How Nile University improves students’ achievements

A total of 365 students who completed their degree programmes in different disciplines graduated at the 6th convocation ceremony of Nile University of Nigeria (NUN) in Abuja on Saturday. The authorities said the institution makes every effort to cultivate core values that are worthy for the individual and the society as a whole thus all […]

A total of 365 students who completed their degree programmes in different disciplines graduated at the 6th convocation ceremony of Nile University of Nigeria (NUN) in Abuja on Saturday.

The authorities said the institution makes every effort to cultivate core values that are worthy for the individual and the society as a whole thus all its graduands given degree certificates at the event were found to be suitable for the award.

The vice chancellor, Professor Huseyin Sert, said in his address that the university tries hard to raise the quality and character of future leaders and has since inception in 2009, been able to mold young minds and produce high-achieving graduates’ year in, year out.

He also said being a multicultural setting, its students, with different cultural backgrounds and diverse challenges, were made to adhere to established laws and international best practices.

Apart from the award of undergraduate degrees to deserving graduands, notable individuals including the Emir of Kano, Muhammadu Sanusi II and the Alaafin of Oyo, Oba Lamidi Olayiwola Adeyemi III, were conferred with the Doctorate Degree of Science (Honoris Causa) for their brilliant effort in enhancing the growth and development of education in Nigeria.

The VC said opportunities to study in the university by candidates from all works of life continue to expand, adding that scholarships were offered to those that perform exceptionally well in the Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME) and other examinations.

The VC, said the university has 26 departments, six faculties, a College of Health Science, School of Postgraduate Studies and a Center for Life-Long Learning.

He said the postgraduate section offers PGD, master’s and PhD in 25 programmes and that both undergraduate and postgraduate courses were installed after getting approval from the regulatory bodies.

The Minister of State for Education, Professor Anthony Gozie Anwuka, in a convocation lecture on ‘Managing Education for Sustainability’, called on higher institutions to produce effective graduates and school levies be made reasonable.

“For better and more virile university education with appropriate courses to meet the needs and aspirations of the country towards achieving appreciable mark in socio-economic growth and development, students need to pay realistic school fees, comparable to students in Ghana and other African countries.

“Nigeria cannot continue to behave like a country that lacks manpower while it has unimaginable number of university graduates seeking for work every day.

“Realistic payment of tuition fees by university students will provide the system with fuel to fire on all cylinders in the production of international standard that can be exported to other economies to work and make a living,” he said.

He said the Federal Government should only assist in the administration of basic and secondary education.

“Federal Government can support primary and secondary education by providing support funds to sub-national governments for these important strata of education.

“Primary and secondary school management should be the exclusive preserve of the sub-national governments since they are far closer to the people and have access to more reliable data for situation analysis and policy formulation, implementation, monitoring and evaluation,” he said.

Emir of Kano, Sanusi II said more effort should be made in getting every child to school and ensuring that children succeed in school.

He said the authorities and wealthy individuals in the northern region must strive to provide quality teaching and learning at the basic level of education.

“What we need is foundation that will make it possible for those who cannot afford to educate their children to give then very good primary and secondary education,” the emir said.

He also said that mosques should be used as classrooms to educate children in places where there are no schools, adding that the number of mosques in most communities in northern Nigeria outweighed the number of classrooms.