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Tag: Igbinedion University

  • Igbinedion University appoints Chairman of governing council

    Igbinedion University appoints Chairman of governing council

    Igbinedion University, Okada, Edo, on Thursday inaugurated its 7th Governing Council, appointing renowned academic and pharmacist, Prof. Ahmed Mora, as the new Pro-Chancellor and Chairman of Council.

    Mora, a former Chairman of the Pharmacists Council of Nigeria, has served on several university governing boards, including that of Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria.

    The inauguration ceremony, held in Benin, was presided over by the university’s Chancellor, Chief Gabriel Igbinedion, who was represented by his son and Deputy Chancellor, Chief Lucky Igbinedion.

    In his remarks, the Chancellor praised the outgoing 6th Council for its “uncommon diligence and commitment,” which, he said, contributed significantly to maintaining the institution’s status as a leading private university in Nigeria.

    He highlighted some of the council’s key achievements, including the development of a five-year strategic plan, inauguration of an oil palm mill, establishment of a 70-room hotel, and the successful execution of the university’s 25th anniversary celebration.

    “We are indebted to the sixth council for their invaluable contributions to the enviable position of Igbinedion University within Nigeria’s tertiary education landscape.

    “This serves as both an inspiration and a challenge to the seventh council which we are inaugurating today,” he said.

    According to him, every council member has been carefully chosen based on the antecedents and the value they bring.

    Igbinedion announced Mora as the Pro-Chancellor and the council chairman, and Charles Uwensuyi-Edosomwan as deputy Pro-Chancellor.

    In his acceptance speech, Mora expressed surprise and humility at his appointment, describing the appointment as a collective responsibility.

    “Honestly speaking, I don’t know what to say. I was asking someone to pinch me to confirm I wasn’t dreaming,” he said.

    “This is a collective responsibility. It’s just being one among equals. We will all work together,” he said.

    Mora said he looked forward to working with the council and university’s management to build on its achievements.

    “This is a private university. No ASUU. When we say we start on the 12th, we start on the 12th. That’s one of the beauties of this system,” he noted.

  • Why I established Igbinedion University – Esama of Benin

    Why I established Igbinedion University – Esama of Benin

    The Esama of Benin, Chief Gabriel Igbinedion says the desire to bequeath high quality university education to Nigerian children, runs without interruption, led him to establish Igbinedion University, Okada in 1999.

    Igbinedion said this in Okada, Edo on Wednesday in his remark at the birthday lecture organised by the university to mark his 90th birthday.

    The Benin high chief, who was represented by his son and former governor of Edo, Lucky Igbenedion, stated that the desire aligned with the need at the time.

    According to him, uninterrupted university education was more desirable to accelerate the production of high level manpower required to galvanise the socio-political and economic development of a country.

    Igbinedion, who is also the chancellor of Nigeria’s premier private university noted, however, that the occasion was not just a personal milestone but a testament to the collective efforts and achievements of the entire university community.

    “This also aligns with the need at the time. Since inception, the university has continued to record remarkable successes in the areas of teaching and research, capacity building and innovation.

    “The University has produced high quality graduates in different fields of human endeavours who are contributing their quota to national and global development,” he said.

    Delivering the lecture, Dr Charles Uwensuyi-Edosomwan, a Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN), described Igbinedion, who is the Esama of Benin, as a great man of limitless and unfathomable girth.

    The lecture was titled: Synoptic Narrative of a Legendary Entrepreneur.

    According to the guest lecturer, Chief Igbinedion’s trailblazing travels of his life do not bear any cares for the undaunting, but indeed the daunting paths.

    “He is totally unafraid of any difficulties and does not succumb to them if they stand in the way of his objectives.

    “For bravery and fearlessness, the Esama is overdosed where ordinary men would want to tread cautiously.

    “To recount the story of the Esama, one must realize that indeed he grew and became one of the mightiest trees in the forest that once sprouted as a small shoot,” Uwensuyi-Edosomwan said.

    Prof. Lawrence Ezemonye, Vice Chancellor of the university, described the proprietor as a beacon of wisdom and a pillar of strength for the pursuit of academic excellence and societal progress in Nigeria.

    Ezemonye noted that the lecture was not just a celebration of a milestone in years and commemoration of a legacy of Chief Igbinedion’s vision, but also marked the university’s 25 years of phenomenal existence.

    “The significance of this year’s birthday lecture lies in the fact that it is happening at the same time that the university is celebrating its 25 years of phenomenal existence.

    “Therefore, today’s lecture is not just a celebration of a milestone in years but a commemoration of a legacy of leadership, vision, and dedication that has profoundly shaped our great university in the last 25 years.

    “Our esteemed Honourable Chancellor has been more than a Chancellor to us, and has been a beacon of wisdom, a pillar of strength, and a guiding light in our shared pursuit of academic excellence and societal progress,” he said.

  • Igbinedion varsity blazes the trail, to start manufacturing of electric vehicles in Nig

    Igbinedion varsity blazes the trail, to start manufacturing of electric vehicles in Nig

    …bags various international and local awards

    …establishes centre for long distance learning

    …graduates 842 students with 36 bagging First Class

    Nigeria’s premier private varsity, Igbinedion University, Okada, IUO in Edo State has blazed the trail by venturing into manufacturing of electric vehicles to help Nigerians save cost as prices of fuel continues to soar.

