AAUA 7TH CONVOCATION PRESS BRIEFING BY THE VICE CHANCELLOR, ADEKUNLE AJASIN UNIVERSITY,HELD ON MONDAY, DECEMBER 4, 2017

The Deputy Vice Chancellor,The Registrar,The Bursar,The University Librarian,Other Officers of the University,Gentlemen of the Press,

I heartily welcome you to the Press Briefing of the 7th Convocation Ceremony of Adekunle Ajasin University, Akungba Akoko, and the 2nd under my watch since I took office on January 6, 2015.

You will recall that the first Convocation I held as Vice Chancellor of this Institution and, indeed, the University's 6th convocation, was during my first year in office in 2015. The University could not hold a convocation ceremony last year due to financial challenges.

You will also kindly recall that the nation’s serious economic challenges became glaring from 2015. This has made the governance of public institutions in Nigeria very challenging. Most universities are grappling with paying workers' salaries, while infrastructural development has been pushed to the rear seat. Although Adekunle Ajasin University has its own share of these economic hardship, it has been able to weather the storm, courtesy of the magnanimity and support of the Visitor to the University and Governor of Ondo State, Arakunrin Oluwarotimi Odunayo Akeredolu, SAN, prudent management of the University's scarce resources and creative employment of goodwill to facilitate projects from Federal Government agencies and corporate organizations.

In spite of the prevailing scarce resources, the Visitor to the University and Governor of Ondo State, Arakunrin Oluwarotimi Odunayo Akeredolu, SAN, continues to provide support for the activities and programmes of the University, including the Convocation Ceremony.

Permit me, Gentlemen of the Press, to express deep appreciation, on behalf of the University, to our amiable Visitor for his kindness.

This year's Convocation Ceremony is a nine-day event.
Day One featured Jumat Service, which was held on Friday, December 1, 2017 in the University Mosque. On Day Two, December 2, the University Community observed Keep-Fit Exercise.

Today is Day Three and is slated for the ongoing Convocation Press Conference.

On Day Four, Tuesday, December 5, there will be friendly matches in various games with sister universities.

Day Five witnesses Opening of Exhibition. Exhibition is a regular feature of the University's Convocation Ceremony and the research efforts and innovations of staff and students are showcased at this event. The Exhibition shall be closed on Thursday, December 7.

Day Six features Convocation Lecture, whose topic is "Nigerian Universities and Youth Empowerment", and it will hold on Thursday, December 7 in the University Multipurpose Hall at 2:00pm. It will be delivered by a Nigerian-born, United States-based and world-class professor, Professor Toyin Falola, a global icon in African studies. Professor Falola is the Jacob and Frances Sanger Mossiker Chair in the Humanities and University Distinguished Teaching Professor at the University of Texas, USA.

On Day Seven, Friday, December 8, there shall be Conferment of First Degrees on Graduating Students of the Faculties of Education, Social and Management Sciences, the Institute of Education, Institute of Part-Time Programmes and Presentation of Prizes.

Two major events are slated for Day Eight and Second Day of Graduation, the Grand Finale, coming up on Saturday, December 9, 2017, at 9:00am.

The University Radio, Radio AAUA 90.3FM, A Station Of Lofty Ideals, will be commissioned by the Visitor to the University and Governor of Ondo State, Arakunrin Oluwarotimi Odunayo Akeredolu, SAN.

Conferment of First Degrees on Graduating Students of the Faculties of Arts, Law and Science; Conferment of Postgraduate Diplomas, Higher Degrees, Honorary Degrees and Presentation of prizes will hold at 10:00am same day at the University Multipurpose Hall.

The Convocation will be rounded off on Day Nine, Sunday, December 10, 2017 with an Interdenominational Service at the University Multipurpose Hall at 10:00am.

Due to the non-hosting of convocation last year, we are presenting two sets of graduating students this year -- 2014/2015 and 2015/2016.

A grand total of 9,812 graduands shall receive various degrees. Of this number, 7,786 belong to the 2014/2015 session while 2,026 are of the 2015/2016 session.

