Prof. Abdul-Rasheed Na’Allah, the Vice-Chancellor, University of Abuja (UniAbuja), has called on graduating students of the institution to be hardworking and come up with cutting-edge ideas for self-reliance after school.
Na’Allah made the call at the university on Friday, at the combined 25th and 26th convocation ceremony of 8,769 students of the institution.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that 23 students received first-class degrees, 1,052 students were awarded with second-class upper degrees, while 3061 students got second class lower degrees and 324 received third-class degrees.
NAN also reports that 267 students received doctorate degrees, 2, 372 students graduated with Masters in Sciences, Engineering and Agriculture, while 214 students were awarded postgraduate Diplomas.
“I want to encourage the graduands to constantly interact with research centres and to constantly make efforts, through adequate innovations and key into grant application for development.
“The overall aim is to encourage schools that are doing well, if we can have at least standardised and equipped schools in Nigeria that would solve the problems of education in the country.
“The time has come for scholars and researchers to come out with innovations and ideas for the growth and development of the country.
“As a university, we should solve problems for organisations such that when they are recruiting students, they would consider those from our institutions,” he said.
Na’Allah promised to empower workers in the university by putting in place the necessary support they need to enable them and the institution to succeed.
He added that adequate research would provide opportunities to celebrate some universities on the global university ranking, while urging the graduands to see themselves as ”solutions to problems and not the problem”.
He noted that good research institutions would teach researchers how to effectively prepare students for the rigours of university education and techniques to improve outcomes in universities. (NAN)