Ful VC, Ibileye mulls more funding for Varsities , partners Kogi Correspondents’ chapel.
The Vice Chancellor of Federal University Lokoja, Professor Gbenga Ibileye, has charged the Federal Government, relevant Agencies, Spirited Corporate Organizations and Individuals to mobilize funds in support of the University for effective delivery of her mandates.
This is just as he solicited for a smooth working partnership with the members of the kogi state chapter of Correspondents’ Chapel of the Nigeria Union of Journalists NUJ Lokoja, to project and reposition the activities of the University to the world.
The Vice Chancellor made the Call when members of the Union paid him courtesy visit in his office on Thursday in Lokoja.
Prof. Ibileye noted that although the Federal Government through Tetfund has been trying its best through intervention projects in the school , he stressed that the enormity of challenges facing her University requires more funding to put the school in perfect perspectives.
He added that for the University to make both national and international impact, the government needs to inject more and robust funds to the system, apart from the annual ritual interventions, saying the growth and development of a university is a function of the financial attention the government gives to it.
He noted that although , his University receives about #2.5 billion from Tetfund, an onlookers might say that is a big amount, but in reality, it is paltry amount as the University grapple with multi dimensional development challenges.
He therefore appeal to the Federal Government and all education stakeholders to do more for the sector to making the University globally competitive.
He said in a bid to bridge funding gaps, he has established linkages with Universities in Egypt and other parts of the world to galvanize exchanges of ideas.
“We just returned from Cairo, Egypt, to have partnership with some institutions. Because, this is very high in my order of priority. the internationalization of our varsity , we started reaching out to institutions. One of them, is the University of Cairo, which is inarguably the oldest university in Africa. Another university, also in Cairo. It is a very big institution which was established at about the same time as our university. It has about the same number of students as our university. But, the university, because of proper funding, for instance, they have 70 shuttle school buses. Our university today, we have just about four Buses to the same number of students.
“They have laboratories that are well equipped. We don’t have well equipped laboratories. So, funding is essential for the functioning of the university. So, we have collaboration agreements with those institutions, so that, the things we lacked here, that they have, we can get it. The things they lack there, that we have, then we can exchange. And so, we are also collaborating with universities in South Africa. Universities in Canada. Universities in the UK. Universities in China. Universities in Australia. And so on and so forth.
“Apart from local collaborations that we are entering into. For instance, we just signed a partnership agreement with the Nasarawa State University. (NSUK ) So that, they are an intermediary institution that connects us to Erasmus Cross. Erasmus Cross is a research fund by the European Union. So, this gives us access to that fund. We are making efforts to build on our strength. And to remedy the deficiencies, the gaps in funding that we have. Apart from that, we are reaching out to private organizations and Government Agencies outside of normal budgetary streams. And we are getting some support in this way” He revealed.
While commending the Correspondents members for the visit, he said, he held the media in high esteem having transversed in the media industry before switching over to the academics, called for sustainable partnership that will enrich the activities of the University.
He said , he cannot forget in a hurry , the kind of support he received from the media when he was a chairman of committee in the last regime, saying more is expected now that he is the chief Executive Officer of the University.
According to the VC” I have an enduring relationship with the media. I have also practiced as a journalist at some point. I did my NYSC with NTA Abeokuta.
And during this time, it was strange for a youth corper to have his or her reports on NTA networks. I had several reports on NTA networks. Of course, you know that at that time, NTA was the prime TV in Nigeria., it was a thing of pride at that time for a cub reporter to have his reports aired on network news.
“I know how these things work.I know the power of the media. I have always had this enduring phrase, which I adopted from one of the fathers of journalism, that no one wins in the dark. You cannot win in the dark.You win when you want to see it. And so, no matter the beauty, no matter the work you are putting in, if people don’t get to hear about what you are doing, then you are probably just wasting their time, that informed my first executive action as Vice Chancellor to establish the Directorate for Strategic and Corporate Communications. And I must say, that has been one of my proudest achievements as Vice Chancellor. Because that directorate has changed the face of Federal University of Lokoja ” He informed.
He charged Journalists to cooperate with the University even at a fault and deficiencies which is associated with human relationships, saying ,there is no walking without head shaking.
Earlier, the Chairman of Federated Chapel, Segun Demola Salami congratulated him for his appointment as the 4th substantive Vice Chancellor, of Federal University Lokoja,described the appointment as round peg in a round hole.
He assured him of unwavering commitment to assist the University in projecting and escalating the activities of the University to the outside world.