Of the 7,624 that earned First Degree in the 2014/2015 session, 29 graduated with First Class Honours, 1,316 bagged Second Class Upper Division, 5,183 earned Second Class Lower Division, 1,027 had Third Class Honours while 69 got Pass Degree.

In the postgraduate category, 16 bagged Doctor of Philosophy, Ph.D.; 128 earned Master's degree while 18 had Postgraduate Diploma in Education, PGDE.

Of the 2,026 that graduated in the 2015/2016 session, 21 earned First Class, 609 graduated in Second Class Upper Division, 1,151 bagged Second Class Lower Division, 239 got Third Class while six had Pass Degree.

Conferment of Honorary Awards this year is benchmarked against awardees' contributions to the University and the course of education in Nigeria. It is our belief as a University that contributions to institutions and humanity should be a yardstick for giving awards and that when this is done transparently, it will spur the honourees and well-meaning individuals to impact society better.

Three distinguished Nigerians, including an eminent son of Ondo State who have contributed to the development of the University, as well as being philanthropists and friend of the University qualify for Honorary Awards this year.

Chief Kesington Adebutu, a foremost entrepreneur who has been of tremendous support to the University, shall be conferred with the Doctor of Business Finance (Honoris Causa).

Chief (Engr.) Julius Ajibulu, a friend of the University who has supported the University immensely, will be conferred with the Doctor of Science (Honoris Causa).

The Governor of Imo State and an education philanthropist of no mean stature, His Excellency Owelle Rochas Anayo Okorocha, will be conferred with Doctor of Letters (D. Litt.) Honoris Causa.

Academic Integrity
Stringent efforts were made during the last two academic sessions under review to sustain the integrity of the University's academic programmes. The planks that deliver academic integrity -- merit-driven admission and absorption of alumni with first class Honours degree and sending of young academics for higher degrees at home and abroad, have been sustained and re-invigorated.

The merit-driven initiatives mentioned above are minimum standards created and applied by successive administrations to deliver the vision of the founding fathers of this University. As a responsible administration, we intend to continue to uphold these planks and to add to them to continue to be the best.

All the efforts above have fetched the University the frontline status it enjoys among state universities in the country to date.

Staff Training & Capacity Development
The University views capacity development as a strategic and critical means of deepening and improving on the integrity of the administrative and the academic programmes of the University. The University therefore continues to give it a pride of place.

Between January 2015 and November 2017, a total of 223 academic and administrative staff of this University attended local and international conferences and training on sponsorship of TETFund and the University.

Currently, 96 members of academic staff are on study leave to undertake postgraduate programmes in different universities across the globe.

The University hosted over ten international and local conferences from 2015 to date, while it also held workshops to further deepen its academic programmes.

Research & Development
As a way of strengthening our research efforts, the University's academic centres have collaborated with a number of credible institutions and agencies.

The Centre for Research & Development is in the process of signing Memoranda of Understanding with some Agencies to shore up the University's research efforts. The Management of the Engineering Materials Development Institute, EMDI, has agreed in principle to partner with AAUA in instituting joint research and development projects while at the same time providing engineering services to the University.

The Centre for Bio-Computing and Drug Development (CBDD) is one of the newly created Centres for innovative research in the University. The Centre took off in 2015 after its approval by the University Senate. The Centre was established with the main purpose of addressing medical and health challenges in Nigeria through drug development using the instruments of Computation and Molecular Biology techniques.
Within the short period of its establishment, the Centre has achieved wide recognition nationally and globally.

Nagasaki University in Japan donated high speed and high capacity computation equipment and accessories to the Centre in 2015 while the First Bank of Nigeria donated solar power equipment to the Centre in 2016. The Centre has established collaboration with some Institutions and Agencies nationally and globally. Such collaborations include NAFDAC, University of Nagasaki in Japan, National Biotechnology Development Agency (NABDA), Nigeria and the Korea Research Institute of Bioscience & Biotechnology (KRIBB). The Centre is at the verge of developing drugs that will address the scourge of lassa fever and diabetes.

Partnership and Networking

In line with its dream to build a 21st Century University, properly called, the University intensified its partnership and networking efforts during the period under review.

