All strata of society must contribute to develop education—Olanipekun

From Priscilla Ediare, Ado-Ekiti

Legal luminary and Chancellor of the Bamidele Olumilua University of Education, Science and Technology, Ikere-Ekiti (BOUESTI), Ekiti State, Chief Wole Olanipekun (SAN), has said education is a collective responsibility, calling on people across all strata of society to contribute and support the government to develop and grow the sector.

Olanipekun made the remarks when delivering his address at the maiden convocation ceremony of BOUESTI at the weekend, where he appealed to the state government and other stakeholders to support the four-year-old institution.

At the ceremony, 1,109 graduates of the university received first degrees, with 38 of them earning First Class, 425 bagging Second Class (Upper Division), 586 receiving Second Class (Lower Division), and 60 obtaining Third Class. Also, four eminent Nigerians were conferred with honorary doctorate degrees of the university.

The Senior Advocate said, “There is no gainsaying the fact that education is a collective responsibility, calling for harmonisation of efforts across all strata of the society. It is expected that BOUESTI, being a state-owned university, should enjoy some level of funding and support from the Ekiti State Government.

“As a child gazes into the eyes of his mother, seeking comfort in her embrace, his heart finds the world within her touch, for in her arms all needs are met, so does BOUESTI look into the eyes of the State Government under the vibrant and dynamic leadership of our State Governor.

“To other stakeholders—donor agencies, parents, alumni, and friends of the university—please come to ‘Our Macedonia’ and help us. Like the rivers that nourish the earth, your contributions will sustain the growth and impact of BOUESTI for generations to come.

“The journey of BOUESTI is a story of transformation, growth, and unwavering commitment to excellence. From her humble beginning in 1976 as a College of Education, to its current status as a full-fledged university, it will surely continue to inspire and empower the next generation of leaders, educators, and innovators.

“There are courses and disciplines that this university offers that no other university in Nigeria does. So, we are a university with a distinction, a university with a difference, a university with ideas, with a future, with a vision and with a mission.”

In his charge to the graduands, Olanipekun said, “We heartily congratulate you and your parents or guardians. I am reminded of the countless hours of hard work, dedication, and perseverance that have brought you to this point. I see in each of you the same spirit of determination and resilience that has driven the university’s growth.

“You are not just graduates; you are pioneers, the first to flag the banner of BOUESTI to the world. Remember that your journey does not end here. This is just the beginning. You have been equipped with the knowledge, skills, and values to make a difference in the world. Embrace the challenges ahead with confidence and courage. As you step into the world, carry with you the values and knowledge you have gained here. You are the torchbearers of a worthy legacy, and we have no doubt that you will make BOUESTI proud.”

Delivering his lecture titled ‘Nigeria Within The Context Of Global University Development,’ Emeritus Prof. Akinjide Osuntokun lamented the proliferation of universities in the country.

The Professor of History, who decried the poor state of universities in Nigeria due to insufficient funding, urged the Federal Government to stop establishing more universities; instead, it should prioritise the funding and survival of the existing ones.

While calling on the National Assembly to address these concerns, Osuntokun said proper planning should precede the establishment of universities to safeguard the future of higher education in the country.

“Don’t establish universities all the time because the ones you have you are not funding them. I know university establishment is seen as dividends of democracy, but why establish new universities when you are not funding properly the old ones? I know there is a university coming up in Iyin-Ekiti. There may be more universities, and probably we would like to have a university either in Ikogosi or Erijiyan or in Imesi—we will welcome it—but what is the probability of survival when there is no money? It is not by accident that we had commissions like the Ash School Commission, Ashby Commission, which planned the establishment of universities in Nigeria.

“Nowadays, universities are established as part of after-dinner speeches. The former President Goodluck Jonathan, during a one-night after-dinner speech in 2013, announced the opening of eleven federal universities, in one fell swoop, in states that did not have federal universities already, and announced the vice-chancellors of these universities and handed over to them one billion naira each for their initial takeoff. There were no plans, no governing councils that were to guide the orderly development of these universities, and some of the vice-chancellors had never done this kind of job before or been in any university senate or council of a university, as some were recruited from abroad. That is not the way a university should be established.

“I want to warn you: the Leader of the Senate is here, Ekiti State Governor is here, my Governor from Enugu is here; please, spare the future generations of headache and heartache by allowing serious planning to precede the establishment of universities.”

In his speech, the Pro-Chancellor and Chairman, Governing Council of BOUESTI, Prof. Oladipo Aina, urged the graduands to be good ambassadors of the university and to uphold its values.

