How did the Anchor University evolve?
Anchor University is a faith-based university established by the Deeper Life Ministry. Towards the end of 2016, the Federal Executive Council gave approval to the ministry to run a private university while a provisional licence was issued to the promoter of the university by the National Universities Commission (NUC). Shortly after the delivery of the license, there were activities put in place to set up various committees, including the planning and transition committees and board of trustees to begin the process of staff recruitment; both the academic and non-academic. Precisely on February 1, 2017, the university commenced activities on campus.
Looking at the mission statement of the university, what has AUL set out to achieve?
Our mission is to impart knowledge, skills and attitude that will make our graduates become self-reliant, practitioners, leaders with godly integrity as well as researchers that have local and global relevance. We want to see that all our graduates after leaving the four corners of the university will be competent enough to be job creators and not people running up and down to seek for jobs.
What are the remarkable achievements of the university in the last four years and five months of its existence?
Since we started our academic activities, our calendar has been adhered to strictly; we have never gone on a strike. Though we started with very low students’ enrolment, our enrolment rate has greatly increased. We have matriculated about 107 students. However, today by the grace of God, we have nothing less than 600 students on campus. Within the period, we have recruited more members of staff, those who believe in the mission and vision of the university.
In a bid to increase students’ enrolment, just few months after our take-off, we set out to participate in the Joint University Preliminary Examination Board (JUPEB) exercise. We approached the JUPEB governing council and after three weeks we received a letter of approval to run the programme and by September 2017, the JUPEB programme started in the university. In 2018, the National University Commission (NUC) approved 15 programmes for the university but we felt that we should increase the programmes for more enrolments and we made a proposal to NUC on this and additional 14 programmes were approved for us, totaling 29 programmes. Between November and December 2019, 11 programmes out of 13 received full accreditation and only two had interims. Also, the university has been engaged in collaboration with other institutions and organisations within and outside the country.
Are there challenges and how have you been able to manage them?
Starting a university is not child’s play; it is very demanding. One major challenge is in the aspect of students’ enrolment for the available programmes. For us to overcome this, we had to engage in serious marketing strategies. We did a lot of publicity, digital marketing, radio jingles and billboards. We also made use of the BRT in Lagos. We also had challenges with the issue of staff recruitment; we needed not just competent staff, but those who will key into the university’s vision. As a new university, we don’t have PhD students who can do thorough research but by the end of this session, we will be qualified to run a postgraduate school. The process is ongoing.
Can you say the university is on the right path to the realisation of the dreams and vision of the founding fathers?
The university is founded on the principles of the Scriptures, which is the word of God. We are very much committed to the vision of our founding fathers and to continuously do that, we needed to set before us, from time to time, the vision statement; that is our driving force. So, as a university we make it a duty to wholesomely address the soul, the spirit and the body of our stakeholders; staff and students. We don’t want our students to be partially baked; hence it’s holistic.
I want to assure you that our members of staff are doing their best in terms of imparting knowledge, good morals and skills in the students. They also lead by example. AUL has zero tolerance for any act of indiscipline and any student caught involving in such will be sanctioned.
What is the Anchor University Lagos, AUL of your dream?
In the next 10years, we want to be one of the best five universities in Nigeria. Our motto is character, competent and courage, so I took up the courage just as we have been telling our students. What God is planning for AUL is to become a global reference and that He has started already. The vision I have for Anchor University is to become a global reference and I believe God is able to do it.
Why the name Anchor University and not Kumuyi University or Deeper Life University as many might have wanted it?
The name given to the university came out of the vision given to the proprietor and the leadership of the church, that it should be called Anchor University. The founding fathers gave that name to make the university a place where souls of men and women will be anchored on Christ. The name is prophetic.
What do you want to be remembered for after the completion of your tenure?
The two major things I want people to remember about my tenure as the pioneer VC are; to know the possibility of faith in God and the profitability of patience by the grace of God.
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