A WELCOME ADDRESS DELIVERED BY THE VICE-CHANCELLOR OF FEDERAL UNIVERSITY LOKOJA, PROFESSOR OLAYEMI AKINWUMI ON THE OCCASION OF THE ASSOCIATION OF REGISTRARS OF NIGERIAN UNIVERSITIES (ARNU) 1ST WORKSHOP AND 73RD BUSINESS MEETING HELD FROM MONDAY 15TH TO SATURDAY 20TH MAY, 2023, AT THE FEDERAL UNIVERSITY LOKOJA, KOGI STATE

PROTOCOL

It is my pleasure to extend a warm welcome to all of you as we gather here today for the Association of Registrars of Nigerian Universities’ (ARNU) 1st Workshop and the 73rd Business meeting at the Federal University Lokoja. We are honoured to have been chosen as the host of this important event and we are truly happy to have you here.

The Federal University Lokoja (FUL) was established on February 16, 2011 along with eight (8) other new Federal Universities following a pronouncement by former President Goodluck Ebele Jonathan. On the 15th of February, 2011, the pioneer Vice-Chancellor, Professor Abdulmumini Hassan Rafindadi, and the pioneer Registrar, Mrs Habiba Anavoza Adeiza were appointed and assumed duties in Lokoja on Thursday, 14th April, 2011.

I assumed office on the 15th of February 2021 as the third and first indigenous Vice-Chancellor of this great University, while the current Registrar, Dr. (Mrs) Rebecca Aimiohu Okojie assumed office in February 2022. Together with other principal officers, the university management under my leadership has continued to build on the solid foundation laid by my predecessors. The Federal University Lokoja has grown in leaps and bounds. 

The University started with only two (2) Faculties and eleven Departments/Programmes in the 2012/2013 academic session. Today, I am glad to inform you that the University now has six (6) Faculties; with additional Colleges, Institutes, Schools, and several Directorates.

Registrars as Chief Administrative Officers of universities are pivotal to the achievement of the broad goals of universities because they are the driving force behind the administrative machinery of universities. The theme of this workshop, “Repositioning the Administrative Machinery of the Nigerian University System for Global Competitiveness: The Role of Registrars as Key Drivers,” is both timely and relevant as we continue to strive for excellence with a view to positioning Nigerian universities for global competitiveness.

Personally, I attach great importance to this gathering as a valuable opportunity and veritable platform to strengthen bonds and discuss all areas of concern in today’s registries openly and frankly. It is also expected that part of the deliverables of this Business Meeting will be the deepening of partnerships among university registries in very practical ways. Collaboration among universities has become imperative in the face of the ever-changing dynamics of university administration driven by equally volatile information and communication technology. Such collaborative relationships help to build complementary strengths, exchange views on pressing areas of concern affecting your work, and build valuable bridges such that with everyone working together, Nigerian universities will become truly globally competitive.

In addition, this first 1st Workshop and 73rd Business Meeting of your Association while providing an opportunity to learn, unlearn and relearn through the exchange of views, must be a defining feature for future Nigerian university registries. In this regard, it is expected that the workshop and business sessions will produce actionable recommendations in the nearest future. I am confident that the outcomes of this workshop and business meeting will be of great benefit to all of us. 

Once again, I welcome you all to the Federal University Lokoja, and I wish you a productive and enjoyable stay. I wish to urge you all to enjoy the sights and sounds of the historical and Confluence City of Lokoja. In that regard, the University has lined up a series of visits to tourist destinations, including the confluence of the two great rivers Niger and Benue.

I thank you for your kind attention.

>> Download the address here l Click here to see more pictures