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From Aloysius Attah, Onitsha
It was a day of honour for the chairman of Dangote Group, Alhaji Aliko Dangote, president and chairman, Board of Directors, African Export-Import Bank (AFREXIMBANK), Prof. Benedict Oramah and renowned Architect, Donald Nwandu as they bagged honourary doctorate degree awards during 15th/ 16th combined convocation ceremonies of Nnamdi Azikiwe University, Awka held recently.
While Dangote and Oramah were conferred with the Honorary Award of Doctor of Development Economics, Nwandu was conferred with Doctor of Architecture Innovations.
Delivering his address during the convocation ceremony, Vice Chancellor of Nnamdi Azikiwe University, Prof. Charles Esimone, disclosed that the university council and senate had thoroughly scrutinized the personalities of the trio and found them highly deserving of the honour following their notable and invaluable contributions to the socio-economic development of Nigeria in their various fields of endeavour.
Esimone also disclosed that the graduands which included first degree and postgraduate degrees have been certified by the institution in character and learning and are ready to contribute meaningfully towards the growth and development of the society through their choice of discipline, having undergone the thorough requisite training.
The vice chancellor expressed immense gratitude to the staff and students of the university, its numerous benefactors and other stakeholders in the affairs of the institution. He noted that without their understanding and support, the administration’s efforts would not have been made possible.
He enumerated the positive score card of the university under his administration in the areas of pursuit of academic excellence, community/public service, administrative reforms, discipline and advancements all encapsulated in his Project 200 ACADA mission and vision, which he justified as being on course with various evidence based achievements despite the distractions brought by the COVID-19 pandemic and incessant long strikes by the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU).
Esimone said the elevation of the School of Postgraduate studies to a College status in compliance with the NUC directive has yielded great dividend to the institution citing the introduction of online platforms for lectures, seminars, final defense for thesis, and dissertations’ presentation as a motivational factor that has led to an increased studentship in the College.
The chancellor of the institution, Da Jacob Gyang Buba, Gbong Gwom Jos and chairman, Plateau State Council of Chiefs, while congratulating the graduands, appealed to ASUU, other university staff unions, the Federal Government and all stakeholders in the Nigerian university system to join hands not only to bring the present strike to an end but to also make a deliberate attempt to proffer permanent solutions to issues of frequency of strike actions in the Nigerian University system.
The visitor to the university, President Muhammadu Buhari, while felicitating with the graduands, expressed optimism that the university has fortified them with requisite functional skills for sustainable employability in the private and public sector while asserting that the Federal Government has initiated various intervention programmes aimed at creating employment opportunities for young Nigerian graduates.
Buhari further assured of the Federal Government’s commitment to industrial harmony in the educational institutions and shall continue to dialogue with the staff unions for an amicable resolution of their grievances.
Earlier, the pro-chancellor, Prof. Sulyman Alege Kuranga, while felicitating with the three distinguished honorary awardees, commended Buhari, the Federal Government and its relevant agencies for all their support to the university.
Oramah described UNIZIK as an institution he admires for its innovative approaches to teaching and learning under challenging circumstances.
“This university has produced hundreds of graduates that are redefining the future of Nigeria from science and technology to the arts and the creative industry; from business and economics to medicine and politics. Hence why I feel truly honoured that the university has recognized my modest contributions to society. I have devoted much of my adult life to development issues, more precisely development finance,” Oramah said.
Oramah also disclosed that Afreximbank under his leadership is one of the foremost institutions that have taken the mantle in strengthening African economies. He revealed that when the COVID-19 pandemic struck and financing disappeared, Afreximbank supported African economies with a seven billion U.S. dollars pandemic response facility.
He announced a grant in the amount of N55 million from Afreximbank to the Centre for Disability and Special Needs Research, to support teaching, learning, and the provision of three internship spaces for UNIZIK students at the bank. He further appreciated the university management for the grant of space for the development of a Heritage Centre for Preservation of Igbo Culture and Tradition to be built by his foundation.
The Afreximbank President equally announced on behalf of Dangote, the construction of a twin 190 fully equipped bedroom space hostel blocks for the university .
In the same vein, Nwandu while appreciating the university for the honour disclosed that the gigantic edifice built by his family for the department of architecture will be ready for commissioning and handover to the institution’s management in May 2022.
