Muhammed Taofeeq Ibrahim, Vice Chancellor of Alhikmah University on Saturday recommended that, to effectively address our national needs, our educational system be restructured.
What Nigeria needs in restructuring according to the VC are devolution of funds, to the grassroots for meaningful development, equity, economic development of the country, fairness, and social justice in the administration of it resources, including her people.
“For the Nigerian University System and Academic, we need to move beyond research and publicity as mere evidence of our prowess in Science and literary writing. We need to move on to research with the ability to identify and solve problems confronting humanity, researchers to inform useful and practicable policies, life-impacting technological innovation and development” said Ibrahim
The Vice Chancellor who stated this at the 7th convocation ceremony of the University pointed out that, to tackle the problems of unemployment in Nigeria, “we need to identify our areas of needs, the needs of our markets, our consumption pattern, what products and services are needed, what jobs we need to provide and areas to invest funds for the much-needed progress and development of individuals, families, organisations, institutions, governments, and the country at large.”
Speaking on programmes meant to develop the institution, he disclosed that the University has installed Multi-Media Projectors (MMPs) to sustain and improve quality of teaching and learning in the institution , the programme he said, aimed at providing high level training for students to be digitally prepared to fit and be employable in the very competitive ‘world of work’, just as he noted that the school management was committed to ensure full digital teaching and learning for all students and lecturers.
“Hands have been extensively on deck to maintain and expand hostel accommodation capacity and to improve water supply and electricity.
“We have a budget of N80 million for the construction of hostel accommodation by direct labour in the 2017-2018 academic session. Also, student discipline remains very high up on the University agenda to maintain law, order and peace in the campuses.
“The management remain highly committed to zero tolerance to indiscipline and academic corrupt practices amongst both staff and students, including sexual harassment and abuse and ‘mark-selling’.
Regulations against indecent dressing and unethical behaviours have been strengthened and stiffer punitive measures shall be implemented from coming session”, he warned.
Giving the statistic of total graduating students, he said: “this year we are graduating 916 students across various programmes, departments and faculties. This includes 827 undergraduates, and 89 post graduates. At the undergraduate level, we have 16 (1.9%) first class, 208 (25.15%) second class upper, 434 (52.5%) second class lower, 143 (17.4%) third class and 26 (3.1%) pass.
“The result of the 2017 graduating students has shown a remarkable improvement in students’ academic performance. We are strongly committed to do better by the years until we achieve the elimination of students graduating with poor classes of degrees,” he said
SIKIRAT SHEHU, Ilorin