The University has, in the last 3 years forged active partnerships with some American Universities in the area of Staff and students’ exchange, curriculum development, research, training, among others. Some of the foreign universities with which Adekunle Ajasin University has active partnership include Auburn University USA (2015); Alabama State University, USA, (2015); Troy University, USA (2015) and Morgan State University, USA (2017).  Some students and members of staff of the University have benefitted under the staff and students’ exchange programme of the partnerships. The university has also received, on yearly basis (from 2015-2017), Scientists and Professors from the partnering US universities on joint collaborative academic programmes and capacity development.

The University has entered into collaboration with the German-Nigerian Energy Partnerships to provide solar energy for the University to address the epileptic/non-existence public electricity supply in Adekunle Ajasin University Akungba Akoko. This will provide permanent solution to the perennial power problem in the University and the huge monthly expenses on diesel and generator procurement and maintenance.

Programmes Accreditation
The University runs programmes that are accredited by the National Universities Commission. The accreditation exercise by the National Universities Commission during the 2014/2015 and 2015/2016 sessions was highly successful. In November 2015, the National Universities Commission accreditation team visited 26 programmes of the University. The University had full accreditation in 25 programmes and interim accreditation in only one programme. The great success in that accreditation exercise, which is a rare feat in any Nigerian University, is a confirmation of the ranking of AAUA as a leading University in Nigeria.
Accreditation exercise by the NUC for 16 programmes of the University is currently on and will run between November 22nd and December 7, 2017.

Awards and Recognition

By virtue of the milestones it has garnered through deliberate strategy over the years, this University has become a hugely sought-after Institution in Nigeria. The National Universities Commission ranked the University the Most Subscribed State University in the South West and the 20th (out of 167 universities) in the nation in 2016. The status of the University has continued to rise astronomically over the years.

Staff and students of the University continue to make the Institution proud in the area of awards and recognition.

During the last two academic sessions covered by this Convocation, two students of the University who made First Class in Law in the University  -- Miss Falade Faith Olayinka and Mr. Lawal Kazeem -- also bagged First Class at the Nigerian Law School Final Bar Examinations in 2016 and 2017 respectively.

Earlier in 2014, a First Class Law student of the University, Mr. Akeem Opeyemi Longe, had not only repeated the same feat at the Nigerian Law School, he had also emerged the Best Graduating Student in this University. Adekunle Ajasin University carted away nine out of the 27 awards available in that year. Some of our distinguished members of academic staff have also won competitive research fellowships, grants and awards. These include Dr. Oladoja N.A. and Dr. Ololade I.A. in the Department of Chemical Sciences as well as Professor Timothy Adejumo of Microbiology Department and current Dean of Faculty of Science.  Dr. Oladoja and Professor Adejumo won the Alexander von Humboldt Research Fellowships of Germany and equipment grants as well as Conference support grants while Dr. Ololade won the International Foundation of Science Research Grants, Sweden.

Infrastructural Development:

The prevailing economic crunch notwithstanding, the University employed a combination of creativity and goodwill to facilitate massive projects to sustain the huge infrastructural development it is known for.

A total of 35 projects were executed from 2015 to date. Of the 35 projects, 16 are completed and have been put to use while 19 are ongoing and are at various stages of completion.

The completed projects now provide facilities for lectures, staff offices, seminars, meetings, etc. They include the Students' Relaxation Centre, Technical Education Workshop, 500-Capacity Lecture Theatre for the Entrepreneurship Centre, 2 No. 300-Capacity Lecture Theatres for the Faculty of Arts, 900-Capacity lecture theatre for the Faculty of Arts, Centre for Entrepreneurship Building, a Block of 13 Shops, among others.

The ongoing projects include Students' Hostel, Laboratory Block, Electrification Project, Fibre optic internet project, Faculty of Agriculture Building, 500-Capacity Classroom Lecture Theatre, 300-Capacity Classroom Lecture Theatre, Administrative Building for the Faculty of Arts and Faculty of Education Building with 2 No. 300-Capacity Lecture Theatres, among others.

