President Goodluck Ebele Jonathan has challenged universities in the country to aspire to join the league of the world’s best 100 universities at the next count, noting that this can be achieved if they diligently pursue academic excellence and eschew rancor.
This is even as he reiterated the government’s commitment to providing the enabling environment and available resources to the universities for the realization of their goals.
The president, represented by the minister of education, Prof. Ruqayyatu Ahmed Rufa’i, made the call at the 9th convocation ceremony of Nnamdi Azikiwe University (UNIZIK), Awka,? Anambra State.
He said no university achieves excellence in the absence of a robust postgraduate programme, adding that one area of concern in our universities system is postgraduate education which is the cornerstone of research and groundbreaking discoveries. He, therefore, called for engagement in high quality research, and teaching.?
Prof. Egboka disclosed that a total of 10,041 students graduated which included the regular, continuing education and sandwich programmes for 2008/2009 and 2009/2010 sessions, while One hundred and fifty-five doctoral degrees, nine hundred and fifty-six? Master’s Degrees and two hundred and thirty-eight postgraduate diplomas were awarded in the two sessions.
Three eminent Nigerians, Dr Chukwuemeka Ezeife, for mer governor of Anambra state, Dr. Ifeanyi Eric Okoye, CEO, JUHEL Pharmaceutical and Mrs. Stella Okoli, MDICEO, Emzor Pharmaceutical company were conferred with Honorary Doctoral Degrees of the university.
Earlier, the chancellor and emir of Ilorin, His Eminence, Alhaji Sulu Gambari, had said that? between the last convocation in 2009 and now, the university had witnessed many positive developments in academic programmes and infrastructure which he attributed to the prudent financial management and hard-work of the out-going governing board, the Vice-Chancellor and his management team, as well as the cooperation of staff and students of the university.
While expressing gratitude to those who have contributed to the developmental stride of the university, the Chancellor appealed to the Federal Government to release the stabilization fund? of the sum of six billion naira to the university.
He said the antecedents of the university as a state university with low level of infrastructure? development prior to its takeover by the federal government in 1992 and its efforts to mobilize benefactors to come to its assistance be encouraged, and the best way to do this is through the provision of the stabilization fund.
The Anambra State governor, Mr. Peter Obi in his address commended the federal government’s drive to reposition the education sector, noting that the country’s attainment of its vision of becoming one of the 20 most developed economies by the year 2020 depended largely on sound educational system.
He appealed to the federal government to come to the aid of UNIZIK in particular and Anambra State in general, saying that the State has done a lot to the country and needed pay back to be able to achieve its developmental strides. He also called on Nigerians to support President Jonathan’s transformation agenda, adding that the country cannot move forward without the cooperation of the citizens.