Today, Saturday, November 25, 2023, Michael Okpara University of Agriculture, Umudike, Abia State will hold her 11th Convocation Ceremony. Activities marking the Ceremony kicked off on Thursday, November 23, 2023 with a Press Conference addressed by the 6th Vice-Chancellor, Professor Maduebibisi Ofo Iwe, CFS, FNIFST, followed by an inter-denominational convocation thanksgiving service and a novelty football match at the University’s mini stadium.
Yesterday, Friday November 24, 2023 at the Senator Anyim Pius Anyim Auditorium, one of Nigeria’s renowned scientists and Fellow of the Nigeria Academy of Science, a former Vice-Chancellor of Nnamdi Azikiwe University, Awka, Professor Joseph E. Ahaneku, FAS, delivered the University’s 11th Convocation Lecture titled: Mainstreaming Apprenticeship Modelled Learning in a Triple-Helix Fashion in Nigerian Universities – Reflections, Thoughts and Experiences.
At this 11th Convocation Ceremony, Michael Okpara University of Agriculture, Umudike, which is now being reckoned with as a front-line University of Agriculture in Nigeria, shall formally admit eight thousand three hundred and sixty nine, 8369 graduands into their degrees at both the undergraduate and postgraduate levels. Records show that six thousand nine hundred and seventeen, 6917 graduands, would be awarded First Degree while eight hundred and two, 802 others would be awarded Masters Degree.
A total of four hundred and ninety one, 491 graduands would be awarded the Doctor of Philosophy Degree in various areas of specialization. It is noteworthy that one hundred and twenty one, 121 graduands at the First Degree level graduated with First Class honours while one thousand, nine hundred and forty one, 1941 graduated with Second Class honours Upper division.
Apart from the foregoing, Michael Okpara University of Agriculture, Umudike shall use the opportunity of the 11th Convocation Ceremony to take journalists and some special guests through a facility tour of capital projects fast-tracked and completed by the Professor Maduebibisi Ofo Iwe’s administration. The projects include Academic Complexes for the College of Agricultural Economics, Rural Sociology and Extension, College of Veterinary Medicine, and the College of Natural Resources and Environmental Management sponsored by the Petroleum Technology Development Fund (PTDF).
Others are Large Lecture theatres, a now-functional Bread and Biscuit Factory which was a Special Intervention Project by the Tertiary Education Trust Fund, a Water Processing Plant, the rehabilitated University Guest House, Postgraduate Students’ Hostel, just to mention a few.
It is important, at this point, to remark that Michael Okpara University of Agriculture, Umudike, under the visionary leadership of Professor Maduebibisi Ofo Iwe, has restored public confidence in the University, as a reputable institution where due process, fairness and equity are recognized and respected as core values in University administration. In terms of mandate focus, the University has an excellence-driven and problem-solving research culture, and is actively engaged in cutting-edge research in all the disciplines it offers, notably agriculture, sciences, engineering, management and entrepreneurship.
The University is also doing well in teaching and training of students by deploying Information and Communication Technology (ICT) facilities such as e-library, mobile learning and interactive boards, among others, to improve learning standards.
It is heart-warming to note that under Prof. Maduebibisi Ofo Iwe’s watch, the University has not only cleared backlogs of staff appraisals, but has instilled sanity in the way and manner professors are appointed in the University. More so, the University has maintained high academic standards and posted very commendable results in National Universities Commission (NUC) accreditation exercises. In fact, all fifty three programmes of the University have full accreditation. The University is optimistic, that programmes currently facing both NUC’s and other Professional Bodies’ resource verification and accreditation visits would remain positive.
As Michael Okpara University of Agriculture, Umudike holds her 11th Convocation Ceremony, we commend the Vice-Chancellor, Prof. Maduebibisi Ofo Iwe, for providing excellent leadership and fortifying the solid foundation laid by the progenitors of the University.
We also congratulate the graduands for being found worthy in character and learning to be awarded the University’s degrees. We enjoin them to continue to represent the ideals and ethos of the University as they integrate into the larger society.
In conclusion, we commend the Federal Government and several agencies of Government particularly the Tertiary Education Trust Fund, for the support they have consistently given to Michael Okpara University of Agriculture, Umudike to record concrete achievements in line with the mandate of the University.
We also commend the Abia State Government for providing an enabling environment for the University to operate, especially with its host communities. The achievements notwithstanding, the University is still constrained by inadequate funding and depleted workforce in specific areas and disciplines.
We therefore strongly appeal to the Federal Government to release a takeoff grant to the University, which has lingered since establishment 30 years ago. We also appeal to agencies of government, corporate organizations and well-meaning Nigerians to use the occasion of the University’s 11th Convocation Ceremony to partner with the University for growth, development and betterment of the society, and by so doing write their names in gold in the University hall of fame.
TO GOD BE THE GLORY.
Spotlight on the 11th Convocation Ceremony of Michael Okpara University of Agriculture, Umudike, Abia State was written by Dr. Ubadire
