Against the backdrop of global violence, hate, and wars, the Babcock International Students Seminar Cultural Day celebration underscored the need for shared values, visibility and human dignity. Leaders and alumni emphasized that unity, rooted in faith and excellence, remains the foundation for coexistence.
Delivering the keynote address: Many Communities, One Culture, Babcock University alumnus an Executive Creative Director, Omni Group, Samuel Oludipe reflected on the symbolism of flags as emblems of identity, pride, and belonging.
“Behind every flag is a people insisting on visibility, insisting that their story should not disappear,” he said.
He challenged the audience to consider pressing questions of human civilization: How do many identities live together without one swallowing the other? How do many communities share one space without turning differences into threats? How do many flags fly in one sky?
Oludipe emphasized that at Babcock University, the unifying “field” has never been tribe, nationality, or language, but rather a shared culture of excellence. Excellence, he explained, is “a disciplined way of being in the world – the decision to bring your best self into a shared space, and to build that space in a way that allows others to bring their best selves too.”
Adding to this vision, President/Vice-Chancellor Prof. Afolarin Ojewole, represented by Prof. Ngozi Nwongwugwu, Director for Institutional Effectiveness, reminded the gathering of a deeper truth: “We come from God. In spite of languages, hometowns, and flags, we are one—not uniform, but united.”
He underscored that celebration is identity work, a way of honouring who we are and because all share a common Source, one person’s success does not block another’s success.
Similarly, speaking on behalf of Prof. Tolani Williams, Vice President for Student Development, Dr. Michael Ibitoye, Deputy Director of the Student Support Centre, highlighted the spiritual dimension of diversity.
“Our diversity is real; our oneness in Christ is deeper. Wherever you find yourself is where God wants you now—not a waiting room, but a posting,” he affirmed.
He encouraged students to see their location as assignment rather than accident, assuring them that God grants the authority to serve, lead, and bear fruit wherever they are planted.
The Cultural Day celebration brought together diverse communities, traditions, and identities through fabric, food, dance, and language, offering a microcosm of how many cultures can coexist under one banner of excellence and shared faith. Head of the International Students Unit, Mr. Joshua Umahi and compere, Mr. Chibundu Eti, described the event as a fitting tribute for a group worth celebrating.