    This disclosure was made by the varsity’s Vice Chancellor, Professor Lawrence Ezemonye during its 21st convocation at the weekend.

    Prof Ezemonye revealed that the design and fabrication that would lead to the production of the vehicles were ongoing.

    He said: “Research, development, and innovation are critical to scholarship and knowledge production. The university’s efforts in this regard received a boost with the ongoing design and fabrication of Light Weight Electric Minibus, which will ultimately lead to the manufacture of lightweight vehicles.

    On the Long Distance Learning Centre, the VC said: “I am pleased to announce that the University now has a Centre for Distance Learning.  The establishment of the Centre followed a recent successful resource verification visit by the National Universities Commission

    “The Centre for Distance Learning has taken off with B.Sc. Accounting.  Other programmes which will soon be introduced under the second phase include B.Sc. Nursing Sciences, B.Sc. Computer Science, Master in Business Administration (MBA), Master in Public Health (MPA), etc.

    “To the graduands, Prof Ezemonye said: “wish to specially congratulate the graduating students.  Convocation offers a chance to celebrate hardwork and academic triumphs of all graduates. Today therefore marks a particularly important accomplishment in your lives, a culmination of your relentless hard work, sacrifice and dedication.  It symbolizes the dividing line between the past and the future.  The past you end today is your campus life; the future you will begin tomorrow as global leaders.

    “The University has since inception graduated over sixteen thousand undergraduate and postgraduate students.  At this Convocation Ceremony, another batch of 842 students comprising 691 undergraduate and 151 postgraduate students will be added to the list of distinguished graduates spread across the seven Colleges. The breakdown of the undergraduate students show that 36 are in First Class; 299 students in Second Class Upper Division; and 205 Second Class Lower Division.

    ” There is none in Third Class, while 150 earned unclassified degrees (Medicine & Surgery and Pharmacy).  Significantly, out of the graduating students in this category, 4 had distinctions in Community Medicine, while 3 made distinctions in Pharmacy.  In the postgraduate category, 51 are for Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) degree, 93 for Masters’ degree and 7 for Postgraduate Diploma.

    “As you join the select list of IUO distinguished alumni, I admonish you to be grateful to God, to your families, your sponsors and the university.  Be thankful to your lecturers and mentors as well, for equipping you with knowledge, skills and competences that will enable you to navigate the world of business and industry and make your own contribution to mankind.

  • Why I established first private university in Nigeria – Igbinedion

    Why I established first private university in Nigeria – Igbinedion

    Chief Gabriel Igbinedion, founder, Igbinedion University (IOU), Okada, Edo, on Thursday disclosed his reason for establishing the first private university in the country in 1999.

    Igbinedion, Chancellor of IOU, spoke at his 89th birthday lecture organised by the institution in his honour.

    The founder, who was represented by his first son, Chief Lucky Igbinedion, said the desire to provide enabling environment for uninterrupted quality education to future generations propelled him to establish IOU.

    He said it was gratifying that 24 years down the line, the vision had not only crystalised, but yielded fruits, witnessing an increase in the number of private universities to the present 148.

    “The establishment of Igbinedion University in 1999, the first of such private universities in Nigeria, was borne out of my earnest desire to bequeath to future generations of Nigerians high quality university education run with an uninterrupted calendar.

    “This was at a time that access to higher education, especially at the university level, was limited compared to the number of aspirants, thus stalling human capital development and, by extension, the socio-economic progress of the dear nation.

    “It is noteworthy that since inception, the university has recorded remarkable successes in the areas of teaching and research, capacity building and innovation.

    “Moreover, the university has kept to the October – June academic calendar and graduated students every November without fail,” he stated.

    “Significantly, Igbinedion University has carved a niche for itself – it has embraced diversity, equity and inclusion in its composition – thus becoming a vanguard for promoting national unity and cohesion.

    “What’s more, the university has produced high quality graduates in different fields of human endeavours who are contributing their quota to national and global development.

    “These, to me, are sources of joy for which I remain grateful to Almighty God,” said Igbinedion.

    Igbinedion reiterated his commitment towards the transformation of the educational landscape of the country through the university.

    According to him, the hard earned reputation of being a point of reference in the rejuvenated education sector as Nigeria’s leading and most prestigious private university shall be defended and protected.

    Delivering the lecture entitled “Power of Pioneering”, Mr Nick Mole, the Executive Director, Carbonlogical Ltd., UK related how he spent 15 years developing innovative solutions to the climate crisis.

    To be a pioneer, he said, requires dedication, discipline and inspiration such as was exhibited by Chief Igbinedion.

    Earlier, Prof. Lawrence Ezemonye, the Vice-Chancellor of the university, had said that the celebration of the chancellor’s birthday with an annual lecture was to give recognition to “whom it is due”.

    He described as legendary and commendable, the unwavering commitment of Igbinedion to education and the development of the nation.

    “Through tireless efforts and boundless generosity, the university has continued to grow from strength to strength,” he said.

  • Why I keyed into Igbinedion varsity research centre for security affairs – Ex-COAS, Buratai

    Why I keyed into Igbinedion varsity research centre for security affairs – Ex-COAS, Buratai

    …says Nigeria will be better developed if military remains professional and civilians govern well

    Ex-Chief of Army Staff, General Tukur Buratai, retd, has said he keyed into Igbinedion University Okada, IUO quest for research center for contemporary security affairs because it will go a long way in developing Nigeria and take it to greater heights.

