By Hammed Shittu in Ilorin
The Vice Chancellor, University of Ilorin, Professor Abdulganiyu Ambali has stressed the need for wealthy individuals and well spirited Nigerians to complement the efforts of government through partnership in infrastructural development so as to enhance the standard of university education in the country.
Ambali advocated this in Ilorin on Friday during the award of degrees and diplomas certificates to over 8,000 students of the institution at the 32nd convocation ceremonies of the university .
Sixty- seven(67) out of 6,069 graduating students of the university made first class honours ,1,505 students made second class upper division grade, 3,200 second class lower division grade, 1,124 third class division grade and 70 students made pass grade.
According to him, “education is too important to be left in the hands of government alone.
“It is understandable that the federal government cannot provide all the needs of the university of Ilorin as a microcosm of its several universities.
“It is in this respect that I call on goods spirited Nigerians to come and partner with the university and contribute to making life on campus better for our teeming students.
“We want more of such interventions as made by the Nigeria Liquefied Natural Gas(NLNG) through the $2 million Engineering Research Center commissioned in July this year, from corporate and individual Nigerians.
“In essence, the university is keenly interested in expanding its facilities and increasing its capacity to cater for several thousands of Nigerian students who knock at our gate for admission each year.
“Such interventions may come in the form of provision of lecture theatres, class rooms, hostels, blocks of offices, endowments of chairs and research sponsorships and grants to our staff and students”.
Ambali stated further that, the graduands should continue to be good ambassadors of the university wherever they may be, adding that they must be guided by the university ideals and philosophy having been found qualified in character and learning as you graduate into larger society”.
While advising the graduating students to take charge of their lives, Ambali said that, they should think positively because they were what they think.
“Your life will be good if you internalise excellence, commit yourselves to life-long learning, make research to guide your actions not impulse, uphold probity in dealing with people and phenomena and devote yourselves to service and I wish you all a good life after graduation filled with abundant grace and great accomplishment,” he said.
He therefore congratulated the parents and guardians of the graduating students for their investments on them, urging them not to rest on their oars until their children attained more academic excellence in life.
