The Ondo State-owned Adekunle Ajasin University, Akungba-Akoko (AAUA), has produced 32 First-class graduates out of 5,799 students at the 14th convocation ceremony of the institution.
The Vice Chancellor of the university, Prof Olugbenga Ige, who disclosed this on Monday, said 1,444 students bagged second class upper, while 3,177 students got second class lower division, and the remaining 589 students got third class and pass degrees.
Ige said the 32 students who bagged first-class degrees would be given automatic employment as graduate fellows after their National Youth Service if they are interested in remaining in academics.
Apart from 5,251 who are undergraduates with various degrees, Prof Ige said 32 postgraduate students bagged PhD, while 492 bagged master’s, and the other two students got Post Graduate Diploma. He said there would not be an honorary doctoral degree this year.
The Vice Chancellor said the graduates being released into the society are equipped not only with the essential skills required to make meaningful contributions to both national and global development, but also with the entrepreneurial competencies necessary to thrive in an economy that increasingly prioritises private enterprise.
For the first time in 26 years, the Vice Chancellor said the university has started building hostels to accommodate students as a result of accidents and killings happening to students living outside the school premises.
Already, he said the state government has earmarked #500 million for the building of hostels for students while the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC) Hall of residents for students is at the verge of completion. He said the state Oil Producing Area Development Commission (OSOPADEC) would resume the construction of its abandoned project.
Speaking on japa syndrome, Prof Ige lamented brain drain in the university environment because lecturers leave the shores of the country for greener pastures shortly after their employment. He advised the government to increase the salary of academic staff and create a conducive environment for them to thrive.
Since he assumed office as the sixth Vice Chancellor of the AAUA, Ige said he has strengthened staff and student welfare; deepened academic integrity; improved internally generated revenue, fostered innovation; and rebranded the image of the institution for global relevance.
According to him “Our University has not only sustained its reputation as one of the premier state universities in Nigeria but has also advanced notably in research, digital learning, staff development, and community service.”
His words “We have expanded partnerships, modernised infrastructure, and maintained peace and stability on our campus, even in challenging times. None of these achievements would have been possible without the unwavering support of Dr. Lucky Orimisan Aiyedatiwa, Governor of Ondo State and the Visitor to the University, the Governing Council, the Senate, the Management, our dedicated staff and students, our proud alumni, and our host community. ”
As part of the convocation ceremony, Prof Ige said a convocation lecture titled “Strengthening the Academic Tradition in the Nigerian University System,” would be delivered by Professor Idowu Olayinka, former Vice Chancellor of the University of Ibadan.
The Vice Chancellor said all academic programmes of the university have secured 100 per cent accreditation status from the National Universities Commission (NUC) saying the institution has also produced confident, critical, and excellent students who embody the quality of the school’s academic enterprise.
