- Prof Gambari, Indimi, others bag honourary degrees
Kwara state Governor AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq on Saturday said his administration has secured funding for the completion of the two campuses of the state university at Osi and Ilesha Baruba.
Completing the two campuses will open up the state, create new economic centres, and boost search for knowledge and inquiry in the state, the Governor.
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The Governor was speaking at the combined 8th and 9th convocation ceremony of the Kwara State University, Malete, in Moro local government area of the state.
“Our administration has secured funding to complete the satellite campuses of KWASU at Osi and Ilesha Baruba by next year. This will not only grow the university in terms of the number of faculties and students, it will also help to open up those two communities, tackle rural-urban migration, and create new fertile grounds for intellectual and socioeconomic growth,” he said.
AbdulRazaq commended the university for its commitment to research and community service, saying: “Two different events have recently told the success story that KWASU has become. The first was a short video showing a team from the institution teaching some secondary school students in Irepodun the art of making documentaries. In it, we saw how those students then did a beautiful documentary of their own.
“The second cheering news was the inspiring story of two students, who designed a light engine aircraft. The big deal is that these students and their supervisors are going ahead to invent a technology that immediately contaminates the aviation fuel and reduces explosion when an aircraft crashes. When this succeeds, it opens a new chapter in aviation history and places Kwara on the global map of invention.
“What these confirm is that KWASU has truly become a university of community impact. I congratulate the university for this steady growth. It is my hope that the school will continue along this path. We will always support you.”
The convocation ceremony also served to confer honourary awards on some prominent citizens, including the Chief of Staff to the President Prof. Ibrahim Agboola Gambari; billionaire philanthropist Muhammadu Indimi (OFR); Chairman BUA Group, Alhaji AbdulSamad Rabiu; and Mr. Babatunde Jolayemi Omotowa; in appreciation of their humanitarian works and outstanding contributions to national development.
The Governor acknowledged the exceptional feats of the awardees, which he said explained their recognition by the university.
“To our graduates, we hope to see you at the top soon. Always remember that you are from Malete, where you have been molded to make positive impacts in your communities. I urge you to be great ambassadors of this school. May God see you through,” the Governor added.
Dignitaries who attended the two-pronged event included Governor of Borno State Prof. Babagana Umara Zulum; Indimi (OFR); Senator Ali Ndume; Senator Umar Sadiq (Kwara North); Secretary to the State Government, Prof. Mamman Saba Jibril; Chairman KAM Wire Nig. Ltd, Alhaji Kamardeen Yusuf; KWASU Chancellor Engr. Johnson Adewumi; former Vice Chancellor of Unilorin and APC Chieftain Prof. Oba AbdulRaheem; and Chairman YOLAS Consultancy Engr. Lanre Shagaya.
Royal fathers at the ceremonies were the Shehu of Borno, Alhaji Abubakar Ibn Umar El-Kanemi; representative of the Emir of Ilorin Alhaji Aliyu Adebayo Muhammed; Olupo of Ajase Ipo Oba Ismaila Yahaya Atoloye Alebiosu; Olosi of Osi Oba Saliu Abdulkareem Adasofegbe.
Professor Gambari was represented by Prof. S.O. Adeyemi.
Adewumi, KWASU Chancellor, said the university has excelled on the basis of satisfying some of the indices of world-class university through teaching, research and community service.
He thanked AbdulRazaq for the unwavering support the institution enjoys from his administration, urging private sector to also support the institution in its pursuit of academic excellence.
KWASU Vice Chancellor Prof. Muhammad Mustapha Akanbi (SAN) said the school is fast growing under his stewardship in terms of academic growth, community development and staff welfare.
Not less than 16 new programmes have been developed to expand the frontiers of knowledge and human ingenuity, according to the vice chancellor
“In the effort to further expand the University’s academic programmes, 16 new programmes have been developed by the University and are awaiting resource verification by the NUC. These proposed programmes have the combined capacity to generate the much-needed human resources in the diverse areas of their focus, which will in turn drive national growth,” he added.
Akanbi said the institution was one of the few tertiary institutions that ran uninterrupted sessions in the heat of the COVID-19 lockdowns (using virtual platforms).
The combined convocation produced 6,620 First Degree earners, 98 of whom bagged first class, he added.
The convocation also recorded 400 second degree earners and 60 successful doctoral (PhD) thesis writers, cutting across 2019 to 2021 sessions, according to the Vice Chancellor.
Prof. Akanbi thanked AbdulRazaq for supporting the school to attain new heights, urging the government for more support in the coming years.
Rafiu Ajakaye
Chief Press Secretary to the Governor
December 11, 2021
