THE Management of Federal University Lokoja, has disclosed that the institution signed several Memoranda of Understanding within and outside the country in bid to promote research and internationalization.
The Vice Chancellor of the institution, Professor Angela Freeman Miri disclosed this at a pre-convocation press briefing to mark the 3rd and 4th combined convocation ceremony of the institution coming up on Saturday at the permanent site of the institution in Lokoja.
She equally mentioned that the National Universities Commission (NUC) has approved 29 new undergraduate programmes for the Federal University Lokoja commencing from 2019/2020 academic session.
According to her during the Morgan State University Sesquicentennial celebration, she on behalf of the institution signed a Memorandum of Understanding at the global event as staff and students of Federal University Lokoja can now apply for higher degrees to study at the University.
She also said that they signed another MoU with Nigeria Metrological Agency (NiMET) to promote capacity of the University with regards to providing necessary tools for the delivery of products and services to different sectors connected to Meteorology/Climatology and climate change in the country.
The Vice Chancellor noted that the university was set to invite the NUC for Resource Verification of the 29 new programmes approved by the commission in addition to the existing course being run by the institution.
She said that all the programmes being run before the introduction of the 29 new programmes in the faculties of Arts, Social Sciences and Science had received full accreditation.
The VC added that the institution was committed to the sustenance of the highest standards in all academic programmes that would guarantee full accreditation at all times.
She said that the institution had commenced Master and PhD programmes under the School of Post-Graduate Studies and had advertised and admitted eligible candidates into the programmes for the 2019/2020 academic session.
Miri noted that the commencement of the Post-Graduate programmes was another important milestone that would afford the institution the opportunity to live up to its tripartite functions of teaching, research and community development.
The Vice-Chancellor said that under her leadership, 118 Teaching and Non-Teaching staff of the institution were sponsored to local and international conferences and workshops under TETfund intervention.
She said that TETfund had also sponsored Journal of Research and Development in the Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences as well as Confluence Journal of pure and applied Sciences under the faculty of sciences.
“We are striving to increase and improve on the existing facilities and to equally a lay emphasis on Staff Training and Development so that the university will be able to cope with increasing number of students”, she said.
The VC said that the university Health Services Medical Centre which was hitherto a 3-bed clinic, had been expanded and remodeled to a 20-bed facility in order to meet up with the growing number of staff and students.
The University library, she further explained, has also built up its collection of books to 9,000 titles saying, “We have equipped the library to the level that undergraduates, Masters and PhD students can carry out studies in diverse Fields without much stress.
Miri said that since her assumption of duty the university had maintained a stable academic calendar and cordial relationship with the immediate host communities adding that it had also ensured timely promotion of eligible staff members as priority of the university management council.
The combined 3rd and 4th convocation ceremony of the institution would be held on Saturday, December 14th with the Chancellor, Alhaji Dr Muhammadu Abali Ibn Muhammadu Idriss, Emir of Fika awarding the degrees to the graduating students.
