AI expert Nnenna Nwakanma urges values and integrity at Babcock University Founder’s Day

Renowned global AI expert and Babcock University alumna, Nnenna Nwakanma, has called for a return to values and integrity in leadership and personal development, warning that the world is facing a growing “crisis of values.”

Delivering the institution’s Founder’s Day lecture titled “Legacy and Leadership Excellence: Building Enduring Institutions in Times of Change” at the University’s 2,500-capacity amphitheatre, Nwakanma posed a critical question: “How do we uphold values in societies increasingly driven by profit and power rather than purpose and principle?”

She lamented that many institutions now celebrate “brilliance without character, intelligence without compassion, and knowledge without wisdom,” noting that education and expertise alone cannot guarantee success without a strong foundation of values.

Drawing on her formative years at the Adventist Seminary of West Africa (ASWA), now Babcock University, she emphasised the importance of integrity, kindness, and continuous learning. “Degrees and titles do not guarantee future success,” she told students, stressing that her greatest accomplishment remains being “loved by God.”

Nwakanma, who serves as a global ambassador on digital rights and responsible AI, said her faith and values nurtured at ASWA had been central to her personal and professional journey. She encouraged students to cultivate character alongside academic pursuit, reminding them that integrity and compassion remain timeless assets.

Responding to her message, Babcock University President/Vice-Chancellor, Prof. Ademola Tayo, echoed the call for leaders who will expand the school’s vision with courage and relevance in times of accelerated change.

He cautioned against allowing technology, efficiency, and convenience to overshadow integrity, conviction, and faith. “Our pioneers gave us more than buildings. They gave us a vision of faith, service, and scholarship. To honour that legacy today requires leaders who will cause the future generation to look back and say, ‘They did not merely preserve the vision of 1959; they expanded it with courage and relevance in times of change,’” he said.

Both Nwakanma and Prof. Tayo urged the Babcock community to remain anchored on values while embracing innovation, stressing that true leadership must integrate character, faith, and purpose to build enduring institutions.