70-year-old Man Bags UNILAG PhD

A 70-year-old man, who is a retired lecturer and Dean of School of Engineering at Ogun State Institute of Technology, Igbesa, Pa George Asuelinmen, as well Mrs Joy Chinyere Umudu, have bagged PhD degrees alongside 143 others at the 52nd convocation ceremonies of the University of Lagos (UNILAG) Akoka.

While the former graduated as the oldest in the entire 2019/2020 graduating set, the latter who studied Pure Mathematics and mother of five, produced the overall best PhD Thesis.

They were both acknowledged publicly at the event even as Mrs Umudu was also presented with various awards including University Alumni award for her academic brilliance.

President Muhammadu Buhari, on Thursday, at the event, charged Nigerian universities to be in the forefront in providing solution to myriad of problems confronting the country.

He gave this charge at the 3rd day of the convocation ceremonies, where a total of 4,418 postgraduate students bagged diploma, masters and doctoral degrees in various disciplines.

Speaking further, Buhari, who was represented by the Deputy Executive Secretary of the National Universities Commission (NUC), Dr. Chris Mayaki, said his administration beliefs so much in the provision of quality education across levels and particularly at the tertiary level for Nigerians.

He said that was why his administration sustained commitment to make education one of its top priorities since inception.

According to him, only quality education particularly the one produced in good tertiary institutions as UNILAG and some others can instigate rapid socio-economic, scientific and technological development in the country.

He noted that Nigeria’s challenges were multiplying on daily basis and that genuine solution would require fresh perspective, ideas, innovations and approaches to education delivery in the country.

So, it is not only that we need to change the way we do things, particularly as regards our attitude towards education if we truly desire true economic prosperity as a country, our universities must be in the forefront of imparting quality knowledge and skills and innovations to ensure our quality participation in global knowledge- society,’ he stressed.

He said government would continue to invest appreciably and encourage tertiary schools to produce necessary skilled manpower for the country and the world at large

In his welcome address earlier, the vice-chancellor of UNILAG, Prof Oluwatoyin Ogundipe, said he was particularly happy that UNILAG is now enjoying steady peace and progress since about two years now.

He congratulated all the graduands on the successful completion of their programmes and wished them well while promising that UNILAG would remain committed to the production of globally competitive manpower and the conduct of societal solution-driven researches.

In his own remark, the Chancellor of the university and Sheu of Borno, Dr Abubakar El-Kanemi, commended the management, faculty members, alumni and other stakeholders of the university for their supports and cooperation in making UNILAG a global brand.
He however congratulated the graduating students and asked them to go and make positive change as they continue their journey in life.

Among other high profile personalities in attendance are the chairman of Governing Council of the university, Dr Lanre Tejuosho; his counterpart at the University of Benin (UNIBEN), Dr Sunny Kuku; the Alaafin of Oyo, Oba Lamidi Adeyemi; deputy chief of Staff to the President, Ade Ipaye, President of UNILAG Alumni Association, John Momoh, and a host of others.