The overall best graduating student, Mr Ibrahim Kabir Adeyemi and the best graduating student, Miss Asesanya Shade said commitment, dedication, determination and hard work aided them to attain their dreams. 27 students of the university who graduated with first class division ,were offered automatic employment by OUI.
278 students graduated with second class upper division, 216 made second class lower division and eight students fell into the third class category. Other graduates were full of praise to the Almighty for his grace, positing that after the first degree, their job prospects look great.
The Vice Chancellor of the university, Professor Chibuzo Nnate Nwoke said graduates of the institution were well trained to face the world and be successful in life. He added that the graduates of the university are morally upright as the institution has zero tolerance for cultism, hooliganism and other deviant activities, saying that the OUI is destined for greatness.
According to him, “Our focus on building a world class university whose brand is excellent in the development of quality human capital, is steady and unwavering. In fact, we have begun consolidating to claim our destined supreme excellence in tertiary education in Nigeria.”
“We are committed to contributing to the creation of a knowledge economy in Nigeria, by methodically nurturing creative individuals and strategic thinkers, whose intellectual capacities will bring about the revolutionary pace in scientific, technological, entrepreneurial and managerial advancement for human survival and progress,” the VC stated.
During the convocation ceremony, the Deputy President-General of the Supreme Council for Islamic Affairs (NSCIA) Dr Sakariyau Babalola and the Executive Secretary of the Muslim Umah of South West, (MUSWEN) Professor Dawud Noibi were honoured with doctoral degrees.
The convocation lecture titled “The National Question, Ethnic Nationalism and the state of the Nation” was delivered by Professor Gordini Darah, while Professor Akin Oyebode was the Chairman of the convocation lecture. Eminent personalities from all walks of life thronged the OUI campus for the convocation. The institution also used the period to mark its 8th founder’s day with a special prayer and joyful reminiscences ,as the drama troupe of the institution treated the guest to the convocation play titled ‘Efunsetan Aniwura’.
The institution was granted operational licence by the Federal Government on November 3rd, 2009 and commenced academic activities in full swing on 10th January 2010, with two colleges including the College of Natural and Applied Sciences and the College of Management and Social Sciences. All the programmes of the university including Accounting, Banking & Finance, Biochemistry, Business & Administration, Computer & Science, Industrial Chemistry, International Relations, Mass Communication, Microbiology, and Physics are approved by the National University Commission.
Nwoke disclosed that in the second phase of development in the university, the College of Environmental Design and Management as well as the College of Engineering have been developed. His words “The management of the institution plans to expand further by including some disciplines including Law, Education, Theatre Art, Nursing and Basic Medical Sciences. At the moment, the OUI student population is in the neighbourhood of 4,000. OUI also got the approval of the NUC to run postgraduate academic programmes such as PGD; M.Sc, Business Administration, MBA and PGD; M.Sc Accounting and the PGD programmes have taken off.”
The Chancellor of the institution, Chief Ramon Adedoyin said the university placed high premium on academic development of the teaching staff, through regular sponsored courses, seminars and conferences at home and abroad. He said non-academic staff members are also encouraged to develop their skills, either through affiliation with professional bodies, or through sponsored technical workshops and programmes.
Adedoyin said “the welfare of staff and our students is of paramount concern to us. We have set up a scholarship scheme for brilliant indigent students. Our classrooms, lecture theatres and hostels are built with state-of-the-art facilities. We also have a game centre with befitting football field, spacious pavilion, relaxation centres, basket ball court and other facilities for indoor sports such as table tennis, scrabble and chess to engage male and female students. We are marching towards our goal of making the Oduduwa University a world class centre of excellence in the development of human capital for our great country.”
Speaking during the convocation, the state Governor, Mr Rauf Aregbesola commended the founder of the University for contributing to knowledge development, and liberating people from ignorance. Aregbesola who was represented by his deputy, Chief Titilayo-Laoye Tomori said his administration was promoting the provision of quality education, and that the state now has public schools that can compete favourably with the best in the world and are the ones to beat in the country.
