How varsity alumni can help alma mater - Durosaro

Date: 2012-09-09

University alumni associations in the country have been urged to take active interest in the periodic strategic planning for the development of their alma mater.

This advice was given by a Professor of Educational Management, Oluwafemi Durosaro while speaking as the guest lecturer at the First Leading Light Award presentation ceremony for distinguished alumni of the University of Ilorin last Friday (September 7, 2012).

The ceremony, which took place at Banquet Hall, Government House, Ilorin, was organised by the national body of the University of Ilorin Alumni association to honour four of its leading members, the Kwara State Governor, Alhaji Abdulfattah Ahmed; the Vice-Chancellor of the University of Ilorin, Prof. Is-haq Oloyede; the Vice-Chancellor of the Kwara State University, Malete, Prof. AbdulRasheed Na'Allah; and the Managing Director of UTC Nig. Ltd, Mrs. Folusho Olaniyan.

In his lecture entitled, "University Alumni Association as a driving force for a visionary leadership", Prof. Durosaro said that taking part in the periodic planning process would provide the associations the opportunity to indicate members' vision for the universities in terms of future academic programmes, facilities, and goals.

The lecturer, who is also an alumnus of the University of Ilorin, said, "Wealthy alumni could, through their associations or even individually, donate generously towards the execution of some development projects in the universities", adding that "such rich alumni could endow professorial chairs, researches, scholarships, and facilities in the university".

Noting that funding is the bane of university development in the country, Prof. Durosaro said, "Until recently, the funding of universities in Nigeria had been mainly government's business with little private involvement, However, education financing faces competing demands on government from other equally crucial sectors of the economy, hence there is the need for private involvement, particularly of the Alumni Associations".

The don pointed out that another way by which the alumni associations could be on the driving seat of the visionary leadership in universities is by showing keen interest in the day-to-day management of the institutions.

He said, "Alumni associations have representations on some political and administrative boards and committees of the universities and if members of the associations participate actively, they would be opportune to contribute their expertise in various forms to the benefit and growth of the universities".

Prof. Durosaro also charged alumni association members to endeavor to share ideas, innovations and equipment in their fields of specializations with the relevant university departments, saying, "This would foster the university – industry relationship while the products of the universities that operate the industries could help bridge some gaps between the theories and the modern practice in their fields of specialization".

Other ways by which the alumni associations could contribute to the development of their alma maters, according to the guest lecturer include: assisting the institutions to source for patronage of university consultancy services; finding time to visit the institutions to serve as mentors to the current crop of students; playing advocacy roles by helping to reach out to governments and Non-governmental organizations to come to the aid of the universities in various ways; returning to serve their alma matters as lecturers and professors, hall wardens, advisers and patrons to students' organizations.

Prof. Durosaro noted that universities are under great pressure to ensure they operate on world-class standard, which implies greater needs in the areas of funds, personnel and other facilities. He therefore charged the stakeholders in education, particularly the alumni of the institutions to find a way of intervening to help in the development of their alma maters.

"The current dispensation of government in Nigeria encourages more of Public-Private Partnership (PPP) that could provide a variety of avenues through which the alumni could contribute their quota, both in kind and cash, to the development of the universities," he said.

Prof. Durosaro commended the contributions of the four awardees to the socity in their various areas of endeavours, noting that they eminently deserved the honour being conferred on them by the Alumni Association.

He described Governor Ahmed as an "amiable, indefatigable, action man" who "is a visible driving force for visionary leadership in Kwara State", adding that Prof. Oloyede "had worked relentlessly to contribute immensely to the development of the University as Vice-Chancellor".

The guest lecturer also said Prof. Na'Allah "is a worthy ambassador of Unilorin Alumni Association, as he had worked tirelessly to translate the vision of a model university for Kwara State to a reality". He also described Mrs. Olaniyan as "an astute manager and a woman of valour whose visionary leadership had taken the UTC of Nigeria Ltd, Lagos to lofty heights".

 

Cloud Tag: What's trending

Click on a word/phrase to read more about it.

