ceremony of Pace Setters College, Abuja, where he urged the graduating Class of 2026 to prepare for a rapidly changing world driven by technology, innovation and creativity.
He said academic qualifications alone would no longer guarantee success, stressing that character, integrity, adaptability and critical thinking would be the defining qualities of future leaders.
“Your certificate may secure your first opportunity, but it is your character that will sustain your success. Knowledge may open doors, but integrity keeps them open,” he told the graduates.
The former Senate President noted that nations that have achieved sustainable development did so by deliberately investing in education, skills and human capital, adding that every classroom serves as a foundation for innovation and national progress.
He encouraged the graduating students to view graduation not as the end of learning but the beginning of a lifelong pursuit of knowledge, urging them to continually improve themselves in an increasingly competitive global environment.
Mark also advised the students to value integrity above material success, embrace discipline and perseverance, dream beyond their circumstances and focus on providing solutions to society’s challenges.
According to him, the world rewards individuals, who solve problems rather than merely identify them, urging the graduates to use their education to create value, inspire hope and positively impact their communities.
Speaking on Nigeria’s future, the ADC National Chairman expressed confidence in the country’s young people, saying they possess the talent, creativity and technological capacity needed to transform the nation.