10 Baze University students clinch first class degrees
Baze University Abuja recently conducted its second convocation ceremony during which ten out of the 212 graduating students who had first class degrees were honored.
The school, which began full academic activities in 2011 with only 17 students had grown to about 1,400 students in four faculties and offering over 20 degree programmes.
The Vice Chancellor, Professor Michael Hodd, said the institution was established and equipped to attain academic excellence in its teaching and research. He said 10 students obtained first class degrees in their respective fields of studies in the 2014/15 academic session.
Hodd said the university had four faculties including Engineering, Management and Social Sciences, Computer and Applied Science and Law, and that Baze had reached advanced stage to commence academic work on other disciplines.
He said it was part of the effort to sustain the aspiration of students and desires of parents to commence academic activities in Medicine, Pharmacy and Environmental Science.
One of the graduating students Emmanuel C. Njoku said very few students enrolled into the university in 2011 “without knowing what will become of us in case of any possibility since it was just new with few structures and lecturers. But the institution got wider acceptance due to the provision of improved facilities and quality teaching.”
Former Minister of Education, Professor Ruqayyatu Rufai, who spoke at the event, said the story of Baze University was ‘truly a successful one’ because it had attracted students with high intellectual potentials from across the country and provided more access to higher education to teeming applicants.
“We have to look at the issue of access to education; it is a very critical one. Nigeria cannot continue to have the highest number of out-of-school children in the world and as such, we must give priority to access to education,” she said.
The former minister advised the graduates to imbibe firstrate attitude and protect the good image of their alma-mater.
Miss Ohunene Salima Ahmad, who was the best graduating student from the faculty of Management and Social Sciences with a first class degree, and aspiring to be a lecturer, said Baze University had the necessary infrastructure and manpower to achieve academic excellence.
She said, “I feel very good, accomplished and happy that my hard work paid off.
“I don’t think I did anything specific to distinguish me from others, maybe I worked harder than the rest of the students and I barely had a social life and I think at the end it paid off; I am happy.”
Another first class student of the Faculty of Law, Bolarin Aliyu Faniyan, said “the institution is flexible and lecturers are friendly. It is one of the happiest moments of my life leading a class of 58 industrious students.”
Elder statesman and former Nigeria Permanent Representative to the United Nations, Ambassador Yusuf Maitama Sule, who also commended the academic standing of the university, said it is important to “educate our boys and girls because Nigeria is destined to play a very important role not only in Africa but the world.”
While urging the government to invest in education, he said “I’m expecting to see better education policies with the present government.”
He told the graduates “you are the potential leaders, the future, and vanguard of revolution, solution to our problem and answer to the future it holds.”
Another highlight of the convocation was awards to some graduants and the naming of structures of the institution after some notable Nigerians.
The Mosque was named after Sultan Sa’ad Abubakar; an auditorium after Muhammad Sanusi (Emir of Kano); Library after Professor Attahiru Jega; a workshop after Nura Imam and a building after Rose Okwechime.
The occasion was attended by the Emir of Zazzau, Alhaji Shehu Idris; Nigeria Permanent Representative at the United Nations, Ambassador Joy Ogwu; Alhaji Ahmadu Abubakar; Senator Yusuf Datti; Dr. Aliyu Modibbo; Senator Ibrahim Mantu; Labaran Maku among others.