They also include laboratory equipment and furniture supply and installations as well as landscaping of the university campus to preserve the beauty of the environment as well as welfare of staff and students.

It is has however become more glaring that Government alone cannot fund functional education. We therefore appeal to parents, individuals, philanthropists and corporate organisations and all well-meaning citizens to come to the University's aid in its bid to fulfill its mandate of providing excellent university training, research and services to the students and the society.

One of the major highlights of this year’s convocation ceremony is the commissioning of the Radio AAUA 90.3 FM, A Station of Ideals. The National Broadcasting Commission (NBC) issued the license for the radio in 2015 while the contract for procurement and installation of the radio equipment and accessories was awarded by the Ondo state Government in 2016. The project, which was completed in September 2017 was fully funded by the University through its Internally Generated Revenue (IGR). The university community radio is critical to the training of our students in Mass Communication Department as well as serving the university community and the entire Akoko communities that host the university.

Student Support

As usual, the University continues to accord students’ welfare top priority. The synergy and cordial relationship between Management and students’ leadership has helped in ensuring that basic needs and facilities required by students for successful study in Adekunle Ajasin University are provided. This has contributed greatly to the peace the University enjoys.

Over 500 students have benefitted from the Students' Work-Study Scheme, a welfarist initiative set up by the University to make indigent and willing students to work for two hours daily and earn a monthly stipend to offset their financial needs.

The University continues to use student unionism as a tool for preparing future leaders in furtherance of its service mandate. By dint of deliberate efforts, students' elections and transition of power have been peaceful in the last eight years. The terms of successive students administrations have also been relatively peaceful and stable. The University owes all this to the mentoring and orientation programmes organised for students’ leaders each year. These efforts have achieved eight years of relatively peaceful and stable calendar.

The University however has a great challenge in providing adequate hostel accommodation for the students. We use this opportunity to appeal to individuals and corporate organizations to partner with the University in providing hostel accommodation on campus for our students on the basis of ‘Build, Operate and Transfer’ (BOT).

The Akoko Development Group began the construction of a 200-bed hostel last month. By the time these hostels are completed, and with the ongoing hostels construction projects under the Needs Assessment Projects of the Federal Government, the acute shortage of accommodation on campus shall have been addressed to some level.

Creative approach to sustainable development remains our strategy and strength in the last three years of economic crunch. The milestones and development we have been able to achieve during these periods are a proof that we shall pull through even as we continue to find better ways to stay afloat in a foggy and harsh environment.

Addressing the Challenges
We improved on our internally Generated Revenue portfolio during the year by re-engineering the University's business arm -- the Ajasin Varsity Investment Limited. The University is running its Faculty of Agriculture as business. Recently (2017), the University established 5-hectare cocoa plantation as part of its commercial farms and plans are underway to expand the farm annually. The commercial farm will be a great source of revenue to the University in no distant time. The University has also entered into collaboration with the Nigeria Export Promotion Council on the University Cocoa Project. We will continue to look inward to shore up the revenue base of the University by embarking on aggressive internally generated revenue drive.

Our staff have also been encouraged to exploit the business angle of their endeavours as part of the capital campaign efforts of the University. Such endeavours will attract commissions to the staff.

We owe a debt of gratitude to our Visitor, Arakunrin Oluwarotimi Odunayo Akeredolu, SAN, whose leadership, vision, direction and magnanimity have achieved sustainable peace and development in a short period of 10 months in office.  We are confident that we shall continue to receive the needed support from our amiable Visitor in the subsequent years.

Words are inadequate to express the contributions of the Tertiary Education Trust Fund, TETFUND, and the Federal Government Needs Assessment for their interventions and huge contributions to the infrastructural and academic development of the University.

I would like to appreciate our corporate friends and philanthropic individuals too numerous to mention for their love and support for the University.

Going forward, it is our desire to continue to improve on our research efforts, deepen the integrity of our academic programmes, engage in capacity building through training and re-training of our staff, deliver welfare to our staff and students and exploit ways of sustaining our peaceful and stable calendar in order to further give our University a competitive status and make it more readily visible on the global radar.

