Adebayo Adenrele
Governor Biodun Oyebanji of Ekiti State, has reiterated the commitment of his administration to making Ekiti State University a world-class Institution by investing in infrastructure and digital tools that will make the learning environment conducive, accommodative and interesting.
The Governor, who made this known on Thursday at the 27th convocation ceremony of the institution, said his government was pursuing a multi-pronged policy action that would allow schools in Ekiti from primary to tertiary, responsive to the demand of today and ensure that the products of the Institutions can compete favourably with their counterparts from across the globe.
Oyebanji, who made history as the first alumnus of the University to become the state Governor and Visitor to the state-owned University, said his administration placed immense magnitude on human capital development and is irreducibly committed to job creation, youth and human development which occupied number two and three of his administration six-point agenda.
He said as part of his efforts to upscale digital education for job creation, his administration had launched Ekiti Digital Skill Academy this year with distribution of laptops to 100 youths and that the program targets 500 youths to be given laptops and other devices to facilitate their learning experience.
While restating his administration’s commitment to quality education, the Governor said his government has sustained the provision of bursary by giving support of 22.3 million Naira to all qualified undergraduates and postgraduate students of Ekiti origin last year alone and that he would continue to do his best to ensure that the young ones have meaningful future through access to affordable education.
The Governor, who urged the Council and management of EKSU to use their research output to address and solve basic problems to attract more fund to the institution and become profitable, called on all stakeholders to support the University to attain a new height.
Governor Oyebanji congratulated the graduands and charged them to take the advantage of the trainings and learning they have acquired to contribute their quota to humanity.
“As a government, our administration places an immense importance on human capital development. Our government is irreducibly committed to job creation, youths and human capital development, to underscore this out of the six pillars of our administration, youth empowerment and human capital development occupy number two and three respectively.
“As part of effort to achieve this, I recently launched the Ekiti Digital Skill Academy in February this year with the distribution of laptops to 100 youths as part of our move to upscale digital education for job creation and the programme targets 500 youths to be given laptops and other devices to facilitate their learning experience.”
In his remarks, the Vice Chancellor of the University, Prof. Edward Olanipekun announced some of the achievements of the University to include securing accreditation for 81 regular programmes by the National Universities Commission with another eight programmes having interim accreditation.
Prof. Olanipekun added that the University also made successes in the area of ICT infrastructure, noting that the Institution was now able to produce transcript for its students within 72 hours of request as well as achieving the feat of ensuring that all graduands went with their original certificates on graduation day as against the old system where students only get statement of results and wait endlessly for their certificates.
Also at the event were the Speaker, Ekiti State House of Assembly, Rt. Hon. Olubunmi Adelugba; Secretary to the state Government, Dr Habibat Adubiaro, members of the Governing Council, members of the state executive council; Chairman, Ekiti State Council of Traditional Rulers and Onisan of Isan Ekiti, Oba Gabriel Adejuwon; Deputy Vice Chancellor (Academics), Prof. J.B Ayodele and Deputy Vice Chancellor (Development), Prof. Raphael Adeleke among others.