Fayemi, Pategi to Bag Achievers University PhD Award

By Oluniyi Akintunde, Akure

The Minister of Steel and Solid Minerals Development, Mr Kayode Fayemi and the Chairman, Federal House of Representatives Committee on Water Resources, Hon. Aliyu Ahman Pategi would be conferred Doctor of Science (Honoris Causa) in Public Administration of the Achievers University, Owo on Saturday.

Addressing a press conference to herald the 5th Convocation ceremony of the University, the Vice Chancellor of the institution, Professor Tunji Ibiyemi said that no fewer than 429 students would be graduating during the convocation ceremony.

Professor Ibiyemi while commenting on the academic development of the university, said that additional college of engineering and technology have been added to the school programme for prospective students to study.

He stated that since assumption in office as the second Vice Chancellor, the institution has recorded growth from 12 programmes to 22 programmes, stressing that plan was under way to add two more programmes of Law, and Forensic Science by this year (2017/2018).

Speaking on infrastructural development, the VC said that the gigantic Engineering Complex Buildings is under construction which would be completed before end of this year.

According to him, the College of Law building is also under construction for the usefulness of students very soon.
“On the challenges facing the institution, Ibiyemi said: “The major challenges we have is a common challenge among others private universities, and that is very poor admission subscription, we have one hundred and fifty two universities, forty of them are federal universities, forty-four of them are state universities while sixty-eight of them are private universities.

“For the past three to four years now, the average number of candidates looking to enter university is about 1.5million per year; out of this, less than two percent showed interest in coming into private university other percent goes to the state and federal universities.

“There is no other means for private universities to generate funds, the primary IGR for them to generate funds is the fees they charged students, so if we don’t have enough students, it means you are likely to be affected financially and that is a common challenges facing private universities.

“I can say that Achievers University is the cheapest private university in this sub-region, I mean in the Southwest. Federal government must also be thinking on how to assist the private universities financially.”