By Okhide Em’ya David
Igbinedion University, Okada, Edo State of Nigeria has constituted a COVID-19 research team to examine the use of local herbs for combating the virus.
The Chancellor of the University and Esama of Benin, Chief (Dr.) Gabriel Osawaru Igbinedion made the disclosure while addressing graduands and guests at the 18th Convocation of the university.
Chief Igbinedion said the decision arose from the fact that the university does not want to be left out of the global search of a cure for the novel disease.
The team, according to him, is comprised of seasoned researchers from the College of pharmacy as well as the Department of Biological Sciences and Chemistry.
The Chancellor, whose address was read by the Deputy Chancellor and two -time Governor of Edo State, Chief Lucky Nosakhare Igbinedion, said the team’s effort has attracted the desired support from some local and foreign institutions, including the Central Bank of Nigeria.
He expressed the confidence that with the crop of experts in the research team in collaboration with international counterparts they can boldly proclaim that solution to the novel pandemic is in sight.
He said during last year’s convocation he had set major goal for the university to internationalize its study curriculum to better equip the students for global challenges, adding that he was glad to announce that the goal has continued to compete favorably.
The Esama said the university was currently addressing critical phase by building capacity through entrepreneurship, an idea which will ensure that every graduate from the university is trained on a skill that would make him or her self-reliant and ultimately become an employer of labor.
It is instructive, he noted, that the university is the first to blaze the trail in entrepreneurship education as an academic discipline.
The Chancellor how expressed regret that no Nigerian University made the first one hundred in the recent world universities ranking promising that the Board of Regents of the IUO, is consequently committed to ensure that the school is within the top ten universities in Africa in the very near future.
He said towards that goal they are determined to commit additional funds to the University for upgrading of facilities, enhanced research and development as well as training and retraining of staff.
He added that it was their expectations that the University will in the next ten years make the top best hundred universities in the world and enjoined the management to work assiduously towards achieving such goal.
The Esama assured that they will continue to partner with stakeholders to assist in making Igbinedion University a foremost global citadel of learning through advancing knowledge and creating opportunities.
The Pro-chancellor of the University, Professor Sheikh Ahmed Abdullah said the fact that guests were able to join the Convocation ceremony via Zoom and other live streaming platforms was a confirmation that they have together weathered the Covid 19 global pandemic storm which has continued to ravage the world since February.
Professor Abdullah commended the Vice Chancellor of the university, Prof. Lawrence Ikechukwu Ezemomye and his team who, despite the Covid 19 lockdown leveraged on the institution’s smart campus internet to conduct online teaching culminating in the successful conclusion of academic sessions, as well as make the institution maintain the sanctity of permanent study calendar, a legacy which the university will not compromise.
He commended the graduands on their successes especially those who went extra mile to excel in their studies which earned them deserving prizes and urged them to join fifteen thousand others in lifting the banner of the university to sublime heights.
The Pro-chancellor said the university in its tradition will continue to monitor the success and performance of its graduates in their life journey by virtue of inherent bonding between the student and university.
Professor Sheikh Ahmed Abdullah announced that in over two decades the university has produced world class professionals, politicians, academics and those in other fields of human endeavors who are making waves in their various callings, both locally and internationally. He remarked that it is uncommon feat which reflects the quality of teaching and learning at the university.
He said on the part of the governing council, they shall continue to ensure the production of highly qualified skilled graduates by empowering the faculty and administrative units in all ramifications.
He recalled a recent retreat of council, management, provost Deans and Directors, to chart a way forward towards global competitiveness, the outcome which, according to him, is already being implemented.
The Vice Chancellor of the university, Professor Lawrence Ikechukwu Ezemonyi, said Covid 19 came as a surprise test which caught many institutions napping with attendant uncertainties and distractions of high magnitude.
The Vice Chancellor paid glowing tributes to the Chancellor of the university, the Esama of Benin, Sir Chief (Dr.) Gabriel Osawaru Igbinedion for his constant guide, unfailing support and the goodwill he has been privileged to enjoy under his astute leadership.
