…From Dele Ogunyemi, Ibadan….
The Ladoke Akintola University of Technology (LAUTECH), Ogbomoso has concluded arrangements to flag off its newly established Institute of Software Technology which aims to produce the needed software required in the country’s manufacturing industries, the Vice-Chancellor of the institution, Professor Adeniyi Gbadegesin disclosed on Thursday.
Professor Gbadegesin while addressing a press conference to kick-start the 11th special Convocation ceremony of the University announced that the initiative was to complement the efforts at setting the pace for engineering breakthrough in the academic terrain in Nigeria and the industrial world, while the outputs .
outputs from the institute would also be sold to other sister institutions across the Federation.
Hear the Vice Chancellor: “This University (LAUTECH) is unique in our programme. Very soon, in the next six months, we’ll establish a soft ware engineering programme that will be producing soft ware for most of industries in the country and even some of our sister universities across the nation. We also have it in mind to use it to solve economic and unemployment problem in the country and as well chart a new course for engineering future of the nation.”
While announcing that a total of 12,191 first degrees and 9,376 post graduate degrees would be awarded at the Convocation ceremony coming up next Wednesday for graduands of the last three academic sessions namely 2009/2010, 2010/2011 and 2011/2012, the Vice Chancellor told newsmen that LAUTECH is already incorporating Entrepreneurship training into its curriculum in view of the precarious employment situation in Nigeria to make the University’s graduates job creators as against applicants.
The Vice Chancellor revealed that 92 of the graduands made first class, 3,202 are in the second class upper category, 6,300 made second class lower while 1,961 and 145 made third class and pass respectively.
A highlight of the week-long Convocation programme is the planned conferment of a Honourary degree D.Sc (Honoris. Causa) in management Sciences on the national leader of the All Progressive Party (APC) who is also the Chancellor of the institution, Senator Bola Ahmed Tinubu.
Other activities lined up for the Convocation ceremony which begins on Friday, April 18 with a Jumat service at the University mosque and a Sunday service on Sunday April 20 at the University chapel include the Convocation Lecture and investiture to be held on Wednesday April 23 as well as a Photo Exhibition billed for the ground floor of the Senate Building.
Professor Gbadegesin further told journalists that for the first time in the history of the institution, “certificates of all the graduates are ready for collection in the various faculties immediately after the convocation ceremony.”