University of Ibadan Vice Chancellor, Prof. Abel Idowu Olayinka has advised upcoming private universities in Nigeria to run on high quality of moral and academic principles, saying this is the cutting edge of the UI which does not compromise merit and quality in all its affairs.
Prof. Olayinka who spoke while hosting the Founder and Proprietor as well as the officers of a recently approved private university, Dominion University, Bishop Taiwo Victor Adelakun in his office remarked that high quality principles both in moral and academic training of students would go a long way to distinguish any private university that could embrace the ideas.
The UI boss who shared his foreign experience said Ibadan was popular across the globe as a result of its culture of excellence , pointing out that he was always happy each time he travelled and people outside the country testified to the quality of training in UI.
According to the VC, “In UI, our admission process is merit-driven. The National Universities Commission (NUC) allows us to admit up to 8,000 candidates but we decide to admit only about 4,000 because we are conscious of quality factor, more so we want every 100-level student and the finalists to be accommodated on campus, whereas we have just 9,000 bed spaces. The underlining factor is our culture of excellence and the need to maintain high quality standards”
Prof. Olayinka who recalled that UI had mentored several universities including Jos and Ilorin with many institutions affiliated to us assured Dominion University of partnership and mentorship that will greatly assist the new university.
Earlier, the Dominion University Proprietor had told the VC that part of the conditions handed down by the NUC while presenting the approval to the new university was that UI would be the mentoring institution.
“Consequently, we are here soliciting your support in three areas including having your academic staff in our school as Adjunct Lecturers, giving us some of the students who applied to UI but could not be admitted as a result of over subscription and granting us access to your library ” Bishop Adelakun said.
The cleric who explained that he was directed to address the rot in education sector by establishing the university disclosed that Prof. Francis Egbohaire of Department of Linguistics, UI , has been appointed as the pioneer Vice Chancellor of Dominion University.
The Dominion University will commence academic session in October this year with nine Departments and 15 programmes