- Faculty of Law to Start Soon as TETFund Approves Building Project

The Federal University Lokoja (FUL) has made the elite list of top African Universities’ Ranking in the maiden Times Higher Education (THE) 2023 Sub-Saharan African Rankings report released recently. FUL’s emergence was announced by the Vice-Chancellor, Prof. Olayemi Akinwumi in Lokoja, the Kogi State Capital while presiding over the 77^th meeting of the University’s Senate on Tuesday, July 4, 2023.

Reading his opening speech on the floor of Senate, the Vice-Chancellor and Chairman stated, “I am delighted to inform this distinguished Senate that Federal University Lokoja made the elite list of the maiden Times Higher Education 2023 Sub-Saharan African Ranking. FUL falls within the 51st - 60th  bracket out of the 120 Sub-Saharan Universities that were ranked using five-pillar assessment criteria of Resources and Finance, Access and Fairness, Teaching Skills, Student Engagement and Africa Impact.”

He continued, “This cheering information is contained in the presentation by the Chairman of Nigerian Universities Ranking Advisory Committee (NURAC), Professor Peter Okebukola on his return from the programme that took place on June 26, 2023 in Accra, Ghana. Out of the 51 Nigerian Universities ranked, FUL is in the 17th position and 9th position amongst the Federal Universities.”

The Vice-Chancellor, therefore, expressed unreserved appreciation to all the Senators, Deans, Directors, Heads of Departments and indeed all the staff of the University for the sacrifices put into achieving this great feat. He, however, noted that there is still room for improvement and that they must strive to attain the lofty heights his administration had set for the upliftment of FUL.

Speaking further, Prof. Akinwumi announced that the results of the resource verification exercises conducted recently by the National Universities Commission (NUC) for the commencement of Engineering and Nursing Programmes in FUL were positive, adding that the University would start admitting students into the programmes beginning from the 2023/2024 academic session.

“I am pleased to inform Senate that the outcomes of the resource verification exercises conducted by the NUC for our proposed Engineering and Nursing Programmes have returned positive. FUL will therefore, on the approval of NUC and JAMB, admit students for Electrical/Electronics Engineering, Mechanical and Computer Engineering including Nursing Programmes during the 2023/2024 academic session. I want to express my sincere appreciation to all those who participated in the verification exercises and to say that all is well that end well,” the VC remarked.

Another heartwarming news and take away from the 77^th Senate meeting was the planned establishment of the Faculty of Law for the twelve-year-old University. The University’s 3^rd Vice-Chancellor was filled with joy to announce that the Tertiary Education Trust Fund (TETFund) has graciously approved the construction of the Faculty building for the proposed Law programme for FUL.

“While thanking Senate for the support given for the establishment of new academic programmes in the University, namely: Medicine, Engineering, and Nursing, I am excited to inform Senate that the establishment of the Law programme is in the offing. This is because TETFund has approved the construction of the building project that will house the Faculty of Law in FUL. The contractors designated to handle the project are expected to move to the site almost immediately and they will do so any moment from now,” he revealed.

Similarly, the Vice-Chancellor disclosed during the meeting that the 6^th & 7^th Combined Convocation Ceremonies of the University would hold between 17^th and 21^st October, 2023, saying that the committee saddled with the planning along with the required sub-committees has been constituted and inaugurated to begin preparation in earnest. He added that awards would be presented to some deserving members of staff and Faculty(ies), while an annual “Best Faculty Award” would be institutionalized during the Convocation challenging all the Faculties to brace up and “focus on activities that will endear them to meeting the criteria that will be made available by the Committee.” Also, worthy and deserving personalities would be conferred with Honorary degrees of the University during the forthcoming Convocation.

Arising from the JAMB Policy Meeting that took place in Abuja on 27th June, 2023 where the admission cut-off marks for Universities were fixed at 140, Polytechnic 100, and Colleges of Education 100, the cut-off mark for admission into programmes in FUL was pegged at 170, except MB;BS programme that was fixed at 250 as announced by the Chairman at the Senate meeting. However, the cut-off marks for the newly introduced Engineering and Nursing programmes were not decided at the meeting but will be fixed as soon as they are captured and uploaded on JAMB CAPS which is ongoing.

Meanwhile, the VC expressed delight that the 100 level MB;BS students admitted during the 2022/2023 session would soon resume as 200 level students on 11th July, 2023. He averred that this pioneer set can confidently call themselves medical students now having successfully scaled through their 100-level courses and now set to commence their medical curriculum in earnest.

Prof. Akinwumi used the occasion to remind Senate that all the programmes in the Faculty of Science are due for re-accreditation, enjoining members particularly staff in the Faculty of Science to work hard and put everything in place to ensure a seamless exercise slated around November this year.

In conclusion, the Vice-Chancellor thanked all Senate members in particular and the University Community in general for their frantic efforts in keeping the system running in spite of the difficulties and hardships created by some of the policies of the Federal Government that are taking a toll on them, while a minute’s silence was observed in honour of the University Librarian’s late husband, Sp. Ap. Chief Dauda Yani Tyenkwa, whose death occurred on 10^th May, 2023 and was buried in Katsit Kafachan Zangon-Kataf Local Government Area of Kaduna State on 24^th June, 2023. See pictures from the 77th Senate meeting here

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