    Buratai made this disclosure at the one-day international conference with the theme: ‘Organised Crime Network as Emergent Threats to National Security’ organised by Igbinedion University Okada, IUO , Buratai Centre for Contemporary Security Affairs partnering agencies.

    Buratai in a chat after the first session of the confab on what motivated him as COAS to let into a research centre in security affairs with Nigeria’s premier private university said:

    “First of all, I have that passion for research, let me say my background as an historian and also a military instructor, I have been in the teaching of the army in particular and I have a very good teaching background, I have that interest in research.

    “And when Igbenedion University approached me then as Chief of Army Staff, I felt it is a good thing for me to expand and explain my passion for research activities.

    “As you can see, this centre, the Nigerian Army Resource Centre is one of my initiatives to establish it for research and studies into contemporary issues, military strategies, developmental issues and capacity building.

    “So I didn’t waste time when I was approached by the Igbenedion University, having decided on their own, approved by the senate, it was then they approached me.

    “They saw my contributions in the area of security as then Chief of Army Staff and they felt they need to immortalize me to have this centre in order to protect and project, promote my ideals in the areas of security and here we are today, they are doing very well.

    “And I really appreciate the university and of course the management of Igbenedion University, the Esama of Benin, Chief Gabriel Igbenedion and of course the management and staff, the vice chancellor and the senate, they have done well in taking the right decision and the centre are doing very well.

    “In our clime, the military has been at the receiving end, democracy now requires the military to perform our constitutional role rather than coming directly into governance.

    “They can have many ways to influence government to make sure that security played their role appropriately and also allow the democrats, the civilians to perform their role properly.

    “I am lucky to have served for five years, for almost six years and I know the stress that has gone into democracy or the governance in my country.

    “The best way is for the military to remain within their constitutional role, also encourage the civilian administration to do their best, to solve the democratic challenges or the governance challenges or the developmental challenges of our country.

    “It is by doing so, everybody playing its role, the democrats doing their own properly, the politicians, the military, the populace are doing their role properly, it is then you have the focus of our nation.

    “The military should be allowed to do their professional job and the civilian should govern well and it is through that you have a developed country, as you can see globally.

    “Unfortunately, there are times when you have external influence, whatever it is, what the politicians and the military should try to avoid is to be influenced externally, it will disrupt democratic process of the country.

    #

  • IUO Founder’s Day: At 24 our Blue-sky graduates are doing great things globally- Prof Ezemonye +Photos

    IUO Founder’s Day: At 24 our Blue-sky graduates are doing great things globally- Prof Ezemonye +Photos

    The Vice Chancellor of Igbinedion University, Okada, IUO, Professor Lawrence Ezemonye has said at 24, it is significant to note that the brilliant exploits of our Blue-sky graduates in their various fields of endeavour across the globe evidences the quality of our products.

    TheNewsGuru.com, (TNG) reports Professor Lawrence Ezemonye made this disclosure in his welcome address at IUO’s 24th Founder’s Day stressing that the premier private university has changed the narrative based on the quality of graduates it produces.

    The Founder’s Day Lecture which held at the University’s main auditorium was themed: ‘Advancing Higher Education Legacy Through Partnership: Private Sector Engagement.
    According to the VC, though the university started with just few academic programmes and students, after 24 years, the school prides itself with no fewer than 34 undergraduate courses and 51 postgraduate programmes, adding that all are accredited by the National University Commission (NUC).

    On how well the university has contributed to the nation and global development through its products, Prof Ezemonye said: “At 24, it is significant to note that the brilliant exploits of our Blue-sky graduates in their various fields of endeavour across the globe evidences the quality of our products. This is predicated on IUO’s commitment to continually seek ways to advance knowledge and educate our students to make a difference in our society and the world.”

    The Vice Chancellor hinted that to make education more accessible and easier for members of the public, “efforts are at advanced stage towards commencing the open and Distance Learning programme to cater for all those who are unable to undertake full-time mode of study, supported by our robust IT infrastructure.”

    Chancellor and Founder of Igbinedion University, Sir (Chief) Gabriel Igbinadion represented by the Deputy Pro Chancellor, His Excellency, Chief Lucky Igbinedion had earlier in an address said since the inception of the university, academic activities had been running without any form of break.

    In his speech, Guest Speaker and South African High Commissioner to Nigeria, Mr. Thamsanqa Dennis Mseleku emphasised the need for university-private sector partnership in building a formidable society

    While eulogising the founder of the university, Sir (Chief) Gabriel Igbinedion, for taking such a bold step to establishing the first private university in Nigeria 24 years ago, Mr. Mseleku said the Founder’s Day anniversary was not just for Igbinedion University but for the entire university community in Nigeria.

    On university – private sector partnership, the High Commissioner said: “As we move to the future, the collaboration between universities and the private sector is essential in driving progress and innovation. University is to bring the innovation while the private sector brings the expertise.”

    While commending Igbinedion University for building a strong partnership with the US Consulate, he urged management of the university to make more efforts in partnering more organisations including international organisations.

