‘We have expanded the scope of researches at NSUK’

Vice chancellor, Nasarawa State University, Keffi (NSUK), Prof.
Mohammed Akano Mainoma, had a chat with EMMANUEL OLOGUN on a number of issues.
Here are the excerpts.

Sir, NSUK has become a centre of attraction, overshadowing other universities in its environs.
What is the magic? We are motivated by our staff .
There is a lot of teamwork going and people are showing a lot of interest in what they are doing and that ultimately generates interest in the outsiders.
You see that everybody is serious about doing his or her job.
We have identified areas where we need some adjustment and we have effected the change.
As you can see, a lot of teamwork is ongoing.
People believe in what we are doing and therefore, they are showing their supports.

What is your dream for the University? Our dream for the university is to be committed to academic excellence, that is, the passing of knowledge to our students.
We dream of a university that has enviable academic culture; a university that has outstanding performances in all its undertakings; a university which has excellent teaching culture; a university that has integrity and one that follows due process in all its dealings.
These are the dreams I have for this university.
I want to build a university that justifies its name.
You have just resumed another academic section after a long strike, how do you intend to bridge the academic section? You know the non academic staff’s strike did not affect the academic calendar that was why the lectures were ongoing while the strike lasted.
We were lucky that the strike did not affect the academic calendar. As it were, we are continuing with all our normal academic activities. The strike did not affect anything adversely at all. We are managing well.
The semester will finish well. It is unfortunate that our non academic staff had not worked for sometimes.
It has actually affected some administrative functions, but not the calendar.
You have spent about three years here, what are the legacies you intend to leave behind? First, you should be talking about what we had achieved; about changing the physical outlook of the university.
You can see massive infrastructure here and there.
You can also see that virtually everything has changed.
Also, in terms of academic content, we have more than doubled the first set of students we had when I took over the mantle of leadership. We had about 60 programmes before my arrival, but now we have more than 180 programmes.
I shall be remembered as the VC who expanded the scope of researches at NSUK.
We have established centres that are doing quite well, like Institute of Governance Cyber Centre.
We have the Directorate of Research and Public Control, Directorate of Quality Assurance and Innovation.
There is no way all these can be mentioned without my name, because we are responsible for those engagements.
How do assess your staff ’s commitment to duty? In terms of teaching, we have developed a mechanism where lecturers can be assessed as to whether they are doing their work or not, and the kind of things they are doing.
We have also done a research publication which was the first of its kind in this university, a research publication that assesses the root of students’ failures in examination because we are bothered about the rate of failures in the examination.
People are using the outcome of that research to improve the performance of the students.
We will be remembered in this university for our ability to be consistent with rules and regulations.
For the first time in this university, senate meetings are held consistently every last Thursday of the month.
How long does it take to release students’ results? We also ensure that students’ results are released on time.
If you start a programme with us, you know when you are going to finish.
We ensure that the students get their results on time and that is actually what is making our postgraduates programmes attractive to students. Students that are serious can start their programmes and finish within the minimum time.
That is what has given positive image to the university.
Students can beat their chest and be proud that at most, one month after their examinations, their results will be ready.
Once you are through with your exams and have done the necessary things required of you, you will get your results without delay.
Ability to set standard and streamline the process is what has endeared us to all persons who want to study here.

LASU to build 6,000-bed hostel for students
The vice chancellor of Lagos State University (LASU), Prof Olanrewaju Fagbohun has said that the university is ready to construct a 6,000-bed accommodation for students of the institution.
Prof. Fagbohun disclosed this to newsmen on Monday.
The hostel project, which is said to be under a Public Private Partnership (PPP) arrangement, is expected to be completed in the next 18 months. Fagbohun said that the proposed model accommodation for the students would change the off-campus policy of the university that was reviewed not too long ago.
“We are now going to have our students coming as residents on the campus. The first phase of the project will give 6,000 students accommodation on the campus. We did advertise that we want to have the building constructed using the PPP arrangement. This is because the university does not have the required fund, and we don’t want it to be a project that will continue to be in the pipeline.
“We opted for the PPP arrangement and we have chosen PricewaterhouseCoopers (PwC) as our financial advisers.
We want a situation where we will be transparent and insulate ourselves from pressures from the public without ending up with non-performing contractors who will eventually dot the campus with uncompleted buildings,” VC said

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