Governor Seyi Makinde of Oyo State, Governor Abdulrahman AbdulRazaq of Kwara State ,who is also the Chairman of the Nigeria Governors’ Forum (NGF), and the High Commissioner of Namibia to Nigeria and Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS), Humprey Geiseb, on Tuesday called for adequate investment in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) education in order to tackle the challenges facing the country.
Delivering the convocation lecture at the first convocation ceremony of Thomas Adewumi University (TAU), Oko-Irese, Irepodun local government, Kwara State, Governor Makinde noted that nations of the world that made adequate investments in STEM education are now leading the world submitting that Nigeria cannot choose to lag behind.
Also speaking, Mr Humprey Geiseb said Nigeria and Namibia have established a strong tie through educational exchange programmes while urging the two countries to explore the concomitant advantages.
Governor Ma
kinde, who was represented by his Chief of Staff, Otunba Segun Ogunwuyi, asked the first set of students to graduate from TAU, who he called the 21st century university graduates, to take the lead in providing technology-driven solutions to the country’s problems.
‘You are the torchbearers of Thomas Adewumi University. Think big, dream of solutions to challenges, act locally and address challenges in your community’ he said.
Governor Abdulrahman Abdulrazaq, who was represented at the event by his deputy, Mr Kayode Alabi spoke in the same vein while praising the vision of the founder of the university.
‘The theme of this event, ‘Fostering a Globally Competitive and Self-Reliant Nation: The Impact of Innovative STEM Education’ could not be timelier in an era where Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) shape global progress. It is important that we prepare not just a generation of innovators well- equipped to address our nation’s challenges and compete on the world stage but also raise leaders who would lead with the right insights, empathy, and firmness that leadership requires’ Abdulrazaq said.
The event also featured the investiture of Founder of the university , Dr Johnson Adewumi as the institution’s first Chancellor.
Giving his speech, Dr Johnson Adewumi, said the vision for establishing the university is ‘not only to produce graduates but also mould leaders who will be problem- solvers regardless of their disciplines’.
He promised that TAU will continue to produce university graduates who will not be job seekers but those who can drive national policy through innovative research and technologically -driven solutions.
Adewumi praised Governor Abdulrahman Abdulrazaq’s decision to give approval for the use of the General Hospital, Omu-Aran as Thomas Adewumi University Teaching Hospital ahead of the takeoff of the institution’s medical courses, and he has described this as ‘historic’.
Pro-Chancellor and Chairman of the Governing Council of the institution, Professor Victor Olanrewaju, urged Governor Abdulrahman ,who is the Chairman of the Nigeria Governors’ Forum to use his good offices to prevail on the federal government to reconsider its stance on the Tertiary Education Trust Fund (TETfund) and allow private universities to be among the beneficiary institutions.
Vice- Chancellor of the university, Professor Francisca Oladipo, said the graduands, who are the institution’s first batch of 26 students are well-trained- Team@orientactualmags.com Do you have any information you wish to share with us? Do you want us to cover your event or programme? Kindly send SMS to 08059100286, 09094171980 or get in touch via orientactualmag@gmail.com. Thank you.