  • 24th Founders Day: Your future lies in your hands-S/African Envoy tells IUO students (VIDEO/PHOTOS)

    24th Founders Day: Your future lies in your hands-S/African Envoy tells IUO students (VIDEO/PHOTOS)

    The South African High Commissioner to Nigeria, Thamsanqa Denis Mseleku at the Igbinedion University 24th Founders Day told the students their future lies in their hands using a vivid description to capture the message in his presentation on Wednesday in Okada, Edo State.

    Mseleku who was guest speaker at the premier private university in Nigeria 24th Founders Day left no one in doubt as he used real life examples to garnish his presentation to the admiration of all and the students who were excited.

    In a video clip captured by TheNewsGuru.com, (TNG) at the event which was well attended by prominent Nigerians, Mseleku’s kept the audience spellbound.

    Mseleku used a simple story to herald his message when he used the man laced with wisdom and two kids who wanted to make him look stupid by keeping a butterfly in a folded palm and asking him to confirm whether it’s alive or dead.

    “When asked what’s in our hands the man said of course it’s a butterfly and they asked him is it dead or alive?

    “And the man said hmmmm what’s in your hands lies in the future and as students what’s in your hands as future leaders lies in your hands.

    Watch video below:

     

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    See more photos below:

    L: R: IUO VC Prof Lawrence Ezemonye, Deputy Pro Chancellor Chief Lucky Igbinedion, Guest Speaker, His Excellency Thamsanqa Mseleku cutting the university 24th Founder’s Day cake on Wednesday in Okada Edo State.
    L: R: IUO VC Prof Lawrence Ezemonye, Chief Lucky Igbinedion presenting a plaque to the guest speaker, His Excellency Thamsanqa Mseleku.

  • Igbinedion University tops private universities in Nig with 34 departments/55 programmes

    Igbinedion University tops private universities in Nig with 34 departments/55 programmes

    Nigeria’s premier private university, Igbinedion University, Okada, IUO with the addition of five new departments, has moved from 29 departments to 34, and from 38 programmes to 55 programmes, making it the largest in any private university in the country.

    Also, the university has moved from 19 post graduate programmes to 24 post graduate programmes.
    These disclosures were made by the Vice Chancellor of the university, Professor Lawrence Ikechukwu Ezemonye, while speaking to newsmen after the university’s 10th Entrepreneurial Day, a programme designed to encourage productivity among the students of the university.

    According to the VC, the new programmes are digital and technology-based programmes, in line with the mantra of the university to produce “future-ready graduates.”

    He said the programmes are with a view to affording the students the latitude for IT profiling and they include Bachelor of Science (B.Sc.) in Engineering, Mechatronics; B.Sc in Cybersecurity; BSc in Software Engineering; BSc in Environmental Engineering; and B. Sc in Pharmacology.

    The new post graduate degrees include postgraduate diplomas, doctor of philosophy (Ph.D) in Computer Engineering, in Mechanical Engineering, in Sociology, as well as Urban and Regional Planning. According to the VC, all these newly introduced 11 programmes are already fully accredited by National Universities Commission (NUC) and all professional bodies that the university is affiliated to.

    He pointed out that the programmes being introduced are to achieve an educational delivery status that suits entrepreneurial activities because they meet the demands of the time, in pursuit of the vision of the university to be a centre of academic excellence through teaching, research and knowledge production in response to contextualized national and global needs.

    “Today we describe our graduates as, not just graduates, they are blue sky graduates – top rated graduates. The blue sky is on the top, high flyers and that is one of the visions.

    ” Our students are excelling everywhere and in all disciplines. It is the vision that our founder, Sir Gabriel Igbinedion,, that he should set up a centre, the full time job of which should be to produce excellence through teaching and research but in the context of national and international demands. Our students are all over the place now, working in every part of the world and have met international demands”.

    The VC expressed joy with the cosmopolitan status of the university, saying “we did matriculation recently and I was so happy to let the parents know that the university is cosmopolitan in nature; we have students from every state in the country, including the federal capital. There was a time we had people from every local government in the 774 local governments in the country.”

    In terms of affirmative action, he said the university has already exceeded the 25 per cent threshold in the employment of women.
    He said that based on four platforms, the university remains a top choice for students and intending members of faculty. These are qualitative educational deliveries; research development; digitalization; and internationalization and partnership.

    This university thrives on high class internationalization and has succeeded in maintaining international partners. You see, every university that does not have a global outlook will not attract quality students
    #

  • PHOTOS: Igbinedion University, Okada 10th year entrepreneurship exhibition

    PHOTOS: Igbinedion University, Okada 10th year entrepreneurship exhibition

    Igbinedion University Okada last week Wednesday exhibited a range of products produced by its students in commemoration of its 10th year exhibition anniversary.

    The exhibition which showcased fashion design, IT acquisition skills, shoe making, HITECH, catering, textile designs, chemicals and various products was a sight to behold.

    IUO Vice Chancellor, Prof Lawrence Ikechukwu Ezemonye while addressing the various groups that participated said the programme is designed to flush out unemployment, unemployability and underemployment from the university’s system.

    “Yes, every year reflects new trajection and that is because of the availability of knowledge in the ensuing years. What we knew yesterday is not the same thing as what we know today.

    You will see that in the recent past, thought were more on the analogue entrepreneurial thinking but today the entrepreneurial thinking is more digitalized, it is ICT driven. InfoTech and HiTech are the real technological prowess that are driving entrepreneurship.

