Tinubu Hails UNICAL VC, Urges others To Emulate Her On Research, Digitalization

By Onigah Joseph

President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, has commended the Vice-Chancellor of the University of Calabar, Prof. Florence Banku Obi and her entire Management Team for their sustained efforts in maintaining and promoting standard of education through research, academic excellence and digitization.

President Tinubu who made the commendation while presenting his address at the 36th Convocation ceremony held at the Institution’s International Conference Center on Saturday last week, advised other VCs to emulate Prof Obi on promoting academic excellence and digitization.

He also commended the VC for developing a robust entrepreneurship skills among the students, saying it is squarely in tandem with the focus of the renewed hope agenda of the his administration.

He said UNICAL as a second generation institution is among the leading Universities that has soundly contributed to nation building whose alumni have made the institution proud both nationally and internationally.

The President who was represented by the Honorable Minister of Education, Prof. Tahir Mamman, SAN, said: “Let me in particular commend the management in its sustained efforts in maintaining standards and promoting the citadel of excellence against all odds.

“I am in particular pleased about the formation in respect of the tremendous achievements in the area of digitization of the University library and other digital resources.

“I also commend the Vice-Chancellor and the management for the robust linkages and collaborations in research and exchange programmes with institutions locally and internationally.

“I also understand that the University has a robust partnership with branded bodies and business operators in developing entrepreneurship skills among the students which is squarely intandem with the focus of the renewed agenda of this administration”

“The management efforts geared towards achieving a smart campus through utilization of the internet ecosystem for digitalization is also commendable. This effort signifies that the university is highly conscious of its obligations to its local community, the nation and the society at large. The University is hereby advised to focus in addition to what they’re doing on adequate preparation of students for jobs of today and the unknown jobs of tomorrow being the current direction of the world-of-work and education. I urge other institutions to examine your example for their benefit”. He added

While commending the University for its positive strides and achievements, the President also noted that the institution was in the news most recently because of the sexual misconduct on the part of some lecturers. Hence, he called on the university to clean itself of such misfit’s and ensure that the campus is free of such deviants, stating that students must be allowed to learn in an environment that is conducive, safe and devoid of fear and intimidation.

While declaring the 36th convocation ceremony open, the Vice-Chancellor of the Institution, Prof. Florence Obi, said that the institution had completed several projects including: infrastructural development, improved academic curriculum, research and external collaborations and will remain committed to promoting academic excellence among others to enhance learning.

Prof. Obi pledged to keep working round the clock to change the institution’s trajectory and to enable its takes its rightful position in comity of higher institutions of learning in the world.

The VC also enjoined the the graduating students to be worthy ambassadors of the institution, stressing that it is their duty to properly represent the university anywhere they find themselves.

•Onigah is the Special Assistant on Media and Strategic Communications to the Vice-Chancellor