On the 31st of July, 2026, something strange happened at Obafemi Awolowo University. This strangeness is not the one that comes with weird or weary spirits. This one came with so much energy about life purpose that, in no time, penetrated both staffs and students. It was the 1st Transition Lecture Series at the ACE Design Studio, ICT Centre, OAU.
That day, by 3:30pm, Funmi Sopade had both the mic and the room’s attention to both hands. Then, there was an opening prayer. The National Anthem. The Great Ife Anthem. And the Welcomes began.
In attendance were, the Provost of the College of Health Sciences (Professor Bernice Adegbehingbe), the Immediate past Provost of the College of Health Sciences (Professor Babatope Kolawole), a member of the Governing Council, Obafemi Awolowo University (Professor J.M Etebom), the parents of Dr. Sunday Oguntoye, the colleagues of Dr. Sunday Oguntoye, and students of Obafemi Awolowo University across all faculties.
The Lecture
By 4:00pm. The MC, Funmi Sopade, recited the citation of the man behind the entire initiative — Dr Sunday Osuntoye Damilare, a medical doctor who’d spent eight years studying at OAU before founding the Responsible Global Citizens Initiative (RGCI), an organization built around global and social leadership for a more equitable and sustainable world; a researcher also, who focuses on public health issues and has presented his work at the SOS CHI conference in Kegali, Rwanda.
After the citation, Dr. Sunday walked up the podium. Delivered his lecture “Redefining Purpose: Navigating the Common Conundrum of the Young”. He didn’t approach “purpose” as a fixed thing to be hunted down and captured. His argument ran almost counter to how most young people are taught to think about purpose. He argued that purpose is not in the titles nor is it a discovery waiting at the end of some search. It’s something expressed, something enacted through how a person chooses to live, moment by moment, rather than something stumbled upon in a eureka moment. The key sections of the lecture includes;
1. Why the discussion around Purpose matters.
2. The two (2) dimensions of expressing Purpose (the vertical and the horizontal dimensions).
3. The Essentials of Purpose Expressions: The External essentials (which are humanly acquired) and Inner formation (which are divinely orchestrated).
4. A New Framework for Purpose (The Modified Ikigai): This formed the center of the lecture. Dr. Sunday argues that the framework is deficient because it considers just the horizontal dimensions of expressing purpose while leaving out the most important dimensions, which is the vertical dimension (the alignment with God).
Then the Room Talked Back
The keynote gave way to a panel session. Akinwunmi Omolola moderated the lineup that mixed disciplines deliberately. We had Dr. Chidinma Nwodo bringing a mental health lens, Mr. Peter Abegunde speaking from experience investing in young people’s growth, Dr. Oluwagbenga Asalu offering a dental doctor’s perspective, and Dr. Olusayo Oyeyemi weighing in as a business consultant with Oriflame. The conversation moved through leadership, career direction, and the practical mess of building a life with intention.
The Essay Winners
That same day, the lecture closed on the Olodo Uprising essay competition. The maiden RGCI’s writing contest, built around academic excellence, critical thinking, and moral values in Nigeria today.
Lawal Suyi, writing from Medicine and Surgery, took the top prize and ₦100,000.
Oso Samuel Adedayo of Industrial Chemistry placed second for ₦70,000, and Muslim Sherifdeen from Animal Sciences rounded out the podium at third for ₦50,000.
Seven more names followed on the shortlist — Towolawi Tosin Micheal, Adebayo Oluwaseyi, Ubangha Pius, Akande Oyinkansola, Omojola Mary, Ogunlana Klistivivi, and Akinboboye Favour — each recognized alongside certificates for every participant.
Conclusion
By the time the event wound down, participants had had the moment to reckon with purpose. And with what it actually takes to build a life worth calling intentional. And Purposeful.
Do you enjoy reading this article? Click here to read more article from the MediVoice blog. And if you would love to listen to the record version of the event, it’s available of YouTube. Click here.
Until next time, Byeeeee…
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