    So what we have seen today is a reflection of the revolution that we are on now, the digital revolution and that is what we have seen today.

    So this year’s product exhibition is really HiTech and it has been embellished so much now with the new hub that you saw, the digital hub that is the hub for innovation and creativity; so it shows a significant difference to what used to happen in the past.

    But that is going with the time, the university moves with the time. The university does not stand still while the stock market sleeps, the university must grow because it is a global market that we are all shopping from, so for you to remain globally competitive, it must go with the time.

    And that is why this university has a mantra of smart campuses and that is what you see today and we are happy that we are beginning to have a reflection of those thoughts, we are very happy.

    See photos below:

  • TNG INTERVIEW: Our graduates are properly prepared to face global markets -VC Igbinedion University, Okada, Prof Ezemonye

    TNG INTERVIEW: Our graduates are properly prepared to face global markets -VC Igbinedion University, Okada, Prof Ezemonye

    …how IUO conquered the underemployment, unemployability and unemployment syndromes for our graduates

    The Vice Chancellor of Igbinedion University, Okada, IUO, Professor Lawrence Ikechukwu Ezemonye, who is a professor of Ecotoxicology and Environmental Forensics in a chat with selected journalists spoke extensively on IUO’s ten years old product exhibition, how the hydra dreaded devil called underemployment and unemployment was properly tackled by IUO, the steps taken to alienate it and get the university students well armed for the future, adopting entrepreneurial skills acquisition and programmes designed to make an IUO graduate prepared for global engagements.

    Hear him:

    Who is Professor Lawrence Ikechukwu Ezemonye?

    I am a Professor of Ecotoxicology and Environmental Forensics and I am proud to say that I am a fellow of the academy of science by the special grace of God amongst other related fellows that I am in the academia.

    I am currently the Vice Chancellor Igbinedion University, having served as a two time Vice Chancellor Of University of Benin under two different Vice Chancellors, so today I am the Vice Chancellor of Igbinedion University, Okada by the special grace of God.

    VC let’s congratulate you first on the success of your students product exhibition today. How long have you been holding this programme and what is the essence of this programme?

    A: This programme has been on for the last 10 years, as a matter of fact, today’s ceremony is highly symbolic and significant because it is the 10th anniversary of this programme, this product exhibition.

    And the real thought behind this product exhibition is the manifestation of the drills and the trainings that we have gone through in the last 8months that has materialized and crystalised into this. In other words, this product exhibition is the crystalisation of the training the students have had in the last 8months to produce entrepreneurial programme.

    Again it reflects the maturity of the entrepreneurial mindset which we intend to inculcate in them. So what we have seen today in the 13 different skill sets is the clear testament of an entrepreneurial mindset at work, period, that is what you have seen.

     

    Q: How is this year’s edition different from what you have seen in the past; are there new things that happened this year?

    A: Yes, every year reflects new trajection and that is because of the availability of knowledge in the ensuing years. What we knew yesterday is not the same thing as what we know today.

    You will see that in the recent past, thought were more on the analogue entrepreneurial thinking but today the entrepreneurial thinking is more digitalized, it is ICT driven. InfoTech and HiTech are the real technological prowess that are driving entrepreneurship.

    So what we have seen today is a reflection of the revolution that we are on now, the digital revolution and that is what we have seen today.

    So this year’s product exhibition is really HiTech and it has been embellished so much now with the new hub that you saw, the digital hub that is the hub for innovation and creativity; so it shows a significant difference to what used to happen in the past.

    But that is going with the time, the university moves with the time. The university does not stand still while the stock market sleeps, the university must grow because it is a global market that we are all shopping from, so for you to remain globally competitive, it must go with the time.

    And that is why this university has a mantra of smart campuses and that is what you see today and we are happy that we are beginning to have a reflection of those thoughts, we are very happy.

     

    Why emphasis on the entrepreneurship?

    Okay, you see, first of all I had my worries with the proclamations from industries, when they tell us that the graduates are not fit for purpose in the industries and you see, it worries me so much and I began to wonder what is responsible for that.

    With a few group of intellectuals, we found out that, not that our students are not properly groomed but that there is disconnect between the demand of the industry and the products, the output.

    It is not an affront to anybody, it is not even at a disadvantage to the university, it is just that there is no merger. You see, the Nigerian educational system and the industry portfolios were working in silos.

    The industry does not want to merge with the university and the university as an ivory tower does not have the time for the industry but all that have changed now.

    So that is why we felt that we must make students that are future ready and that is the mantra I brought into this university, the future readiness. How can a student be future ready?

    A student that is future ready is free from three things; one, unemployment, two, under-employment and three, unemployability and for you to avert those three syndromes you must be entrepreneurially groomed.

    So here in this university, the first thing we do is to inspire and stimulate entrepreneurial thinking amongst our students, that is number one.

    The second thing we do, is to provide the knowledge base and knowledge exchange for the transaction of entrepreneurial thinking amongst students.

    And the third one is the one you witnessed today, which is the actual exhibition of the products of the inspiration, the stimulation of entrepreneurial thinking among our students.

     

    Q: I noticed the gap between industry and the universities and now you are trying to bridge that gap. I was going to universities interviewing researchers and most of the times I discovered that the research is like just educational research, let’s do it and get certificates, not really working to fit in.

