The Pro-Chancellor and Chairman of the Governing Council of the Ekiti State University, Ado-Ekiti, Mr. Dele Adesina, SAN, has admonished Nigerian universities to change focus and channel their energies and resources to productive ventures.
This, he said, would positively affect their immediate communities and the Nigerian people generally.
“Universities in the country must henceforth be in the forefront of the nation’s development,” he said.
Adesina said this during the visit of the university management to his office in Lagos.
He was appointed as the institution’s pro-chancellor two weeks ago.
The university team was led by its Vice Chancellor, Prof Samuel Oye Bandele. Others in the team included the Deputy Vice Chancellor, Prof. Oluwaleye; Registrar, Mr. Akin Arogundade; Bursar, Mr. Amos Taiwo; Librarian, Mr. Nathaniel Ajayi; and Acting Director of Information and Corporate Affairs, Ajibade Olubunmi.
In his welcome address, Adesina said it would no longer be business as usual as he expected the university to be innovations and ideals-driven.
“EKSU must be recognised by the ideals that Ekiti State is known for. We are known for quality education. Parents all over Nigeria used to bring their children to Ekiti to study, even at secondary schools level. The university, therefore, must focus on productive ventures. There must be accountability and probity. Students must not only live together, they must also live well.”
He said that by its nature, universities were designed to solve the problems of their societies, adding that EKSU, therefore, must be in the forefront of the institutions that could solve Nigeria’s problems through creative thinking and products that could solve societal problems.
“We must not fail our people. Let us plan to succeed together. We must learn to work together to achieve our set goals without minding who gets the accolade. I want you to know that I am fully committed to these ideals,” he added.
The Vice Chancellor, Prof Bandele, gave an executive summary of the prospects and challenges facing the university.
He informed the Pro-Chancellor that the university currently had 20,000 students, eight faculties, 51 Departments and disclosed that the National Universities Commission had just approved 11 new programmes for the institution.
