Gov Abdulrasak lauds Thomas Adewumi University on development strides

•founder calls for government encouragement

Governor Abdulrahman Abdulrazaq of Kwara State lauded the pace of academic and infrastructural development of Thomas Adewumi University (TAU), Oko-Irese, within the period of its establishment.

The varsity founded three years ago, the weekend, matriculates 171 students for a new academic session.

Speaking at the third matriculation ceremony of the institution, the governor, represented by the acting Vice-Chancellor of the Kwara State University (KWASU), Professor Lukman Jimoh, said that “As a lover of education, I take a keen interest in monitoring the progress of all the tertiary institutions in our beloved state and I wish to say that Thomas Adewumi is one of the fastest growing private universities in Nigeria.

“I’m also aware of your collaboration with other best institutions across the globe. I express my congratulations to the founder, Engineer (Dr.) Johnson Adewumi, who also doubles as Chancellor for the Kwara State-owned University, the governing council, Vice-Chancellor, staff, and students of this great citadel of learning”.

In his goodwill message, the founder of the University, Dr Thomas Adewumi urged them to pay attention to their oath-taking.

“My advice to the matriculating students is to pay attention to the oath taken today. The oath dictates exactly what they need to do to be able to graduate from this university and to get to their goal. The aim of the students is not just to register but to graduate and they have to abide by the rules and the regulations.”

The founder also called on the Nigerian government to encourage players in private education to do more, saying that those who invested in education either as a university or secondary school did not do so for profit-making.

“The government has to support them and know that these are the people that are actually building the nation. They could have built a hotel or factory with their money. But when you invest in human capital development; it’s the best.

“There is no encouragement for private enterprise education and I think that is something we have to interact with our legislatures and to ensure that private universities are also given encouragement. Private universities are playing a crucial role and without private universities, there is no way a government could have given millions of Nigerian youth education.”

Adewumi also lauded the Nigerian University Commission (NUC) for working hard to maintain the standard of university education in the country.

Earlier in her opening speech, titled ‘Building on a proud legacy’, the Vice-Chancellor of the university, Professor Francisca Oladipo, said that as a young institution, the school is currently changing the faces of teaching and learning, “by bringing limitless possibilities to aspiring students and their parents through affordable quality education.

“In a little over two years, we have risen to emerge as Nigeria’s fastest-growing learning ecosystem in Science, Technology, Engineering, Medicine, and Innovations (STEM-i), according to the special 20th Anniversary Edition of the January 2023 Webometrics Ranking of World Universities.

“We were ranked the best among the 20 universities established in 2021, 11th out of all the 111 private universities in Nigeria. Taking a huge leap from 173rd place last year, we now rank 61st in Nigeria and fourth out of the nine universities in Kwara state.

“To our new students, I want to extend a warm and heartfelt welcome and congratulate all 171 of you. You have been found worthy and admitted to the various programmes run by this young and promising institution.”

The VC also said that in addition to the regular programme of study, TAU has introduced a requirement of two industry-based certifications-minimum, which must be completed before graduation.

Chairman of the Parents Association, Professor Gbenga Ibileye, eulogised TAU for its sterling achievements within one year.

“Your accomplishments within one year is a footprint, and it will continue to be a footprint in the sand of time.”

Chairman of TAU Governing Council, Professor Emeritus Victor Olanrewaju, praised the founder for investing in humanity.

“God has blessed you, Adewumi, the same God is using you to extend blessings to others,” he said.

Also, one of the parents of the matriculating students, Mr. Oyawoye Abiodun, said “Based on the antecedents of the Thomas Adewumi secondary school, we all know what the College has been able to produce in Nigeria when we talk of quality education and that is the reason we chose this university.

“Although they are new to the investigation done before coming here and this conducive environment, we believe we are on the right path. Yes, their fees might be a little bit on the high side but based on incessant ASUU strikes, we still believe that we will get value for our money here,” he said.

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