The 11th anniversary of the first Achievers University, Owo has come and gone, but the memories will linger for a long time, especially the lecture given by the Vice-Chancellor of Obafemi Awolowo University (OAU), Ile-Ife, Prof. Eyitope Ogunbodede challenging universities to explore and harvest resources lying fallow in the society. DAMISI OJO writes
Eminent Nigerians, especially from the academia converged on Owo to celebrate the 11th anniversary of the first private tertiary institution in Ondo State, Achievers University, Owo.
At the event, the Vice-Chancellor of Obafemi Awolowo University (OAU), Ile-Ife, Prof. Eyitope Ogunbodede challenged Nigerian universities to explore and harvest resources lying fallow in the society.
In his lecture entitled “University Education in Nigeria: Matters Arising”, Ogunbodede said his university was taking lead in this direction, spreading its tentacles and extending invitation to all those who wished to sow their knowledge and experience into the development of the Nigerian university system.
He said: “It should be noted that each university must carve a niche for itself, achieving some uniqueness, if it must enjoy national and global recognition.
“In a fast-changing and challenging world ruled by vision, clarity of mission and creativity, developing efficient, relevant and functional education system has become the linchpin of socio-economic development.
“There is a retinue of skills, knowledge and experience outside the university that can be tapped,” he said.
The don emphasised that enterprising from primary schools to tertiary education should not be taken lightly.
“How would you graduate and you cannot do something on your own for survival?
“Our universities should change the orientation of our education and be proactive,” he said.
He decried the use of archaic curriculum, saying it would not work in present-day Nigeria.
Ogunbodede enjoined the Federal Government to include private universities as beneficiaries of TETFUND, saying that the students there were Nigerians as well.
Ogunbodede said a time would soon come when private universities would take the lead in Nigerian tertiary education system as is being experienced in primary and secondary school education.
“Government will be caught unawares if it is not sensitive to this move. The decay that affected the public primary and secondary schools is now rapidly creeping into our public tertiary institutions. This aberration should never have been allowed in the universities.
“A university is meant, among others, to generally cultivate the mental skills of both members of staff and students, to symbolise and maintain in the society the respect for intellectual excellence, truth, honesty, curiosity and inquisitiveness,” he stated.
Ogunmodede noted that it would be deceitful if we believe that the educational system could achieve its optimal level without attaining sanity in the general society.
The Vice-Chancellor of Achievers’ University, Prof. Tunji Ibiyemi said the institution currently has 1,700 students with 13 members of staff at the professors’ level and three readers.
He said the university had produced eight sets of graduates with 11 courses fully accredited with Nursing Sciences, including other three courses temporarily accredited.
According to him, the institution began officially in 2008 with two colleges, adding that it has now College of Law, including other three colleges and School of Post-graduate Studies.
The Chairman of the occasion, Archbishop of Ondo Ecclesiastical Province, Prof. George Latunji Lasebikan, said the university was bound to be successful because it was founded on Christian faith and belief.
The Pro-Chancellor and Chairman Governing Council of Achievers’ University, Dr. Bode Ayorinde said he established the institution in his country home for the love he had for the community.
Ayorinde, who is also a member representing Owo/Ose Federal Constituency in the House of Representatives, noted that no financial assistance had been given to the school from any government.
He added that only two individuals from the community had extended financial help to the school, urging Owo and the state indigenes to come to the aid of the institution being a first private university in the state.
Ayorinde said the focus of the institution was to improve its facilities and compete favourably on researches and quality output with first generation private universities in the world.
According to him, many academic programmes of the school are run in the post-graduate studies of the institution.
His words: “We have tremendous support from the community, members of staff, students and most importantly, from God.
“Our developmental plan for our 15th anniversary is to start doing more research, to compete with first generation world private universities.
“Currently, we are running post-graduate school studies because, at 15, we are rolling out the drums to ensure the National Universities Commission’s (NUC) mandate.
Parents and other eminent guests spoke glowingly about the initiator of the university, which they said would fulfill its vision and mission soonest.
Funds were raised for the construction of the university’s chapel.
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