By Correspondent in Lokoja.
Federal University,Lokoja (FUL) in Kogi State, ranks 3rd among the 12 new Federal Universities,35th in the country,122nd in Sub Saharan Africa, 221 in Africa and 5,024th world wide in its ten years existence as a citadel of education.
The Vice Chancellor of the University, Prof.Olayemi Akinwumi, reeled out the statistics while briefing Journalists in Lokoja on Monday to herald the 5th convocation of the institution slated for November 13 at the Convocation Arena, Felele Campus, Lokoja.
Akinwumi described the feat by the university as a lot of improvement on the January ranking, where the university ranked 7th among its contemporaries,78th in Nigeria,225thinnSubSahara Africa,396th in Africa,and 10604th in the world.
“Our goal is to emerge the best out of the 12 new universities and among the top 10 in the country. Our painstaking efforts at enhancing the university’s visibility and improving on its ranking is beginning to achieve the desired results,” the Vice Chancellor noted.
Prof. Akinwumi, who assumed the mantle of leadership of the institution about nine months ago, said he initiated the institutionalisation of academic traditions and ceremonies, having realised that only 2 Professors had delivered their Inaugural Lectures since the establishment of the University in 2011.
“We accelerated the relevant processes and today,a total of 6 professors in the university (4 since my assumption of office), have delivered their Inaugural Lectures with many others in line to deliver theirs, according to the schedule we have prepared,” he added.
The Vice Chancellor said that in an effort to achieve the much-needed physical developmnt and programne expansion,the university commenced academic activities at its permanent site( Felele Campus in September 2021.
Akinwumi,who noted that the relocation process was successful and that the staff and the students were settling in gradually, however expresed concern that absence of big critical infrastructure and essential services remained enormous challenges to the effective realisation of the relocation.
The Vice Chancellor, who disclosed that the university had five faculties and 49 courses, added that the institution would graduate 14 First ,188 second upper class,441 lower and 95 third class honours as well as 66 post graduates during the planned occasion.
Edited by Dada Ahmed.
