Bola A. Akinterinwa The Summer Graduation 2026 of the University of Essex provided a unique opportunity to show that there is truly Nigerian unity, not necessarily within the sovereign State of Nigeria, but outside of Nigeria itself. In many places of the world, Nigerians are portrayed among people from shithole countries, apology to President Donald Trump. They are seen as agents of fraud and as yahoo boys. Even in Africa, Nigerians are seen as those tainting the South African civilization: they are held responsible for South Africa’s economic non-performance. They are accused of taking the wives of South Africans and for doing the work earmarked for South Africans. They are accused of engagement in drug peddling and trafficking. The crescendo of the accusations against Nigerians is their declaration as personae non grata in South Africa. However, the beauty of the Essex University’s 2026 Summer Graduation ceremonies from Monday, 13 July through Friday, 17 July, 2026, clearly suggests that Nigerians that are unwanted at home are not only wanted in more developed societies, but are also more than great in intellectual capacity and capability, determination and seriousness of purpose. They may come from shithole countries, but they also compete well with countries with Water Closet toilets. This is why Nigerians are always wrapped up in the glory of their dint of hard work and courage to the admiration of serious-minded peoples of the world. The Summer Graduation 2026 of the University of Essex therefore greatly helped to change some of the negative perceptions of Nigerians because of their impressive graduation results. Besides, the mere fact that Nigerians could gain admission into very good tertiary institutions like the Essex University in the UK is a manifestation of the goodness of most Nigerians. I attended the Summer Graduation 2026 with much interest and witnessed the goodness. My grandson, Oluwademiladeola Ugunna Opara, read robotic engineering, came out with First Class honours, and won prizes. This cannot but be much of happiness for me. Highlights of the Summer Graduation 2026 A first major highlight is the factor of inspiration and happiness about the university. The Summer Graduation ceremonies cannot but be always interesting because it is both an ending and a new beginning point. It ends a four-year course and opens a new door to the world. Consequently, the Summer Graduation is not simply taken with a pinch of salt. It is taken with every seriousness of purpose. Besides, not less than 89% of the graduates of the University always secure employment or continued with post graduate studies within 15 months of leaving the college. Graduation at the University is particularly interesting because graduates are considered as integral members of the Essex Community after leaving school. Such membership confers rights to assistance, comraderies, and social relationship derivable from the University as a Feeling and as a Spirit. Graduating students have access to alumni card which enables their return to the campus. They can visit the library whenever they want. As a member of the alumni community, they have access to career support. And perhaps most interestingly, they can get funding and guidance on business start-ups for five years. Thus, the alumni card is a welcoming permit to the university after graduation. The University cannot but be most interesting from the perspective of having produced two Nobel Laureates, as well as successful filmmakers and prominent entrepreneurs. This makes the Alumni of the University very notable in international relations. The notability of the University is further strengthened when the Social Work program of the University was ranked 1st in the UK by The Times and The Sunday Times, when the Department of Government was awarded a rare Regius Professorship by Queen Elisabeth II for research quality, and when the Politics and International Studies and Sociology programme of the university was ranked among the first 100 in the QS World University Rankings. It is against this background that the Summer Graduation 2026 should be understood and appreciated. A second major highlight of the Essex University is the factor of robotics. The University is not only a robotics research university, but also a robotics engineering education provider. The undergraduate programme in Robotic Engineering was introduced during the 2022/2023 session under Professor. Klaus McDonald-Maier as Head of Department School of Computer Science and Electronic Engineering (CSEE). He oversaw the department when the Robotics Engineering degree was established. This meant that the University had its first set of graduates in 2025, while my grandson, Oluwademiladeola Ugunna Opara, was part of the second set of Robotic Engineers produced in 2026 by the University. A third major highlight is the
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