- Says Achievers University ranks 16th in Nigeria
- Asks FG to extend TETFund to private universities
By Banji Ayoola
The Vice Chancellor of Achievers University, Owo, Ondo State, Nigeria, Prof Tunji Ibiyemi on Saturday reeled out the giant strides that the university has taken in its 11 years of existence.
He spoke at the university during its 11th Foundation anniversary and launching of a N100 million chapel building fundraising.
Most remarkably, he disclosed that Achievers University now ranks 16th among Nigeria’s public and private universities.
Prof Ibiyemi attributed the milestones to the vision and doggedness of its Founder and Pro Chancellor, Dr. Bode Ayorinde, on whom he showered profound appreciation.
Besides, the Vice Chancellor, an Engineer, appealed to the Federal Government to make TETFund available to the university and other private universities like their public counterparts, to galvanise the nation’s technological development.
According to him, the university, which took off with two colleges – College of Natural and Applied Sciences and College of Social and Management Science and 12 undergraduate programmes, now has four colleges including those of Engineering, and Law, and 24 undergraduate programmes, including Nursing.
He said that of the 15 programmes visited for accreditation by the Nigerian Universities Commission, NUC, 11 have full accreditation while the three others have interim accreditation.
The remaining programmes are not due for visitation, but all the 24 programmes have NUC’s take-off approval, he said; adding that the university has matriculated 12 sets of students, and graduated eight sets.
Also, the Vice Chancellor said that the University has started postgraduate programmes in Accounting, Computer Science, and Business Administration; while the first set of M.Sc. in these three programmes are almost rounding up in record time; and admission into the second set is ongoing.
He said that today, the University can boast of 13 professors and three readers (Associate Professors) among other competent and high ranking academic staff; while student population is about 1,700.
He also spoke of the feat in Mechatronic Engineering, noting that the university is one of the three private universities in the country offering the programme.
Prof Ibiyemi listed the undergraduate programmes being run by the institution as Accounting, Banking and Finance, Business Administration, Criminology and Security Studies, Economics, International Relations, Mass Communication, Political Science, Sociology, Biochemistry, Industrial Chemistry and Computer Science.
Others are Geology, Microbiology, Medical Laboratory Science, Nursing Science, Biomedical Engineering, Computer Engineering, Electrical and Electronics Engineering, Mechatronics Engineering, Telecommunications Engineering and Law.
On the N100 million chapel building fund launched at the occasion, he said that Achievers University, Owo is founded on Christian faith for inspiration, provision and operation.
He thanked the Council and particularly the Founder and Pro Chancellor for providing a conducive environment for learning and research despite available meagre resources.
In his own speech, Chairman of the occasion, the retired Archbishop of Ondo Ecclesiastical Province, the Most Revd. Prof Latunji Lasebikan believed strongly that Achievers University would make a difference in view of its foundation on Christian faith.
The University’s products who are well grounded in their specific academic or professional disciplines and entrepreneurial studies, are making exemplary contributions to grow Nigeria’s economy.
It was established with the vision to be the best university in Africa and indeed among the best in the world, Achievers University, Owo aims to produce a total person, morally sound, properly educated and entrepreneurially oriented, who would be useful to himself and the society.
