Our NXUgrads connected with local and international employers, attended exclusive masterclasses and met would-be customers, investors, and partners. All at the Nexford Career Fair and Startup Demo.

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Flashback 2022 NG Graduation

See how NXUgrads celebrated their success at the 2022 NXU graduation.

See 2022 grad highlights

Graduation ceremony

Our graduates celebrated their success in style at Lagos' Landmark Center followed by an exclusive Career Fair and Startup Demo.

During the formal ceremony, words of wisdom and congratulations were shared by the event's guest speakers Fadl Al Tarzi, Cathy Plunkett, Tonye Cole and Dr. Oby Ezekwesili, with Frank Edoho acting as MC.

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Members of the NXU graduating class of 2023 share why they chose Nexford University

Why Nexford?

That's the question we asked our 2023 graduates as we caught up with them on the NXUgrad red carpet. Some of our 2023 graduates came to us because they desired the knowledge and skills necessary for career advancement. Others say that they put their faith in Nexford because they wanted to use the knowledge gained to either start a business, or grow the one they have. Then there are those that enrolled because they wanted to get the tools to improve their leadership and strategic skills.

Whatever their reason for choosing Nexford, it's clear that learning at Nexford has so many benefits for so many people.

Top dignitaries share why learners should consider Nexford at the NXUgrad 2023

At the recent 2023 Nexford graduation ceremony, we were privileged to have a host of dignitaries and celebrities grace the red carpet. There they gave us key insights into why they believe that there has never been a better time for prospective learners to consider enrolling at a credible digital university like Nexford. A place where they can procure the knowledge and global skills necessary to become better entrepreneurs and world leaders.

Seeing is believing so watch as Dr. Obiageli Ezekwesili, Tonye Cole, Sherifah Balogun, Frank Edoho, and Sally Okogho give you their pearls of wisdom.

Fadl Al Tarzi addresses graduates at the 2023 Nigeria ceremony

If there is someone who knows a thing or two about business success and what it takes to get there, it's Nexford's Founder & CEO, Fadl Al Tarzi.

Addressing a packed hall of over 600 graduates at the recent 2023 Nigeria graduation ceremony, he spoke about graduates standing at the precipice of a new beginning, armed with knowledge and fortified with resilience.

Having a degree that is the launchpad to success, Fadl continued to say that it was the responsibility of all graduates present to continue the journey to lifelong learning.

Dr. Obiageli Ezekwisili addresses and congratulates Nexford's 2023 graduates

Nexford Board Member Dr. Obiageli Ezekwisili spoke to a hall of over 600 graduates at the 2023 Nigeria graduation ceremony and held them in the palm of her hand.

She gave them lots of food for thought, but highlights of her speech included telling them all about how fortunate they were to be graduating from a next-generation and internationally accredited university like Nexford, whilst not having to travel to do it. She also mentioned that the knowledge that they had gained from their degrees would put them on the business map and ready them for the rest of the 21st century.

High praise indeed!

Tonye Cole, Former Group Executive Director at Sahara Group addresses the 2023 Nexford graduates

Tonye Cole, Co-founder & former Group Executive Director of Sahara Group gave a rousing speech to the graduates at the 2023 Nigeria graduation.

In his address, amongst many other relevant things, he spoke to graduates about the path to success being littered with many life-changing decisions and how they need to be navigated to get what needs to be done, done. In so doing, take the next step up in their careers.

He had the audience hanging on his every word, so 17 minutes flew by almost in a heartbeat.

The Venue

Our graduates joined us to celebrate their success, and network with fellow NXU graduates and guests at Landmark Center in Lagos, Nigeria!

Landmark Center is located on the grounds of Landmark village, a spectacular beachfront location overlooking the Atlantic Ocean.

Landmark Village features a boardwalk spanning the length of the village, home to HardRock Café, Shiro Restaurant, Leisure Beach, Landmark Hotel, and the Retail Boulevard. It combines a myriad of leisure and recreational activities.