“Pioneer graduands, I congratulate you all. As you step beyond these gates into the next chapter of your journey, remember that you are the torchbearers of BOUESTI’s legacy, and your achievements will forever be woven into the fabric of this institution’s history.

“As you leave these hallowed halls today, I charge you to go forth with confidence and determination. Carry the torch of BOUESTI with pride, uphold its values, and strive to be beacons of excellence in all your endeavours, making meaningful contributions to the world.”

In his remarks, Governor Oyebanji said that his administration places a high premium on innovation and entrepreneurship that will empower students and young professionals with the skills, tools, and mindset necessary for self-reliance, job creation, and economic independence.

The Governor said that his government is not just equipping the youths with academic knowledge but also with practical skills that prepare them for the demands of an evolving world.

He disclosed that his government has invested heavily in the establishment of entrepreneurial and innovation centres across the state to position graduates to excel not only as employees but as employers, innovators, and solution providers.

Governor Oyebanji congratulated the graduating students and charged them to transform the knowledge deposited in them into fruits of service, innovation, and excellence.

“As a government, we understand the importance of equipping our youths not only with academic knowledge but also with practical skills that prepare them for the demands of an evolving world. This is why we have placed a high premium on entrepreneurial skills. In line with this vision, we are investing heavily in the establishment of entrepreneurial and innovation centres across the state.

“These centres are designed to empower students and young professionals with the skills, tools, and mindset necessary for self-reliance, job creation, and economic independence. We are proud to see this commitment reflecting in the entrepreneurial programmes, initiatives, and exploits of BOUESTI, which position our graduates to excel not only as employees but as employers, innovators, and solution providers.”

On his part, the Vice-Chancellor of BOUESTI, Prof. Olufemi Adeoluwa, said the young university has made some modest achievements since its creation in 2020, and it has made attempted efforts to partner with a few foreign universities. “At the University of Rwanda, Kigali, in 2022, BOUESTI was adjudged the best University of Education in Sub-Saharan Africa. The Times Higher Education also ranked BOUESTI as the 26th best university in Nigeria in 2023, though we couldn’t submit our data for ranking last year, securing accreditation of 78 programmes by the National Universities Commission, increase in enrolment of students, a well-equipped library with free access to the internet, among others.

“Successful attempts have also been made to collaborate with a few universities such as Ashesi University in Berekuso, Ghana, and Metharath University in Thailand. Useful discussions are ongoing with the University of Dundee in Scotland and the Wuhan Textile University in China.”

Adeoluwa expressed appreciation to the State Governor, Biodun Oyebanji, who is the Visitor to BOUESTI; Chief Wole Olanipekun (SAN), the Chancellor of the university; Prof. Oladipo Aina, the Pro-Chancellor and Chairman, Governing Council of the institution, for their unwavering commitment and support to the development of the ivory tower.

He also expressed gratitude to the Convocation Lecturer, Prof. Akinjide Osuntokun, for the insightful lecture presented, and the entire staff and management of the institution.

The VC congratulated the first recipients of the honorary degrees of the university as well as the pioneer graduands of BOUESTI, charging the new graduates “to always remember to strive to be self-reliant, to think out of the box, to move closer to God and be confident of making it to the top.”

The four eminent personalities conferred with honorary doctorate degrees are the Ogoga and paramount ruler of Ikere-Ekiti, Oba Adejimi Alagbado, who received the degree of Doctor of Public Administration; the Governor of Enugu State, Dr Peter Mbah, who was conferred with the degree of Doctor of Humane Letters; the Senator representing Niger East Senatorial District/Chairman, Senate Committee on Finance, Senator Sani Musa, honoured with the degree of Doctor of Public Policy; and a Medical Doctor/Business Mogul and Chancellor of Ekiti State University (EKSU), Ado-Ekiti, Dr Tunji Olowolafe, who received the degree of Doctor of Business Administration.

Speaking on behalf of the honourees, Governor Mbah said, “I am profoundly honoured to receive this award of Doctor of Humane Letters from BOUESTI. This is my first visit to Ekiti State.

“I thank my brother, Governor Oyebanji, the Chancellor, the Pro-Chancellor, the Vice-Chancellor, Members of the Governing Council, and the Senate for considering me for this award. I feel indeed honoured and humbled.

“I use this opportunity to congratulate my fellow awardees, and I also congratulate the graduands. This may be an end to a remarkable journey, but I am also sure that it is a new beginning. Believe in yourself. I wish you all well.

