QHSES LEADERSHIP ACADEMY MARKS 5TH ANNIVERSARY, HONOURS TOP GRADUATES, CHAMPIONS SAFETY AND SUSTAINABLE LEADERSHIP

By Aishat Momoh, Fasasi Hammad

The QHSES Leadership Academy has celebrated its fifth anniversary with the convocation of 719 students, including 20 students from eight countries, as the institution reaffirmed its commitment to safety, sustainability, professional excellence and responsible leadership.

The 2025–2026 convocation brought together graduating students, faculty members, industry leaders, government representatives, safety professionals, alumni and other stakeholders for a ceremony that combined academic recognition with discussions on the future of safety, sustainability and leadership.

The milestone reflects the academy’s expanding reach and its growing role in providing accessible professional education and developing safety-conscious professionals across different sectors and geographical boundaries.

A major highlight of the ceremony was the presentation of awards and cash prizes to students who distinguished themselves across various areas of study.

Among the most prominent award recipients was Mrs. Olufunke Oderemi Mary, who emerged as the overall best student of the Class of 2026. In her valedictory address, Oderemi reflected on the challenges she faced before and during her studies, describing her achievement as the product of perseverance in the face of difficult circumstances.

Recalling a period when she considered giving up on her academic pursuits, she said encouragement from her sister inspired her to make “one last shot” at achieving her goal.

Her academic journey, she explained, came during a particularly demanding period of her life, as she balanced her studies with raising twins and other family responsibilities. She also spoke about pursuing further academic ambitions while managing the competing demands of family and professional development.

Reflecting on the experience, Oderemi said the academy taught her more than the technical aspects of quality, health, safety, environment and sustainability.

According to her, the academy taught students “how to persevere when everything around us is” difficult and helped transform their understanding of leadership.

She stressed that true leadership goes beyond managing systems, noting that it requires a firm commitment to safety, integrity and sustainability.

The valedictorian encouraged her fellow graduates not to be discouraged by setbacks, drawing attention to the importance of learning from failure and continuing to pursue one’s goals despite obstacles.

Her speech also acknowledged the support of her family, friends, faculty members and others who contributed to her success. She expressed particular appreciation to her husband and sister for their encouragement throughout her academic journey.

Her story provided a personal reflection of the broader message of the convocation: that professional excellence often requires resilience, sacrifice and a willingness to persevere when circumstances become difficult.

Another prominent graduate, Boname Usman Waziri, emerged as the best male graduate student of the Class of 2026 and received the Mrs. Folake Shoetan Outstanding Scholar Award. He also received a N200,000 cash prize from Igodin Company Limited for his academic performance.

The academy also celebrated other outstanding graduates, including Ogene Jane, who received the Amnisa Balogun Award for Best Differently Challenged Student, while several other students were recognised for excellence in construction, scaffolding safety, academic performance and professional development.

Other notable awardees included Okiyogede J. Akwaeba, recognised as Best DAP in Manufacturing Safety; Oladokun Olamidulo, who received the Food Safety Award; Ajigulu Shemu, honoured as the best student in Emotional Intelligence; and Victor Awe, who won recognition for Contract Management and Administration.

William Temidayo was also among the leading performers, receiving recognition for Business Continuity as well as an award for Strategy, Upgrade, Performance and Transformation. Sheu Fatima Adamu was recognised for Sustainable Waste Management, while Sheu Ayodele emerged as the best student in Project Management.

Speaking at the event, Mrs. Dominga Omolara Odebunmi, pioneer Director-General and CEO of the Lagos State Safety Commission and a long-standing safety advocate, described safety as fundamental to human existence and stressed the importance of connecting safety with sustainability.

“Safety is a fabric of human existence,” Odebunmi said, emphasising that safety practices must not only be adopted but sustained.

She advised graduates and young professionals to remain focused on their ambitions despite challenges, stressing that knowledge acquired along the way should never be discarded because it could become valuable at different stages of their careers.

According to her, greater attention to safety and sustainability could help Nigeria become more resilient and competitive globally.

Odebunmi also highlighted the academy’s potential to provide practical knowledge capable of improving employability, business sustainability and personal safety. She disclosed that work was being undertaken with the academy to develop digital safety resources that would provide students with access to additional learning materials.

The convocation lecture was delivered by Prof. Oladipo Simeon Adebayo, a professor of education administration and leadership and the immediate past dean of the Faculty of Education at the University of Lagos.

Speaking on Nigeria’s rapidly growing youth population, Adebayo called for stronger institutions, effective leadership systems and policies capable of converting the country’s demographic potential into sustainable national development.

He urged Nigeria to move beyond gradual and reactive reforms towards transformational leadership driven by urgency, ethical standards and effective institutions.

The professor also distinguished between reactive and preventive approaches to governance, arguing that institutions should anticipate risks and establish systems capable of preventing crises rather than waiting to respond after failures occur.

His message reinforced the academy’s philosophy that safety, sustainability and effective leadership depend on disciplined systems, professional standards and accountable individuals.

The importance of translating education into practical impact was also emphasised by Dr. Wilson Aripo, Governor General and Chief Executive of SAFERR, who represented the SAFERR Global Network at the ceremony.

Ariko commended the academy for providing free training and education, describing its five-year journey as a significant milestone.

He noted that the institution had created opportunities for people from different backgrounds to acquire professional knowledge and become more relevant in society.

As part of SAFERR’s support for the academy, Aripo announced that the graduating students would be inducted into at least graduate membership status of the SAFERR Global Institute.

He urged the graduates to turn their knowledge into action and make a meaningful impact in their workplaces, communities and wider society.

“Don’t just have the words, the letters, have the action,” he said, challenging the graduates not to hide the knowledge they had acquired but to use it to make a difference.

Also speaking at the event, Amb. Mabel Abel-Onaiwu, founder and CEO of SHE Safety and Health Solutions and an alumna of the academy, described its free training model as a major opportunity for professional development.

Onaiwu, who graduated from the academy the previous year, said students could undertake more than 50 courses within an eight-month period, describing the experience as a “lifetime opportunity.”

She also called for greater empowerment of women and girls in safety, emergency response and fire preparedness, noting that women should be equipped to respond confidently to real-life emergencies.

The event also featured a safety and sustainability session themed “Change Begins With You,” during which participants were challenged to take personal responsibility for environmental protection.

Temilade Adejobi urged individuals to adopt responsible waste-disposal practices and embrace reduction, reuse and recycling, stressing that meaningful environmental transformation begins with individual choices rather than waiting for government agencies or others to act.

Participants were also taken through emergency preparedness procedures, including appropriate responses to fire and medical emergencies, with organizers emphasising the importance of remaining calm, avoiding panic and following designated evacuation procedures.

The anniversary celebration featured a musical performance by Sammy Terry, who performed “Grateful,” adding entertainment to the academic and professional gathering.

The fifth anniversary and convocation therefore represented more than a celebration of academic achievement. With 719 students graduating, including 20 students from eight countries, the milestone reflected the academy’s expanding influence and its contribution to developing professionals equipped with knowledge in safety, sustainability, quality and leadership.

For the graduates, the ceremony also marked the beginning of a new responsibility: to translate their training into practical action and contribute to safer, more sustainable and better-led workplaces, businesses and communities.

For the overall best student, Mrs. Olufunke Oderemi Mary, that responsibility is rooted in the lesson she said the academy taught her most profoundly that leadership is not simply about managing systems, but about upholding safety, integrity and sustainability in everything we do.