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MC and Speakers

Mr. Fadl Al Tarzi
Chief Executive Officer
Fadl founded Nexford University in 2018, with a vision to enable greater social and economic mobility through high-quality, affordable education. His vision stemmed from having built four startups employing over 500 people across 10 emerging markets. Throughout his entrepreneurial journey he witnessed how lack of access to affordable, high-quality education impacts societies across the world.
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Fadl became an entrepreneur at 18, and has accumulated 17 years’ experience founding digital marketing and SaaS startups, leading award winning digital engagement and digital transformation projects. Cumulatively, his startups have raised over $15 million in growth capital and employ more than 500 people globally. Under News Group International, he launched and grew SOCIALEYEZ from two to more than 120 people globally. He has worked with Fortune 500s, global consumer brands such as Starbucks, and governments in the US, Europe and MENA regions. Fadl has lived in Cairo, Paris, Washington DC, Dubai and London. He holds a BBA from the American University in Cairo and management degrees from George Washington and Middlesex Universities.
Dr. Cathy Plunkett
Chief Academic Officer
Dr. Cathy Plunkett serves as Nexford’s Chief Academic Officer. She has more than three decades of experience in education, starting as a teacher and principal in K-12 and moving to post-secondary education over 15 years ago.
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Dr. Plunkett has had leadership positions in both the academic and business sides of an institution, serving as a Campus Director, Regional Director, Executive Vice President of Academic Affairs and Director of Regulatory Compliance. The knowledge and experience gained in all of these positions provide solid platform to provide support and guidance to all all departments of the university to ensure compliance with accreditation and state licensing standards. She is passionate about learning and providing students with a positive educational environment for them to meet their educational goals and ultimately succeed in their chosen career.
Dr. Obiageli Ezekwesili
CEO, Human Capital Africa
Obiageli ‘Oby’ Ezekwesili is a former Vice President of the World Bank for Africa, a former Nigerian Education Minister and co-founder of Transparency International.
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A chartered accountant by profession, ‘Oby’ Ezekwesili first served the Nigerian government as Head of the Budget Monitoring and Price Intelligence Unit, where she led reforms to public procurement. She was appointed Minister of Solid Minerals in 2005 and chaired the Nigeria Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative. In 2006 she became Minister of Education, until taking up her World Bank post in 2007. Prior to working for the Government of Nigeria, Dr Ezekwesili was at the Center for International Development at Harvard University. Having co-founded the anti-corruption organisation Transparency International, she directed its work in Africa. She is also a Senior Economic Advisor to Open Society, which aims to build vibrant and tolerant societies with democratically accountable governments. Dr Ezekwesili holds a Master’s degree in International Law and Diplomacy from the University of Lagos, and a Master’s in Public Administration from the Kennedy School of Government, Harvard University. She was awarded an honorary Doctor of Science degree by the University of Agriculture in Abeokuta in 2012.
Tonye Cole
Co-founder and former Group Executive Director of Sahara Group
Tonye Patrick Cole is a nation-builder and philanthropist who is passionate about good governance and the socio-economic development of Nigeria.
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An alumnus of University of Lagos and Harvard Business School and a Fellow of the ‘Transformational Leadership Fellowship’ programme at the Blavatnik School of Government, Oxford, Tonye is the Co-Founder and former Group Executive Director of Sahara Group, an energy conglomerate with operations spanning the entire energy chain in Nigeria and neighbouring West African countries to East Africa and beyond. He was directly responsible for building the Group’s global expansion and upholding her corporate governance principles, maintaining her status with global institutions such as the World Economic Forum, where he was a key member of Pact Against Corruption Initiative (PACI), the United Nations, where he was a pioneer member of the Advisory Board of the Private Sector Advisory Group for the UNDP Sustainable Development Group Fund (SDG- F), the African Philanthropy Forum, ENACTUS Nigeria, amongst others.
Frank Edoho
Host of 'Who Wants To Be A Millionaire' Nigeria & Graduation MC
Acting as your graduation MC is TV host Frank Edoho.

He is the host of the popular TV show Who Wants to Be a Millionaire and previously the host of the international TV show, The Price Is Right. Aside from being a TV host, he is also a voice-over artist, photographer, producer and filmmaker.

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Career Fair and Startup Demo

To ensure the best possible start to their post-graduation careers, we invited our new NXUgrads to a very special Career Fair and Startup Demo. To connect our graduates with great job opportunities, help them find their dream careers, and inspire their entrepreneurial aspirations we invited top employers, industry experts, and VC funds to meet them.

Here's a recap of what was on offer at this exciting event