Thank you.7TH CONVOCATION PRESS BRIEFING BY THE VICE CHANCELLOR, ADEKUNLE AJASIN UNIVERSITY, AKUNGBA AKOKO, PROFESSOR IGBEKELE AMOS AJIBEFUN, HELD ON MONDAY, DECEMBER 4, 2017

The Deputy Vice Chancellor,
The Registrar,
The Bursar,
The University Librarian,
Other Officers of the University,
Gentlemen of the Press,

I heartily welcome you to the Press Briefing of the 7th Convocation Ceremony of Adekunle Ajasin University, Akungba Akoko, and the 2nd under my watch since I took office on January 6, 2015.

You will recall that the first Convocation I held as Vice Chancellor of this Institution and, indeed, the University's 6th convocation, was during my first year in office in 2015. The University could not hold a convocation ceremony last year due to financial challenges.

You will also kindly recall that the nation’s serious economic challenges became glaring from 2015. This has made the governance of public institutions in Nigeria very challenging. Most universities are grappling with paying workers' salaries, while infrastructural development has been pushed to the rear seat. Although Adekunle Ajasin University has its own share of these economic hardship, it has been able to weather the storm, courtesy of the magnanimity and support of the Visitor to the University and Governor of Ondo State, Arakunrin Oluwarotimi Odunayo Akeredolu, SAN, prudent management of the University's scarce resources and creative employment of goodwill to facilitate projects from Federal Government agencies and corporate organizations.

In spite of the prevailing scarce resources, the Visitor to the University and Governor of Ondo State, Arakunrin Oluwarotimi Odunayo Akeredolu, SAN, continues to provide support for the activities and programmes of the University, including the Convocation Ceremony.

Permit me, Gentlemen of the Press, to express deep appreciation, on behalf of the University, to our amiable Visitor for his kindness.

This year's Convocation Ceremony is a nine-day event.
Day One featured Jumat Service, which was held on Friday, December 1, 2017 in the University Mosque. On Day Two, December 2, the University Community observed Keep-Fit Exercise.

Today is Day Three and is slated for the ongoing Convocation Press Conference.

On Day Four, Tuesday, December 5, there will be friendly matches in various games with sister universities.

Day Five witnesses Opening of Exhibition. Exhibition is a regular feature of the University's Convocation Ceremony and the research efforts and innovations of staff and students are showcased at this event. The Exhibition shall be closed on Thursday, December 7.

Day Six features Convocation Lecture, whose topic is "Nigerian Universities and Youth Empowerment", and it will hold on Thursday, December 7 in the University Multipurpose Hall at 2:00pm. It will be delivered by a Nigerian-born, United States-based and world-class professor, Professor Toyin Falola, a global icon in African studies. Professor Falola is the Jacob and Frances Sanger Mossiker Chair in the Humanities and University Distinguished Teaching Professor at the University of Texas, USA.

On Day Seven, Friday, December 8, there shall be Conferment of First Degrees on Graduating Students of the Faculties of Education, Social and Management Sciences, the Institute of Education, Institute of Part-Time Programmes and Presentation of Prizes.

Two major events are slated for Day Eight and Second Day of Graduation, the Grand Finale, coming up on Saturday, December 9, 2017, at 9:00am.

The University Radio, Radio AAUA 90.3FM, A Station Of Lofty Ideals, will be commissioned by the Visitor to the University and Governor of Ondo State, Arakunrin Oluwarotimi Odunayo Akeredolu, SAN.

Conferment of First Degrees on Graduating Students of the Faculties of Arts, Law and Science; Conferment of Postgraduate Diplomas, Higher Degrees, Honorary Degrees and Presentation of prizes will hold at 10:00am same day at the University Multipurpose Hall.

The Convocation will be rounded off on Day Nine, Sunday, December 10, 2017 with an Interdenominational Service at the University Multipurpose Hall at 10:00am.

Due to the non-hosting of convocation last year, we are presenting two sets of graduating students this year -- 2014/2015 and 2015/2016.

A grand total of 9,812 graduands shall receive various degrees. Of this number, 7,786 belong to the 2014/2015 session while 2,026 are of the 2015/2016 session.