Abdulwasiu Bolaji Adeyi     Iqra Books     Bashirat Bola Bello     Samuel Adedoyin     Umar Ahmed Gunu     Suleiman Alege Kuranga     Ibrahim Mashood     Yusuf Abdulkadir     Tsaragi/Share     Olosi Of Osi     IEDPU     Mahmud Durosinlohun Atiku     Summit University     Haruna Tambiri Mohammed     Ahmed Dankaya     JAAC     Basic Education Certificate Examination     Ilorin     Dauda Adesola     SWAN     Kwabes     Elese Of Igbaja     Adamu Ibrahim Sabi     Abubakar Atiku     Amina El-Imam     Ajuloopin     Kwara 2015     Mazars Consulting     Muhammed Mahe Abdulkadir     Abdulrosheed Okiki     Abdulsalam A. Yusuf     AbdulHakeem Ajibola Akanbi     Kwara Basketball Association     Unicontinental Construction Company     CACOVID Palliatives     Mutawali     Jide Ashonibare     Afolabi-Oshatimehin     AbdulRahman Saad     Sulyman Buhari     Usman Alkali Baba     Mahmud Ayinla Giwa     Ileloke     Magaji Erubu     KFA     Temi Kolawole     Forgo Battery     Road Transport Employers Association Of Nigeria     Oniwasi Agbaye     Bola Olukoju     Isiaka Saka Opobiyi     Esuwoye     Shagari     Aso-ofi     Abubakar Lah     Idowu Laro     Muhammed Abdullahi     Firdaos Amasa     Hikmah AbdulKareem     Sadiq Buhari     Yekini Adio     Azeez Bello     Haashim Initiative For Community Advancement     Kazeem Oladepo     Durosinlohun Kawu     Aliyu Muhammed     Kwara TV     AbdulGafar Tosho     Hajj     Kayode Zubair     IYA ALFA NLA     Galadiman Ngeri     Okin Biscuit     Taofik Mustapha     Ishak Mohammed Sabi     Chartered Institute Of Personnel Management Of Nigeria     Ayinde Oyepitan    

Cloud Tag: What's trending

Click on a word/phrase to read more about it.

Baba Issa     Gambari     Babata     CACOVID     Abdullahi Biffo     Budo-Egba     Sarah Alade     Alapansapa     Isiaka Danmeromu     Sulu Gambari     Samari     Okanlawon Musa     Ayinke Saka     Abdulrahman Abdulrasaq     GAMA     Babatunde Ajeigbe     Dorcas Afeniforo     Tunde Mukaila Mustapha     Esuwoye     Albert Ogunsola     Roheemat Hammed     AGILE Programme     Ndakene     Patience Jonathan     Ayoade Akinnibosun     IYA YUSUF     Taofeek Ibraheem     Orisun Igbomina     Aro Yahaya     Lithium     Abdulmumini Jawondo     Fatai Olodo     Lola Olabayo     Usman Rifun     Talaka Parapo     David Oyedepo     Colleges Of Education Academic Staff Union     Alagbado     Nigeria Computer Society     Nigeria Customs Service     Shonga     Abdullah Janet Amudat     Suleiman Abubakar     Oladimeji Thompson     Mahmud Ayinla Giwa     Tosin Saraki     General Hospital, Ilorin     NYSC     Olokoba Abdullahi Ayinla     Sulyman Atolagbe Alege     AbdulKareem Yusuf Danhawa     Clement Yomi Adeboye     Abegunde Goke     Sabi     Isiaka AbdulRazaq     Labour Party     Sheikh Hamzat Yusuf Ariyibi     Zaratu Umar     Oko Erin     COVID     Umar Saro     Chief Imam Of Omu-Aran     Lawan     Senior Staff Union Of Colleges Of Education     Folorunsho Alao     New Model Police Station     Lasiele Alabi Yahaya     Rafiu Ibrahim     Baakini     Road Transport Employers Association Of Nigeria     Galadiman Ngeri     Chartered Institute Of Personnel Management Of Nigeria     Micheal Imoudu     Mogaji Aare     Salihu Ajibola Ajia     Ayinde Oyepitan     JAMB