    Let me tell you what we have done here in Igbinedion University. You see, I have been working in the last 10 years on industry-academia integration and so in Igbinedion University, what we have done is to imbibe the principle of co-development of programmes with the industry, co-design the programme with the industry, we co-deliver the programme with the industry, co-supervise the programme with the industry and co-graduate the programme with the industry. And the success stories have been recorded.

    In my university, all post graduates programmes are supervised by an academic and an industry supervisor, here in this university, so, but it is logical.

    If an industry expert and an academia designs a programme together, delivers teachers the programme together, supervise the programme together, in some cases co-fund the programme together and graduate the students together, there is no moral basis to say that that graduate is not fit for the industry, that is number one.

    Let me also tell you what we have done in this university and you need to take this away. This university has a board of industry-academia interface headed currently by the DG of NOTA (National Office for Technology Association) and we have industry partners and academia in that board and they meet quarterly and what do they do, they review curriculum and industry demands.

    Today we have a project with Cortis PLC, we are co-designing dedicated programmes for RENA in our engineering department and they are providing opportunities for students and staffs both for sabbatical and internship.

    So that is the partnership that we have established in this university that our mainstream academia-industry interface as a way of life in our university programme.

    So to answer your question, if you get the industry together to participate with you, tear down the silo walls and remove the toga of ivory towerism then we won’t have this problem.

    I can tell you for free now that before now I used to advocate that unemployability was the main cause, was worse than unemployment, yes! You know you graduate and they tell you that you are not fit for purpose.

    You know the worse one now, the worse syndrome that is now operating in the valley of death is underemployment, when a graduate now earns N20,000 N30,000, that one is dehumanizing.

    So one singular way in averting them is through entrepreneurship, employ yourself.

     

    Q: Today I noticed something, a pharmaceutical student came first in the catering competition, she shared the first position with Computer Science student, these are science related people not marketing and all that. Now there the story of this lady..

    Before you continue, just hold your story, last year, the best student was a nursing student.

     

    After a very strong competition I think in Shell or so and the lady now came for the exams and for the final shortlistment and she asked, what can you do outside all these administrative works and all that? She said that she is a very good cook and the panelists now said madam, go and cook for us and she cooked for them. They said outside cooking what else can you do, she said I play the piano very well, she is an engineer by profession, they said go and play the piano and as she was playing the piano, they were all busy eating, the panelists were eating and after they finished eating, they now said you have been employed as the MD. What they needed to know was that outside administrative duties and that is what I saw happened here today. From all you have said so far, what Igbinedion University is doing is to produce the complete graduate, am I with you?

    Yes.

     

    And how can we define a complete graduate?

    Any graduate is defined as complete graduate is the one that is future ready.

     

    We have seen a lot of innovations …..

    You see this university we set standards for ourselves and we attain new heights.

    So we have seen clearly that it is an institution that is innovative and along the line you mentioned the hub. So what other areas from business do you have innovation showing in the university?

    You see our university, I will look at two areas; I will look at the ICT area and then I will look at our centres of excellence. Let me take the centre of excellence.

    We have the Buratai centre for security affairs, this particular centre has representatives of all the forces in Nigeria here on the board and this particular centre is on contemporary security affairs, local and international, mark my words.

    The Defence Intelligence Agency, has a representative on our board and it is partnering with this university soon for graduate programmes in their area.

    The civil defence and security authorities are with us; the civil defence administration, we had a workshop we just finished, these are people who are partners of this university.

    The IG has a representative here. The current chairman of the Police Commission Solomon Arase, former IG is a member of that board and he has even donated books to the centre, it is a pure centre of contemporary security affairs that transcends local, national and international studies on security.

    What has gone wrong, drug abuse, racketeering, cyber crimes, international diplomacy and that is what the centre is for and every year they have an annual colloquium on contemporary issues and we are planning one for this year and this year’s own will be on trans-boundary crimes because that is the in-thing now. They steal a car in Nigeria, you see it in Cotonou, that is one centre.

    We also have a centre for Climate Change and SDGs and that is the centre that is driving our soilless farming techniques and circular economy, highly innovative, not just for innovation sake, they are contemporary. Today we are talking about zero waste, that centre is the one.

    Do you know that in this university, we have plastic bailer machine, that reduces plastic to bails and we have a mandate now in the next one month to remove 70,000 plastics from Okada environment, oh yes, it is here on campus.

    In collaboration with Eco capital and Coca Cola Foundation and Edo state waste management, that is what that centre does.

    We have the centre for entrepreneurship which you have seen today now, that one is purely skill acquisition. We have our hub.

    We have a centre for leadership and governance and because of the centre for leadership and governance, we have infused our student into every committee in this university to learn governance and to learn leadership, it is part of the recommendation of that centre.

    Then we have a centre for presidential studies, obviously so and understandably well. So these are areas that are hell bent on innovation.

    The post graduate school is not left out because the post graduate school is one thriving industry-academia interface. Our post graduate school could be seen as one of the leading schools in the triple helix model where we bring government…

    Today now we saw SMEDAN with the academia and we have just started partnership with them and by 15th or 16th, the university and I will be visiting them in Abuja to complete that.