Of the 7,624 that earned First Degree in the 2014/2015 session, 29 graduated with First Class Honours, 1,316 bagged Second Class Upper Division, 5,183 earned Second Class Lower Division, 1,027 had Third Class Honours while 69 got Pass Degree.

In the postgraduate category, 16 bagged Doctor of Philosophy, Ph.D.; 128 earned Master's degree while 18 had Postgraduate Diploma in Education, PGDE.

Of the 2,026 that graduated in the 2015/2016 session, 21 earned First Class, 609 graduated in Second Class Upper Division, 1,151 bagged Second Class Lower Division, 239 got Third Class while six had Pass Degree.

Conferment of Honorary Awards this year is benchmarked against awardees' contributions to the University and the course of education in Nigeria. It is our belief as a University that contributions to institutions and humanity should be a yardstick for giving awards and that when this is done transparently, it will spur the honourees and well-meaning individuals to impact society better.

Three distinguished Nigerians, including an eminent son of Ondo State who have contributed to the development of the University, as well as being philanthropists and friend of the University qualify for Honorary Awards this year.

Chief Kesington Adebutu, a foremost entrepreneur who has been of tremendous support to the University, shall be conferred with the Doctor of Business Finance (Honoris Causa).

Chief (Engr.) Julius Ajibulu, a friend of the University who has supported the University immensely, will be conferred with the Doctor of Science (Honoris Causa).

The Governor of Imo State and an education philanthropist of no mean stature, His Excellency Owelle Rochas Anayo Okorocha, will be conferred with Doctor of Letters (D. Litt.) Honoris Causa.

Academic Integrity
Stringent efforts were made during the last two academic sessions under review to sustain the integrity of the University's academic programmes. The planks that deliver academic integrity -- merit-driven admission and absorption of alumni with first class Honours degree and sending of young academics for higher degrees at home and abroad, have been sustained and re-invigorated.

The merit-driven initiatives mentioned above are minimum standards created and applied by successive administrations to deliver the vision of the founding fathers of this University. As a responsible administration, we intend to continue to uphold these planks and to add to them to continue to be the best.

All the efforts above have fetched the University the frontline status it enjoys among state universities in the country to date.

Staff Training & Capacity Development
The University views capacity development as a strategic and critical means of deepening and improving on the integrity of the administrative and the academic programmes of the University. The University therefore continues to give it a pride of place.

Between January 2015 and November 2017, a total of 223 academic and administrative staff of this University attended local and international conferences and training on sponsorship of TETFund and the University.

Currently, 96 members of academic staff are on study leave to undertake postgraduate programmes in different universities across the globe.

The University hosted over ten international and local conferences from 2015 to date, while it also held workshops to further deepen its academic programmes.

Research & Development
As a way of strengthening our research efforts, the University's academic centres have collaborated with a number of credible institutions and agencies.

The Centre for Research & Development is in the process of signing Memoranda of Understanding with some Agencies to shore up the University's research efforts. The Management of the Engineering Materials Development Institute, EMDI, has agreed in principle to partner with AAUA in instituting joint research and development projects while at the same time providing engineering services to the University.

The Centre for Bio-Computing and Drug Development (CBDD) is one of the newly created Centres for innovative research in the University. The Centre took off in 2015 after its approval by the University Senate. The Centre was established with the main purpose of addressing medical and health challenges in Nigeria through drug development using the instruments of Computation and Molecular Biology techniques.
Within the short period of its establishment, the Centre has achieved wide recognition nationally and globally.

Nagasaki University in Japan donated high speed and high capacity computation equipment and accessories to the Centre in 2015 while the First Bank of Nigeria donated solar power equipment to the Centre in 2016. The Centre has established collaboration with some Institutions and Agencies nationally and globally. Such collaborations include NAFDAC, University of Nagasaki in Japan, National Biotechnology Development Agency (NABDA), Nigeria and the Korea Research Institute of Bioscience & Biotechnology (KRIBB). The Centre is at the verge of developing drugs that will address the scourge of lassa fever and diabetes.

