By Adesina Wahab

Apart from having the necessary technical know-how and coming out with good grades, undergraduates have been charged to imbibe soft skills such as honesty, loyalty, leadership traits, hard work among others, to be competitive in today’s work place.

This was the consensus of experts who spoke at the Third Distinguished Lecture of the Lagos State University, Ojo which had the theme: Market imperatives: Re-thinking soft skills in a highly competitive world.

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The speakers, which included Mrs Funke Adekoya, a Senior Advocate of Nigeria, SAN, the Chief Executive Officer of Polaris Bank Plc, Mr Adetokunbo Abiru and a social worker, Bountiful Taiwo Adelanwa, agreed that book knowledge and technical capability might earn somebody a job, but that “it is only the soft skills that may help the person keep that job.”

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Adekoya recalled her experiences as a lawyer of over 40 years, adding that integrity, honesty among others, had helped her in attaining great heights in her chosen career.

“I always remember what our Vice-Chancellor at the then University of Ife, Prof. Hezekiah Oluwasanmi, used to tell us that education is what you have left when you have forgotten everything you learned in school. Educating the mind without educating the heart is no education at all,” she posited.

Abiru, in his contribution, noted that big companies like banks would always take their new intakes to their training schools so as to inculcate in them the ideals of such organisations.

Adelanwa, in her remarks said the ability to communicate effectively and in appropriate tone, could not be over-emphasised.

The chairperson of the event, Hon. Justice Amina Adamu Augie of the Supreme Court, said the youths of today must learn to be hardworking, contented and should lay a solid foundation for their lives.

The Vice-Chancellor of LASU, Prof. Olanrewaju Fagbohun, said the university started the series to bring role models, who have positively impacted the society to come and share their perspectives with the students.

Vanguard