    We would like to have a national conference for SMEs on grant assessment. It is sad to hear at the end of every year, that bankers declare they are returning funds that cannot be assessed, why?

    That is what we are taking to SMEDAN when we get there on Thursday.

    So you see that, what we have also done is to infuse this entrepreneurial thinking in all our programmes.

    This university has an executive business school that will be starting again by September this year, the building in Sapele road is just holding us back. We have affiliate business schools that are ready to work, that have entered into partnership agreement with us.

    And that executive business school is only for, mark my words, executive business school; there are so many of our executives that are longing of post graduate education if not for anything at least for knowledge exchange and we want to provide a conducive atmosphere for them.

    Then the ICT place is a novel on its own. This university runs on an ST1 bandwidth which is 255mbps enough to run a village highly dedicated for university work.

    But beyond that we have affiliated our ICT to IT academies, the owners of the world, IT world. We are affiliated to CISCO academy; we are affiliated to one of the best academies for 2022.

    We have Mikrotic, Amazon Web Services, we have them, the Google services we have them.

    During the COVID, CISCO gave us the WebEx. If you watch CNN, what they use for the webinar is CISCO WebEx, this university has CISCO WebEx.

    We have partnership with CISCO, for every 100level student of this university has a GS programme in the first semester which is IT appreciation and it is a professional certificate from CISCO and an academic credit unit from the university.

    Our students here are instructors for CISCO, they pass the exams, they do the courses. We can train for other people, yes, that is the level we have gone with IT in this place.

    And because we know we must protect our bandwidth, our system in this university has a firewall. A firewall is a product that protects the use of your bandwidth so that the students don’t use them for any other thing.

    This place, we have JAMB exams on a yearly basis, the registration have started. We have two sets of 250 platforms, 250 computer ready system platforms for computer based examination.

    And that is why in this university, all 100level courses have a CBT exams as their continuous assessment, it is a must, all 100level and 200level, mandatory and we prepare them for the CBT in 100level with IT appreciation on CISCO. So our educational programme in this place is highly tailored.

     

    What is this Igbinedion University really known for because like when you talk about veterinary medicine you talk about Maiduguri, ABU I think their own is Agric vet. What is Igbinedion University known for that strong point?

    Igbinedion University is very strong in law. With due humility, we are strong in law but we have four flagships.

    Medicine, we just concluded our 17th oath taking programme. Don’t forget that we are the first private university to produce doctors but I am not basking on nostalgia, let’s now go to quality.

    The world president of world medical association was here to deliver a lecture and he acknowledged the fact that our students outside this country are excelling, a very rare feat in medicine both in practice and in the academia.

    In law, we not only by the special grace of God make first class on a regular basis and best graduating students in some of the programmes in law school but we have SANs on a regular basis from the university including our former dean of law.

    Afe Babalola DVC got his first degree here, first class here; so that is where we are coming from.

    Then our latest jewel is the Dora Akunyili College of Pharmacy, oh my God, that is a flagship on its own that has now migrated into Pharm D, bachelors in pharmacy, one of the few universities that are currently running it and they are phasing out bachelors of pharmacy, Igbinedion University started Pharm D this year.

    We have a drug production plant for disinfectants and antiseptics running in the university as we speak now, so we are producing hand sanitisers and mentilated spirit here.

    The information here is too much for one session.

    And that is why I prefer to use flagships. The engineering faculty, during COVID, the engineering department provided us with COVID protective cubicles that you passed through, automated, as you are entering, they are spraying you and you are checking your temperature and you cross. They even produce a manual, foot driven, when there is no electricity.

    And the department of chemistry and pharmacy produced all our sanitizers and of course during that same period we produced a handbook for parents on COVID.

    So these flagships are all there but I can start with law and go to medicine in that order of priority, to pharmacy and to engineering.

     

    You seem to be mentioning new programmes, what new programmes now do you have now and how many programmes on the whole are….?

    The University has migrated from 29 departments to 34 departments and from 38 programmes to 55 programmes, the largest in any private university, you can go and check. We graduated from 19 post graduates to 24 post graduates programmes. I don’t know how many private universities have 24 post graduates programmes, so it is enormous.

    And you see, that is the dynamic thought of this university, you see our thought cues are driven by the times, it became very relevant that digitalization will rule the world as we stand.

    And so the new programmes that we introduced were digitally based programmes to afford our children, the latitude for IT profiling namely BSc Engineering, Mechatronics, that’s number one, BSc in cybersecurity, BSc in Software Engineering, BSc in Environmental Engineering, BSc in Pharmacology.

    Then post graduates degrees, PGD, and PhD in Computer Engineering, in Mechanical Engineering, in Sociology, in Urban and Regional Planning, so we introduced 11 new programmes and the beauty of all these programmes I have called now is that all our programmes are fully accredited by NUC and all professional bodies that we are affiliated to.

    So when we sit down and talk about qualitative education, I look at qualitative education from the standpoint of regulations and the teaching and learning scenario.

    So you see, our educational delivery status now is one that suits entrepreneurial activities because they meet the demands of the time that is what we are doing.

    You were the first private university to establish a teaching hospital, tell us a bit more about it.

    Of course, you see the teaching hospital predated the university first. It was a medical research centre, it was a centre for medical tourism, that is where you had medical research.

