Akeredolu tasks administrators on reinforcement of research efforts as AAUA churns out 53 first class graduates

The Ondo State governor, Mr Rotimi Akeredolu, has charged Nigerian universities administrators to reinforce and channel their research efforts towards solving all the contemporary societal problems confronting the country.

Akeredolu gave this charge during the 10th and 11th convocation ceremonies of Adekunle Ajasin University, Akungba Akoko (AAUA), Ondo State while calling for solutions to tackle many problems confronting the country and the education sector.

The governor who was represented by the Secretary to the State Government, Princess Oladunni Odu, acknowledged the recent research efforts of AAUA in solving some of the challenges confronting the society and 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 institutions, particularly AAUA, to take the lead in this area.

“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.

“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 channelled 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.”

While emphasising the need for stakeholders, philanthropists and well to do individuals to join hands in expanding the frontiers of infrastructural development of the state-owned university, Akeredolu said that government alone cannot fund education.

He congratulated the graduands and 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.”

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.

“As we commission you today to go on your next adventure, we have the confidence and conviction that you were suitably empowered with the 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 said.

He hinted that the research and development activities of the university have taken a progressive dimension, saying “our Centre for Infectious Diseases Control and Drugs Development which is at the forefront of human capacity development through workshop and training programmes 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.”

He also congratulated the university’s 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.

Responding to the honorary degree conferred on her, Dr Awosika thanked the university for founding her worthy of the award, adding that “I am sincerely grateful. I do not take this for granted because it is not a right; it is a privilege.”

Tribune Online reports that about 5,145 graduands of the school were conferred with various degrees 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.

Of the 5,145 graduands, 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.

There were 356 graduands who received postgraduate degrees, 25 of whom were in the Ph.D. category.

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