UNIABUJA establishes students’ employment scheme

WORRIED by the high level graduate unemployment in Nigeria, the authorities of the University of Abuja have established a Students’ Employment Scheme tailored towards engaging students who have distinguished themselves in their academic performance while studying in the university.

The vice chancellor of the university, Professor Abul-Rasheed Na’Allah, who made this known in Abuja, said such students must have a requisite Cumulative Grade Point Average (CGPA) to be employed.

He said: “We have established already Students’ Employment Scheme and we are working on employing many of our students all across the campus. They need to have certain CGPA because we don’t want them to fail.

“It is not a Father Christmas kind of job opportunity. They will have to apply formally and be screened. Even the process of application is a training to know that you have to apply for a job,” he said.

He explained that successful candidates who are found to be good enough to occupy certain positions would be given letters of appointment, wear the badge as staff of the university, and   paid full salaries.

Na’Allah said the objective was to enable them value what it takes for their parents to cater for them while at the same time learn the skills needed in bringing up total human, including the confidence they need to succeed in life.

He further noted that the university is a research-intensive institution, stressing that the University of Abuja Research Council that had been established would help in giving grants to students, while ensuring that research done in the campus is first-rate.

He said: “Very soon, the undergraduate research council will start, because we are going to put money into it. It is like catching them young.”

On linkages with the industry, the vice chancellor said  it is now compulsory for every academic programme of the university, whether English, History, Civil Engineering, or Crop Science, to adopt at least one industry partner.

“The goal of this strategy is to ensure that the industry has influence and impact in the curriculum that we teach in that department. The industries will also benefit from the university in terms of research that would help in improving their products.

“We know that if we begin this and give it two to three years, this nation will see the difference that we as a university will bring to bear in the development of our country,” he said.