Visitor to Adekunle Ajasin University, Akungba Akoko, and Governor of Ondo State, Arakunrin Oluwarotimi Akeredolu, SAN, has charged Nigerian universities administrators to reinforce their research efforts with a view of solving the contemporary societal problems.
Governor Akeredolu gave the charge in an address at the 10th and 11th Convocation Ceremony of Adekunle Ajasin University, Akungba Akoko Akoko.
The University convoked 5,145 graduands with the Faculty of Education having 1,415, followed by Faculty of Science – 924, Faculty of Social and Management Sciences – 1061, Faculty of Agriculture -156, Faculty of Arts – 748, Faculty of Law -181, Institute of Education – 307, Institute of Part-Time Programmes – 231, and Diploma – 13. There were 356 graduands who received postgraduate degrees, 25 of whom were in the Ph.D. category.
Of the 5,145, 53 made First Class; 1,511 earned Second Class (Upper Division), 2861 bagged Second Class (Lower Division), 667 had Third Class, while 40, were in the Pass category.
The Visitor, who acknowledged the recent research efforts of AAUA, said, I am aware of the recent research efforts of both staff and students of AAUA. You must, however, strive to do more. The truth is, we are living in a time when true scholarly interventions are required to illuminate gloomy paths and it is time for our state’s institutions, particularly AAUA, to take the lead in this area.
I must, again, charge our education administrators to make our curriculum more relevant to societal needs. The training we give to our children should be channeled towards solving human problems. We must deliberately work towards bridging the gap between the theory we give to our students and the practical needs of the society, thus, making them employable. Entrepreneurial training is also more urgent now than before because white collar jobs are becoming a mirage.
Let me restate my earlier position that our research and learning centres must be prepared to come up with new ideas on how to best cultivate our produce and feed our people. The outlandish repetition of outmoded and inapplicable theories taught in educational institutions would only result in highly qualified citizens who lack the ability to tackle basic problems.”
Congratulating the graduands, the Governor, who was represented by the Secretary to the Ondo State Government, Princess Oladunni Odu, advised them to look towards creating value for the society and become self-employed and, by extension, employers labour.
He said the state government is immensely pleased to see AAUA under our watch prospering and blossoming, having been among the top 10 institutions in Nigeria.
While noting that government alone cannot fund education, he called on philanthropists, stakeholders, and well-to-do indigenes to join hands in expanding the frontiers of infrastructural development of the state-owned University.
The Visitor thanked the Governing Council, under the guidance of Dr. Tunji Abayomi, and the University Management under the leadership of the Vice Chancellor, Prof. Olugbenga Ige, for working hand-in-hand to sustain the numero uno position of AAUA as Best State University in Nigeria.
In his speech, the Pro-Chancellor and Chairman of Council, Dr. Tunji Abayomi, appreciated Governor Akeredolu for the confidence reposed in the Council that was constituted about four years ago.
He said, By the first quarter of the new year when we present our tenure report, we hope to hand to your government a world class Business School, AAU Business School in Akure. Not only have we worked hard through incredible cooperation and interaction with AAUA Management to raise a beautiful edifice to have AAU Business School, we hope to establish with the ongoing dialogue with a number of prestigious USA Universities, a world class Business Institution.
Dr. Abayomi thanked the students of the University for their cooperation, adding, You are at AAUA to be built for the future of the world and to help build the world. Majority of you are guided by this recognition. This is why at AAUA, students continue to excel.
Addressing the Convocation, the Vice Chancellor, Prof. Olugbenga Ige, congratulated the graduands on their attainment and charged them to go out there and rule the world, having been given the necessary internationally-equivalent tools.
Prof. Ige said, As we commission you today to go on your next adventure, we have the confidence and conviction that you were suitably empowered with most crucial life skills, moral rectitude, and activation of your mental and physical potential while under our guidance. Make sure you make important contributions to the uplift of your alma mater by becoming good ambassadors and joining forces with the alumni association.
He also congratulated the Universitys honorary degree recipient, Mrs. Ibukun Awosika, who was conferred with Doctor of Business Administration (Honoris Causa), describing the former Chairman of First Bank of Nigeria as a role model to humanity.
The VC highlighted some of the upshots of deepening the integrity of academic prgrammes of the University to include steadily pulling through various accreditation exercises by the National Universities Commission, NUC, and other professional bodies; having subscription from six credible higher institutions in Nigeria through affiliation; and being rated the Best State University in Nigeria in the last three years consecutively in the annual Webometrics Ranking.
He hinted that the research and development activities of the University have taken a progressive dimension, saying, Apart from our Centre for Infectious Diseases Control and Drugs Development which is at the forefront of human capacity development through workshop and training programmes and has consistently been conducting training on Application of Bioinformatics Tools in Drug Design, Discovery and Development, among others, several academic staff have stepped up their games in research as some of them recently won grants that will enable them to proffer solutions to societal problems.
As a corollary of our research efforts, just recently an assemblage of researchers at AAUA was reported to have reached an advanced stage in producing disease and drought-resistant beans and tomatoes, while another group of researchers is on the verge of producing a potent anti-termite solution from a common local plant.
The VC pointed out funding as the major obstacle for the University to attain its full capacities. He said, One of the most significant obstacles we face is finance. The University’s capacity to meet the obligation of wage payment, research funding, infrastructural growth, and governing the University has been severely hampered by the paucity of fund. While we are doing our best to run the University in a creative manner, we seek support from relevant stakeholders and friends of the University to enable us deliver maximally on our goals of building a properly called 21st Century University.
He, however, said despite the obvious challenges, the Management team remain focused, noting that, This is not because one is the Vice Chancellor, rather, the passion for advancement of education and the tenacity to take responsive ownership of what belongs to all of us with the aim of bringing out the best in it for the benefit of the society.
While appreciating Arakunrin Akeredolu for the confidence reposed in him to be appointed the 6th substantive Vice Chancellor of AAUA and for supporting and guiding him when necessary, the VC thanked all Council members for their healthy contributions to the University.
He thanked the Alumni Association of the University for always being a partner in progress, and appreciated individuals and corporate donors to the University.
He acknowledged the huge support from all staff of the University and sought more of such support, saying, I want you to know that we are just starting the project of building the AAUA that the forebears envisioned. As a university and a new administration, we are repositioning our university, having our eyes on the future.
Responding to the honorary degree of Doctor of Business Administration (Honoris Causa) conferred on her, Dr. (Mrs.) Ibukun Awosika, thanked the University for founding her worthy of the award. She said, I am sincerely grateful. I do not take this for granted because it is not a right; it is a privilege.
Study @ Achievers University
