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President Umaru Yar'Adua said on Monday that the University of Ibadan, despite being the oldest in Nigeria, was still a local champion because it was not ranked among the best 20 in Africa.
President Umaru Yar'Adua said on Monday that the University of Ibadan, despite being the oldest in Nigeria, was still a local champion because it was not ranked among the best 20 in Africa.
Yar'Adua, who is the Visitor to the 60-year-old university, stated this in Ibadan during the diamond anniversary celebration of the school.
The occasion also coincided with the graduation ceremony of its post-graduate school.
Represented by the Minister of State for Education, Hajia Aishatu Dukku-Jubril, the President told the audience that the development posed a great challenge for the administrators of the institution.
The President, however, confirmed that the university was the best in the country, based on the recent ranking by the National Universities Commission. He urged the school to brace up for the greater task ahead.
He said, 'The university is, therefore, challenged and encouraged to shake off the toga of ‘local champion' and put on the garb of continental, or better still, global champion.
'This demands hard work, determination and discipline. This institution, no doubt, possesses the wherewithal to achieve the feat. There is no doubt that a lot still needs to be done in this regard.'
Yar'Adua challenged the university to expedite action on its proposed plan to establish a business school in collaboration with the private sector.
He said the private sector involvement would enhance the contribution of the university to the development of the human capital to achieve the country's developmental goals.
The President said, 'Universities should be more proactive by, for example, offering consultancy services to government and the private sector without compromising their core functions of teaching and research.
'As a matter of fact, such activities will invariably make lecturers better teachers as they see the application of their theoretical constructs.
'The university of Ibadan management is, therefore, encouraged to expedite action on the establishment of the school which is long overdue.'