Africa: 'Define Success by Problems You Tackle and Solve' - Prof Moghalu to USIU-Africa Grads

What the report says

AllAfrica reported on a commencement address delivered at the 48th graduation ceremony of United States International University-Africa (USIU-Africa) in Nairobi on September 26, 2026. The speaker, Professor Kingsley Moghalu, told the graduating class that success should be measured less by credentials alone and more by the problems people choose to address and solve. He urged students to see themselves as lifelong learners rather than finished products, arguing that rapid changes in technology and global affairs make continual reinvention essential.

In the address, Moghalu said the value of a university education lies not only in specialized knowledge but also in resilience, critical thinking and the ability to adapt. He emphasized that tools such as artificial intelligence can support work and learning, but do not replace human judgment, ethics or empathy. He also highlighted the importance of interdisciplinary thinking, saying graduates in fields such as pharmacy, software engineering, psychology and business need broader liberal arts skills to navigate complex decisions.

The speech placed USIU-Africa’s general education curriculum at the center of that message, presenting it as a foundation for leadership in a fast-changing environment. Moghalu encouraged the new graduates to act with “intentional friction,” meaning they should not avoid difficult questions or easy answers that may be misleading. The remarks reflect broader debates in higher education about how universities prepare students for labor markets reshaped by automation, but the article itself focused on the ceremony and the speaker’s guidance to the class of 2026.