No fewer than 53 graduands of the Adekunle Ajasin University, Akungba-Akoko (AAUA), Ondo state, made First Class out of a total 5,145 graduating sets of 2018/2019 and 2019/2020 academic sessions.
The 53 First Class students would be among the 5,145 graduating students from various departments of the University, to be awarded Bachelor’s Degrees at the forthcoming 10th and 11th convocation ceremonies of the institution.
The Vice-Chancellor of the University, Prof. Olugbenga Ige who disclosed this on Monday while briefing journalists on the activities lined up for the combined convocation ceremonies for 2018/2019 and 2019/2020 academic sessions, also revealed that of the total 5,145 graduands, 1,511 earned Second Class (Upper Division), 2861 bagged Second Class (Lower Division), 667 had Third Class, while 40, are in the Pass category.
The VC was joined by principal officers and other Senior staff of the university. Prof Ige said the convocation ceremonies which started on Friday, December 3, with Jumat Service, would be rounded off this Saturday, December 11.
The Convocation lecture, titled, “Nature of State, National Ideology and Modelling of Higher Education for Sustaining Development”, will be delivered on Thursday December 9, by a world-class professor and current President of the Nigerian Academy of Letters, Professors Francis Egbokhare, from the Department of Linguistics and African Languages, University of Ibadan.
” On Friday, we shall confer First Degree on graduands in Faculty of Education, Faculty of Social and Management Sciences, Institute Education and Institute of Part-Time Programmes. The grand-finale comes up on Saturday, December 11 when we shall confer First Degrees on graduands in the Facilities of Agriculture, Arts, Law and Science. There will also be conferment of Higher Degrees and Postgraduate Diplomas; Honorary Degree; and Presentation of Prizes”, he added.
A former Chairman of First Bank of Nigeria and business magnet, Mrs. Ibukun Awosika will also be conferred with Doctor of Business Administration (Honoris Causa) of Adekunle Ajasin University, Akungba Akoko.
The VC also added that there are 356 graduands receiving postgraduate degrees, 25 of whom are in the Ph.D. category, the highest in the history of the University, saying he is committed to the vision and mission of the founding fathers of the University.
Prof Ige encouraged the well-to-do individuals and corporate organisations to join in the developmental project, just as he called on the alumni of the institution to continue to work and bring more development to the University.
He added, “Because we have improved on our presence on the Web, especially in terms of the quality of our academic programmes and research, AAUA has been rated the Best State University in Nigeria in last three years consecutively in the annual Webometrics Ranking. Of course, there is no el-dorado in this for us as we are in a hurry to be the best in Nigeria and take a prominent position globally”.
Speaking on the researchand development activities in the institution, the VC noted that apart from the Centre for Infectious Diseases Control and Drugs Development which is at the forefront of human capacity development through workshop and training programmes, the University 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.
“We have deliberately reinvigorated our Centre for Entrepreneurship Development. The Centre is now more focused on the practical aspect of entrepreneurship. Our students and interested members of the public are being trained on production of various domestic needs, including shoe and belt making, fabrics sewing, nylon and soap production and pastry production.
“The University has not abandoned its promises to support students through the Students’ Support Centre, which administers and oversees scholarships and financial aid to a variety of students, including gifted, indigent, and physically challenged students.
“Under the terms of the agreement, the University will cover half of the school expenses for all physically challenged students, while the best students in each Department with a CGPA in the first-class range will get a scholarship at the end of the academic year.
“Indigent students who are unable to pay their school fees can get a loan for around a third of their expenses. The institution’s Governing Council members made a donation of about five million naira to cater for the students in this category.
“We have also recently reintroduced and engaged students for our Student Work-Study Scheme. The programme permits willing students to work for two hours each day on campus while studying and be paid at the conclusion of each semester. Yet, we have encouraged our students to hone their skills in all ramifications, especially in the areas of innovation, sports, entertainment and artistic performances.
“We are happy that our efforts are yielding good results. Just two months ago, the University Football team, known as the AAUA Luminaries, finished first runners-up nationally in the maiden Higher Institutions Football League. There were also individual wins for our students, including Best Goalkeeper Award and Best Goal of the Competition Award.
“Just recently, Oluwadamilola Akintewe, a female student in the Faculty of Law, was named among the top 10 finalists for the Cheggord Global Student Prize, 2021: a $100,000 award to be given to one exceptional student that has made a real impact on learning and the society.
“The latest innovation by some of our students is the invention of a robotic dog, which is the first of its kind in the entire country. These kind of lofty feats have earned Adekunle Ajasin University the rating of Primus Inter Pares among her peers in Nigeria.
“Today, the University is among the top 10 in Nigeria and one of the best 45 in Africa. It is our desire to bring all students to campus as over 90 per cent of them live off campus. Thus, we have reviewed our Build, Operate and Transfer (BOT) policy and made it flexible for individuals, corporate bodies and philanthropists to come build student hostels on our campus.
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