Partnership and Networking

In line with its dream to build a 21st Century University, properly called, the University intensified its partnership and networking efforts during the period under review.

The University has, in the last 3 years forged active partnerships with some American Universities in the area of Staff and students’ exchange, curriculum development, research, training, among others. Some of the foreign universities with which Adekunle Ajasin University has active partnership include Auburn University USA (2015); Alabama State University, USA, (2015); Troy University, USA (2015) and Morgan State University, USA (2017).  Some students and members of staff of the University have benefitted under the staff and students’ exchange programme of the partnerships. The university has also received, on yearly basis (from 2015-2017), Scientists and Professors from the partnering US universities on joint collaborative academic programmes and capacity development.

The University has entered into collaboration with the German-Nigerian Energy Partnerships to provide solar energy for the University to address the epileptic/non-existence public electricity supply in Adekunle Ajasin University Akungba Akoko. This will provide permanent solution to the perennial power problem in the University and the huge monthly expenses on diesel and generator procurement and maintenance.

Programmes Accreditation
The University runs programmes that are accredited by the National Universities Commission. The accreditation exercise by the National Universities Commission during the 2014/2015 and 2015/2016 sessions was highly successful. In November 2015, the National Universities Commission accreditation team visited 26 programmes of the University. The University had full accreditation in 25 programmes and interim accreditation in only one programme. The great success in that accreditation exercise, which is a rare feat in any Nigerian University, is a confirmation of the ranking of AAUA as a leading University in Nigeria.
Accreditation exercise by the NUC for 16 programmes of the University is currently on and will run between November 22nd and December 7, 2017.

Awards and Recognition

By virtue of the milestones it has garnered through deliberate strategy over the years, this University has become a hugely sought-after Institution in Nigeria. The National Universities Commission ranked the University the Most Subscribed State University in the South West and the 20th (out of 167 universities) in the nation in 2016. The status of the University has continued to rise astronomically over the years.

Staff and students of the University continue to make the Institution proud in the area of awards and recognition.

During the last two academic sessions covered by this Convocation, two students of the University who made First Class in Law in the University  -- Miss Falade Faith Olayinka and Mr. Lawal Kazeem -- also bagged First Class at the Nigerian Law School Final Bar Examinations in 2016 and 2017 respectively.

Earlier in 2014, a First Class Law student of the University, Mr. Akeem Opeyemi Longe, had not only repeated the same feat at the Nigerian Law School, he had also emerged the Best Graduating Student in this University. Adekunle Ajasin University carted away nine out of the 27 awards available in that year. Some of our distinguished members of academic staff have also won competitive research fellowships, grants and awards. These include Dr. Oladoja N.A. and Dr. Ololade I.A. in the Department of Chemical Sciences as well as Professor Timothy Adejumo of Microbiology Department and current Dean of Faculty of Science.  Dr. Oladoja and Professor Adejumo won the Alexander von Humboldt Research Fellowships of Germany and equipment grants as well as Conference support grants while Dr. Ololade won the International Foundation of Science Research Grants, Sweden.

Infrastructural Development:

The prevailing economic crunch notwithstanding, the University employed a combination of creativity and goodwill to facilitate massive projects to sustain the huge infrastructural development it is known for.

A total of 35 projects were executed from 2015 to date. Of the 35 projects, 16 are completed and have been put to use while 19 are ongoing and are at various stages of completion.

The completed projects now provide facilities for lectures, staff offices, seminars, meetings, etc. They include the Students' Relaxation Centre, Technical Education Workshop, 500-Capacity Lecture Theatre for the Entrepreneurship Centre, 2 No. 300-Capacity Lecture Theatres for the Faculty of Arts, 900-Capacity lecture theatre for the Faculty of Arts, Centre for Entrepreneurship Building, a Block of 13 Shops, among others.

The ongoing projects include Students' Hostel, Laboratory Block, Electrification Project, Fibre optic internet project, Faculty of Agriculture Building, 500-Capacity Classroom Lecture Theatre, 300-Capacity Classroom Lecture Theatre, Administrative Building for the Faculty of Arts and Faculty of Education Building with 2 No. 300-Capacity Lecture Theatres, among others.

