The new vice chancellor of the Federal University Lokoja has revealed his plans to make the university globally competitive and improve its rankings.
Professor Olayemi Akinwumi, said in the last 10 years the institution has attracted solid academic, administrative and technical staff, as well as attracted students from all over the country.
Speaking during his inauguration at the permanent site of the institution, Akinwumi reiterated that his plan is to position the university as the data hub of Kogi State.
He said his primary goal is to add value to the university’s stated mission which is to be the best among the nine newly established federal universities and one of the top 10 universities in Africa.
His words, “Just know what I need to do if the Federal University, Lokoja is to move to the top 10. The first part of the vision is relatively more straightforward. I have personally been to the 11 federal universities established in 2011.”
According to the vice chancellor, the university is currently ranked seventh among the 11 federal universities established in 2012, 78th in Nigeria, 255th in Africa and 10,600th in the world.
Professor Akinwumi who took over from Professor Angela Freeman Miri, noted that the university has a unique mission to train employable graduates through competency-based teaching, applied research and practical community service to the catchment area, Africa and the world.
“At the interview that gave me this job, I submitted a vision plan that outlined what I will do if I got the job. Now that I have the job, I have reviewed the plan alongside the university’s strategic plan,” he said.
“I will share the plan with an expanded management committee and subsequently with the Senate so that it will be adopted and truly owned by the university.”
He noted that the number one item on the agenda is to pursue the generation of funds to augment the Federal Government’s support and agency.
“We just have to grow our bottom line and seriously washable expenditure.
“By the time I complete my term in 1,825 days, we should have a minimum of 10,000 economic trees on our campus.
“It is no longer news that data is the crude oil of the information age. My plan is to position Federal University Lokoja as the data hub of Kogi State.
“We will map and capture all essential data for education, social and economic services and a repository of information and knowledge.
“As digital natives, our students will be equipped with skills that will help them understand the science of numbers and how to use numbers to make decisions.”
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