The Vice-Chancellor’s Press Briefing on the Maiden Convocation, May 25, 2023
The Registrar,
The Ag. Bursar,
The University Librarian,
Chairman, Committee of Deans and Directors,
Dean of Postgraduate School,
Deans of Schools,
Dean of Student Affairs,
Gentlemen of the Press,
Ladies and Gentlemen
Preamble
It is my pleasure to welcome you to Olusegun Agagu University of Science and Technology, Okitipupa, Nigeria. The University was established at Ondo State University of Science and Technology in 2008 by the Ondo State Government under the leadership of his Excellency, Dr. Olusegun Agagu and renamed Olusegun Agagu University of Science and Technology in 2019. The University started with just one Faculty/School, which is the School of Science, and two additional Schools – School of Engineering and Engineering Technology, and School of Agriculture, Food and Natural Resources in 2017.
Today, the University has five Faculties/Schools. These are:
(i) School of Science
(ii) School of Engineering and Engineering Technology
(iii) School of Agriculture, Food and Natural Recourses
(iv) School of Management Sciences
(v) School of Earth Sciences
In the next academic session, 2023/2024, the School of Basic Medical Sciences will take off. The school will run courses in BSc. Nursing and BSc. Public Health. Also the BSc. Applied Geology programmes will also commence in 2023/2024 academic session in the School of Earth Science.
It should be mentioned that the Ondo State Oil Producing Areas Development Commission (OSOPADEC) is building a new School – School of Maritime Transport and Logistics at Ugbo Nla, in Ondo State southern senatorial district. The Maritime Academy will train the critical skilled manpower necessary to drive maritime industry and ultimately the blue economy of the state. The school will run courses in the following areas:
(i) BSc. Nautical Science
(ii) BSc. Maritime Transport and Logistics
(iii) BSc. Marine Engineering
(iv) BSc. Shipping and Port Management
(v) BSc. Marine Economics and Finance
(vi) BSc. Maritime Security
The state is in the process of establishing a deep sea port. This courses will also help to boost the local economy of the state aside from providing the critical manpower in the maritime industry currently short supply in Nigeria.
Highlight of the Convocation
There are three major highlights in the forthcoming convocation. The first is the award of Doctor of Business Administration (Honours Causa) to the Chancellor of the University, His Imperial Majesty, Oba (Dr.) Fredrick Obateru Akinruntan, CON, FPD-CR, FNIM, FICA, Okoro Ajiga I, Olugbo of Ugboland. The award is in recognition of his success stories in the global business environment which he traversed scientifically with regal success.
The second is the award of University First degrees to 982 graduands from five sets – 2014/2015, 2015/2016, 2016/2017, 2018/2019 and 2019/2020 session. The breakdown shows that a total of 26 graduands made First Class; 307 made Second Class Upper Division; 488 in Second Class Lower Division and 161 in Third Class.
The third is that we would have a Convocation Lecture to be delivered by Emeritus Prof. Olufemi Bamiro, former Vice-Chancellor, University of Ibadan. The title of the lecture is “Transforming the Nigerian University System for Graduate Employability and Socio-economic Development”.
Conclusion
The University is noted for a very high academic standard. Some of these graduands are already Ph.D holders from leading Universities in the United States, U.K, Germany, South Africa and Nigeria. One of our recent graduates who graduated with a First Class Degree in Chemistry was admitted for Ph.D in Chemical Engineering at the University of Cincinnati, USA without passing through a master’s degree.
Ladies and gentlemen, these are the major highlight of the First Convocation ceremony coming up on March 25, 2023. Thank you for coming.
Prof. Temi E. Ologunorisa
Vice-Chancellor
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