They also include laboratory equipment and furniture supply and installations as well as landscaping of the university campus to preserve the beauty of the environment as well as welfare of staff and students.

It is has however become more glaring that Government alone cannot fund functional education. We therefore appeal to parents, individuals, philanthropists and corporate organisations and all well-meaning citizens to come to the University's aid in its bid to fulfill its mandate of providing excellent university training, research and services to the students and the society.

One of the major highlights of this year’s convocation ceremony is the commissioning of the Radio AAUA 90.3 FM, A Station of Ideals. The National Broadcasting Commission (NBC) issued the license for the radio in 2015 while the contract for procurement and installation of the radio equipment and accessories was awarded by the Ondo state Government in 2016. The project, which was completed in September 2017 was fully funded by the University through its Internally Generated Revenue (IGR). The university community radio is critical to the training of our students in Mass Communication Department as well as serving the university community and the entire Akoko communities that host the university.

Student Support

As usual, the University continues to accord students’ welfare top priority. The synergy and cordial relationship between Management and students’ leadership has helped in ensuring that basic needs and facilities required by students for successful study in Adekunle Ajasin University are provided. This has contributed greatly to the peace the University enjoys.

Over 500 students have benefitted from the Students' Work-Study Scheme, a welfarist initiative set up by the University to make indigent and willing students to work for two hours daily and earn a monthly stipend to offset their financial needs.

The University continues to use student unionism as a tool for preparing future leaders in furtherance of its service mandate. By dint of deliberate efforts, students' elections and transition of power have been peaceful in the last eight years. The terms of successive students administrations have also been relatively peaceful and stable. The University owes all this to the mentoring and orientation programmes organised for students’ leaders each year. These efforts have achieved eight years of relatively peaceful and stable calendar.

The University however has a great challenge in providing adequate hostel accommodation for the students. We use this opportunity to appeal to individuals and corporate organizations to partner with the University in providing hostel accommodation on campus for our students on the basis of ‘Build, Operate and Transfer’ (BOT).

The Akoko Development Group began the construction of a 200-bed hostel last month. By the time these hostels are completed, and with the ongoing hostels construction projects under the Needs Assessment Projects of the Federal Government, the acute shortage of accommodation on campus shall have been addressed to some level.

Creative approach to sustainable development remains our strategy and strength in the last three years of economic crunch. The milestones and development we have been able to achieve during these periods are a proof that we shall pull through even as we continue to find better ways to stay afloat in a foggy and harsh environment.

Addressing the Challenges
We improved on our internally Generated Revenue portfolio during the year by re-engineering the University's business arm -- the Ajasin Varsity Investment Limited. The University is running its Faculty of Agriculture as business. Recently (2017), the University established 5-hectare cocoa plantation as part of its commercial farms and plans are underway to expand the farm annually. The commercial farm will be a great source of revenue to the University in no distant time. The University has also entered into collaboration with the Nigeria Export Promotion Council on the University Cocoa Project. We will continue to look inward to shore up the revenue base of the University by embarking on aggressive internally generated revenue drive.

Our staff have also been encouraged to exploit the business angle of their endeavours as part of the capital campaign efforts of the University. Such endeavours will attract commissions to the staff.

We owe a debt of gratitude to our Visitor, Arakunrin Oluwarotimi Odunayo Akeredolu, SAN, whose leadership, vision, direction and magnanimity have achieved sustainable peace and development in a short period of 10 months in office.  We are confident that we shall continue to receive the needed support from our amiable Visitor in the subsequent years.

Words are inadequate to express the contributions of the Tertiary Education Trust Fund, TETFUND, and the Federal Government Needs Assessment for their interventions and huge contributions to the infrastructural and academic development of the University.

I would like to appreciate our corporate friends and philanthropic individuals too numerous to mention for their love and support for the University.

Going forward, it is our desire to continue to improve on our research efforts, deepen the integrity of our academic programmes, engage in capacity building through training and re-training of our staff, deliver welfare to our staff and students and exploit ways of sustaining our peaceful and stable calendar in order to further give our University a competitive status and make it more readily visible on the global radar.