Ezemonyi said graduates from the university have continued to break records saying recently one of their first class law graduates, Mr. Abdultasheed Bolaji Ijaodola was the only law graduate from a private university to make first class at the last concluded law school examinations.
He added that in a quick succession a first class law graduate of the university, Professor Sunday Damilola Olawuyi, who also made first class at the School, has become the first graduate from a private university to become Senior Advocate of Nigeria, SAN.
The Vice Chancellor said the Covid 19 pandemic has opened new teaching mythology and problem solving in the university, and listed some of the proactive interventions to include design and construction of mechanical foot operated sanitizer dispensers, by the college of engineering, complete design and production of walk-through disinfectant Booth with automatic temperature check and sanitizer unit by the college of Engineering.
He said there was also production of barrels of Bleach (Chlorine Solutions) and hand washing liquid soap by the department of Chemistry, College of natural and applied Sciences for cleaning of surfaces as well as production of hand Sanitizers by the college of Pharmacy for free distribution to members of the university Community.
His words: “Residents on campus and environs also received over two thousand face masks produced by the University, while at the instance of the Chancellor and as part of corporate social responsibility, the University distributed vast quantities of food items, branded face masks, sanitizers to the Okada Community as a whole.”
The Vice Chancellor said the University was in the process of securing National University’s Commission approval to operate an open and distance learning programs while the Council for the regulation of Engineering in Nigeria (COREN) has approved full accreditation for four engineering programs including, Electrical/Electronics, Civil, Mechanical, and Computer Engineering valid for five years.
“Sociology and Anthropology programmes also received full accreditation from NUC for five years.”
Other achievements in the year under review include, upgrading and introduction of new academic programs, boost in internally generated revenue, infrastructural and learning facilities, ICT upgrade, council retreat, research and innovation, research proposal grant for the management of covid 19, to the tune of forty million, five hundred and fifty thousand Naira, as well as introduction of ” Webinars ” in its meetings which drew participants from across the globe.
The Vice Chancellor said the internationalization and partnership drive have yielded partnership with European Union, Liverpool John Moor University, Lancaster University, Manchester Metropolitan University, ( all in UK), online international career enhancement program, renewed collaboration with John C. Edwards School of Medicine, Marshall University, USA, and Austrian-African Research Network.
In a lecture titled: ” Navigating the Entrepreneurial – Employability Waters: Building Resilience in the Fourth Industrial Revolution (4IR),” The guest Lecturer, Dr. (Mrs.) Ajoritsedere J Awosika highlighted the crucial needs for undergraduates to get outside their main study curriculum, acquire entrepreneurial traditional will, and while out of school take bold steps to utilize such skills through investment, thereby boosting the business space in the country and worldwide.
In her remark the best graduating Student, Adeola Adejomoke observed that her four-year stay at the university was profoundly challenging as each page of study brought her close to why the institution is rated so high amongst contemporaries, but that with determination they all survived.
Adeola Adejomoke encouraged all the graduands to sustain the struggle to excel even in the outside world and become worthy ambassadors.
The Igbinedion University, Okada has since inception graduated over fifteen thousand undergraduates and postgraduates.
The eighteenth convocation witnessed the graduation of six hundred and eighteen students, with five hundred and fifty three undergraduates and sixty five postgraduates.
Twenty six are Ph.D., thirty four Master of Science Degrees, and five Post graduate Diplomas.
The graduates are spread across the seven colleges of the university, with sixteen passing in first class, one hundred and seventy seven in second class upper division, two hundred and forty one students in second class, lower division.
There were one hundred and nineteen students who passed under unclassified bachelor’s degrees.
Highlights of the convocation ceremony was the presentation of the Degrees to the Graduands, with the first degrees presented by the university’s Deputy Chancellor and two-time Governor of Edo State, Chief Lucky Nosakhare Igbinedion.
The Master’s degrees and Post graduate diplomas were presented by the Pro Chancellor, Professor Sheikh Ahmed Abdullah, while the Doctorate Degrees were presented by the Chancellor, of the university and Esama of Benin, Chief Gabriel Osawaru Igbinedion.