“I want to commend the Governor of the state for the enduring reform and sustained investment in education. It reminds me that, again, there is no better investment than education. And indeed, what you are doing in education reminds us also that education is the core foundation for the development of any human capital, and that is what you are entrenching here.

“This award again is going to further recommit us to what we are also doing in the Enugu State education space. For us in Enugu, education is our lifeblood; we have been accused of being obsessed and insane with education because we are spending over 33 per cent of our total budget. We have dedicated that to education, and that is because we are borrowing a leaf from what the convocation lecturer has said.

“The world is moving very fast, and the world will not wait for our children, and we know that technology is the epicentre of that movement, and Artificial Intelligence (AI), as we already know, is going to contribute over 20 trillion to the global economy. So, we do not want our children to be discounted in that new world order, and that is why we will continue to invest, and I am so happy that my brother Governor here is doing exactly the same thing. I wish BOUESTI more years of successes and greater accomplishments.”

One of the honourees, Dr Tunji Olowolafe, expressed gratitude to the management of the university for honouring him and, in a tone filled with joy, said, “It is a privilege I will cherish for the rest of my life.”

Olowolafe, a native of Are-Ekiti in Ekiti State, announced a cash gift of N500,000 to each of the 38 First Class graduands on behalf of the Tunji Olowolafe Foundation and a donation of N100 million to the university on behalf of the Are Progressive Union (APU).

Advising the graduating students, Olowolafe said, “You are lucky to have gained valuable knowledge, and it is essential to remain open to continuous learning. Strive to be the best in your craft, and you will see how successful you can become.”

Also, Senator Sani Musa thanked the institution for the honour and donated a sum of N100 million on behalf of his wife’s Foundation (Future Pathways Foundation) to the university. He spoke glowingly of Ekiti State and hailed its prowess and strides in the area of education.

“I have been here before, and I will always be here. One thing I have identified this state with is the kind of leaders that they produce. So, by their taking with the educational prowess that they have, I am not surprised that they have produced good leaders for this country. We have legal luminaries like Chief Afe Babalola, Chief Wole Olanipekun, my role model; we have the Governor, Biodun Oyebanji; we have the Senate Leader, in whom I believe in his leadership in the Red Chamber, distinguished Senator Opeyemi Bamidele.

“The Vice-Chancellor of this university, BOUESTI, Prof. Olufemi Adeoluwa, I wish to use this opportunity to thank you so much. The education that our parents have given to us, they have encouraged us to go without limits. When we came into this campus, we saw thousands of youths in a state where every house produces a Professor. I would like to use this opportunity and the leadership that God has given to us, which is just a privilege, to translate the same back to our community.

“Today, in the community where I come from, there are thousands of out-of-school children, which has become a source of concern, and I will appeal to our administrators, especially in the education sector, to come around to a state like Ekiti to learn how we can translate the same back home.

“We also have something that we can export back to other places, and that is what my Governor, Mohammed Bago, has taken to encourage, and that is agriculture. We ought to be seen just as Ekiti State is seen as the citadel of learning; we want to see Niger State as a place where we can feed the nation.

“With this honour that I have been bestowed, and my other honourees, I wish to also extend my hand of fellowship to this university for the sake of encouraging the downtrodden to continue to learn in Science and Technology because today’s world, without science, without going into learning technology, we will be nowhere. And as a pacesetter, I believe that Ekiti State is going to be one place that people will come to learn, especially this university.

“I want to extend my hand of fellowship by donating an endowment of N100 million to the university, and this money is coming from the Future Pathways Foundation, which my wife founded. They are still doing the same thing on how to encourage education. And as a Trustee of that Foundation, I feel that this gesture and sacrifice is part of supporting education. I want to call on other people to do the same so that we can continue to uplift education. Vice-Chancellor, Members of the Senate and Academic Board, I wish to extend my profound appreciation for this honour on behalf of myself and the Nigerian Senate.”

Present at the event were the Pro-Chancellor and Chairman of the Governing Council of the University of Nigeria, Nsukka, Engr Kayode Ojo; the Leader of the Senate, Senator Opeyemi Bamidele; Senator Abdul Ningi; and other National Assembly lawmakers.

Others included the Deputy Governor of Ekiti State, Mrs Monisade Afuye; the Secretary to Ekiti State Government (SSG), Prof. Habibat Adubiaro; Members of the Ekiti House of Assembly, led by their Speaker, Rt. Hon. Adeoye Aribasoye; traditional rulers; Vice-Chancellors of various universities; parents; guardians; among others.