Chidoka urges CTL graduates heading to universities across the world to remember home

* Athena Chancellor tells Class of 2026 that global success must be matched by commitment to nation-building

By Editor

THE Chancellor of the Athena Centre for Policy and Leadership, Chief Osita Chidoka, has urged members of the graduating Class of 2026 of the Centre for Teaching and Learning (CTL) Academy, Abuja, to embrace global opportunities while remaining committed to the development of Nigeria. Speaking at the school’s graduation ceremony on 9 June 2026, Chidoka noted that many members of the graduating class had secured admission to universities and colleges in the United States, the United Kingdom, Canada, and Singapore. He encouraged them to pursue excellence wherever life takes them but never lose their connection to home.

“Wherever life takes you, remember home,” he told the graduates. “Learn from the world, contribute wherever you find yourself, but never forget that the progress of Nigeria will ultimately depend on the willingness of its sons and daughters to invest their knowledge, talent, and energy in building a better society.”

While delivering a commencement address titled ‘The Fastest Generation in Human History’, Chidoka described the graduates as members of a generation entering a world being reshaped by artificial intelligence, rapid technological change, and new forms of work and learning. While acknowledging the pace of change, he argued that some values remain timeless. He urged the graduates to anchor their lives on three enduring principles drawn from the Igbo worldview: Uche (Wisdom), Uchu (Diligence), and Egwuchukwu (Moral Character).

According to him, wisdom enables sound judgement, diligence sustains achievement, and character provides the moral foundation required to navigate success, failure, opportunity, and adversity. He also shared three practical lessons for life: never stop growing, protect your attention in an age of constant distraction, and build your life on enduring values rather than passing trends. Chidoka further told the graduates that while technology, industries, and careers would continue to evolve, societies would always depend on people of character who combine competence with a sense of responsibility to others.

Earlier, the Founder of CTL Academy, Dr. Agodi Alagbe, congratulated the graduating students for successfully completing the school’s academic programme. She commended them for their conduct throughout their years at the academy and encouraged them to remain worthy ambassadors of the institution wherever they go. A total of eleven students graduated in the 2026 academic year, comprising four senior-grade students and seven junior-grade students.

Founded in 2012, CTL Academy is an Abuja-based American-curriculum school committed to nurturing lifelong learners through innovative, values-based education and global academic preparation.

Chief Osita Chidoka (left); some of the graduating students and Dr. Agodi Alagbe