University of Africa would be model as a world-class varsity ―Dickson

GOVERNOR Seriake Dickson of Bayelsa State has said no stone would be left unturned in making the University of Africa a model varsity of world-class standard from course content/lecturers and state of the art infrastructure.

He said further that the university would build partnerships with top universities around the world, basically for the institution to become a center of academic excellence and self-sustaining.

This, the Governor said at a cocktail party organized by the state government in honour of the Vice Chancellor of the University of Africa, Toru-Orua, Prof Valentine Aletor and 80 other top Academics drawn from top universities across the world.

The university, according to the Governor currently has 24 courses approved by the National Universities Commission (NUC).

He expressed government’s desire to transform the University to attain a universal status that, would exercise academic freedom and produce world-class scholars in various fields of endeavour in the nearest future.

Dickson assured that the government would source for more academics from across the top universities in the world, towards supporting the vision of making University of Africa and the Niger Delta University to become models of academic excellence.

His words: “I want a university that with time, produce great thinkers, researchers, and scientists. I want this university to explore the minds of our young scholars in every possible area.”

“This university should not just produce conventional good scholars, but a university that will exercise academic freedom completely and totally without limitations and with time produce great leaders. This is because very often, those who have made a mark in this world often disagree with conventional methods of doing things and that is what I think a university represents.”

In his remarks, the Chief of Staff, Government House, Hon. Talford Ongolo said education remains a top priority of the present administration and lauded the Governor for making history in the establishment of boarding schools in the state.

Describing the Governor as a strategist, he noted that, investments in the sector have yielded great results, which is evident in the performance of Bayelsa students in national examinations. Also, the Vice Chancellor of the University of Africa, Toru Orua, in

Sagbama local government area, Prof.Valentine Aletor highlighted some fundamental factors of a world-class university, which include, quality of academic programmes and training, as well as employability of the products.

Prof. Aletor assured Governor Dickson of their preparedness to replicate the quality of education attained in top-notch universities in the world, such as Yale and Cambridge at the University of Africa, Toru Orua for the benefit of the Ijaw nation and beyond.