    As a matter if fact, it was at accreditation point for any treatment that could not be handled in Nigeria, they come and get a reference letter from Igbinedion Medical Research Centre before it goes abroad and that was huge.

    That teaching hospital as you go there, there are three helipads in this Okada, there is a helipad here, there is helipad there, this now brings me to my honourable Chancellor you see because we have narrative, we have given him beautiful rendition of good trajectory but we must also lay emphasis on the starting point.

    It started with one man, the vision of one man, who not only was thinking entrepreneurially, he was also a socialist in all dimensions, Sir, Chief Dr. Gabriel Igbinedion CFR, the Esama of Benin Kingdom, he is our founder, he is our proprietor, he is our honourable Chancellor of this university.

    That is the dream of one man that has now become a global treasure, that is one major, one great thing amongst others God has used our honourable Chancellor to do.

    Today he has been vindicated for making that choice. Probably other businessmen, mogul with him, his own group would have been saying what he is going to do in a social business, there is no money there.

    But rather than invest outside, he brought it here, today we have over 110 or 111 private institutions that never dared to walk on that terrain until Sir Chief Dr. Gabriel Igbinedion ventured that bold step.

    So he is a man that will continue to receive national honours on his giant stride in educational development in this country; whether you like it or not, Igbinedion University opened the gateway for private incursion in education centre, we are happy to be pioneers.

     

    Now that you have mentioned your founder, we want to ask that very soon, the University will be having its 20th convocation; do you think that you have achieved the vision of the founding father of this university? By relating it to the products you have and the impact they are making for humanity and the dream that he mentioned that is now a global trend.

    Now let me tell you something, we can discuss this in the context of the vision of the university, it is to be a centre of academic excellence through teaching, research and knowledge production in response to contextualize national and global needs.

    Today we describe our graduates as, not just graduates, they are blue sky graduates, if you know what that means. Top rated graduates, the blue sky is on the top, high flyers and that is one of the visions.

    I told you, how our students are excelling everywhere in all discipline, it is the vision that our founder had, that he should set up a centre, the full time job of the centre is to produce excellence through teaching and research but in the context of national and international demands.

    Our students are all over the place now, working in every part of the world and have met international demands.

    So you want to ask me, what is the mission that is driving that vision and I will be in a hurry to tell you; it is to pursue excellence in teaching, research and scholarship this time now, through the provision of world class facilities and opportunity for education, training and employment to all particularly those who are able to benefit without any form or discrimination.

    Let me talk about discrimination. We did matriculation last Saturday and I was so happy to let the parents know that the university is cosmopolitan in nature; we have students from every part of the states including the federal capital.

    There was a time we had people from every local governments in the 774 local governments, we do not discriminate.

    Today now, you saw that we started with Christian prayer and we ended with Muslim prayer that has been the culture of this place.

    We don’t have any gender bias, rather the women are even taking over, they have exceeded their 25 percent affirmation quota and they are all over the place.

    We are consistently meeting the dreams and vision of our honourable Chancellor and every year we pledge our determination to uphold that dream, every year.

    And somebody will ask me, 25years just by the corner by God’s grace, 23years already, 24years this year and we have done three profiling of this university; we have done the visibility profile, we have done the enrollment profile and we have done the sustainability profile, all of them are on the growth trajectory, all.

    And so when you have a sustainability profile that is above 70, the university has not only come of age by God’s grace but has come to stay and sustainable.

     

    Soon students will be making choices of universities to apply for, for their university education; why should those students choose Igbinedion University Okada (IUO) instead of others?

    You see, the choice of a university can be based on four platforms. The first one is qualitative educational deliveries which I’ve talked about. The second one is on research development. The third one is on digitalization, we have talked about. The fourth one which is also a driver, is internationalization and partnership.

    This university thrives on high class internationalization and has succeeded in maintaining international partners.

    You see, every university that does not have a global outlook will not attract quality students.

    This university participates in several international programmes, one of them is IVC, that is the International Virtual Consortium, we participate on a regular basis.

    We are a bona fide member of the Global Education Partnership comprising of 40 universities all over the world and because of this partnership, our students, before COVID have travelled to over 10 countries, international countries. The last place they went to was Japan before COVID came.

    They have gone to Netherlands, they have gone to North Carolina, they have gone to the UK, they have gone to China, through that programme and this global partnership is where we expose our students, international partners to the course, global understanding and they teach them interactions with different cultures, that is number one.

    With our UK partners, we have introduced summer classes which I even told parents at the last matriculation, that during summer programmes, I have just received one now, it is on top of my table now, Lancaster University for summer programme on environmental sustainability and cultural variability.

    Before COVID we had a partnership with Manchester Metropolitan University for our engineering students to come over for 3D animation studies for three weeks.

    Internationalization is what we need for student mobility and once they know it is available in this university, they will come.

     

    So there are four reasons to choose this university.

    And these reasons have been established and they are clear and they are on ground. They are no illusions, they are on ground and you saw for yourself today and you are also free to go round to see what we have.

    Internationalization status is very robust and when I talk of internationalization, I don’t mean just the north to the north, we have continental links which is Africanisation of our internationalization, so the African base is there.

    So these are the reasons we sell to the public to come to Igbinedion University, notwithstanding the serene environment, purely academic.

    No visitor, foreign or local that has visited this place, that has not adjudged our environment as very conducive.