The Vice-Chancellor, Professor Kolawole Salako has assured of the University’s commitment to the sustainability of the World Bank Centre of Excellence in Agricultural Development and Sustainable Environment (CEADESE).
Making this declaration during a meeting with a team from World Bank Africa Center of Excellence (ACE), Professor Salako said, “Our University is very conscious of the need to sustain CEADESE”, having invested so much in it.
According to him, “In the first place, where we have gotten to in terms of support is large to motivate us to sustain the centre and we should not be thinking of losing the opportunity concerning that place. The Laboratory is standard and I guard that place jealously because having those equipment alone is a plus for our University so we strongly believe in the sustenance of that Centre”.
Shedding more light on the gains of the University from CEADESE, the Vice-Chancellor revealed that, “One good thing that CEADESE has done for us is to make us relevant again for our African brothers and sisters because between 2000 and 2005 we had some foreign students from Niger Republic and West African Countries but along the line everyone just frizzled out but they are coming back now courtesy of CEADESE so those opportunities are there and we would not want to lose them.
Professor Salako disclosed that as an individual and collectively with the set of highly dedicated and committed staff working in CEADESE the University would continue to market its strength particularly with the international accreditation which it recently obtained. He disclosed that the feat would assist in attracting more grants that will be very useful in managing CEADESE.
The Vice-Chancellor solicited for continued support of relevant stake holders noting that, “If we had the confidence to go for international accreditation and we came out good, I think it should be registered that we have something to offer”.
Earlier in his remarks, the team’s spokesperson, Dr. Carl Larsen commended the Vice Chancellor and his team for all the progress that has been made since his assumption of office.
According to him, “we keep being impressed with the progress that has been made since you took office. It is a clear indication of what has happened since you took office and the speed at which CEADESE has been catching up”.
The ACE Project Expert however, noted that “unfortunately we can’t change history nobody has that capacity so all we can do is that we try to control the present and hope that we can improve the future. So right now it is clear that CEADESE is on a very strong pedestal.”
He disclosed that the aim of their visit was to rub minds with the University Management on how CEADESE would maximize its opportunities and support the stream of incoming students after the expiration of the external funding.
Other issues to be addressed are on the rounding up of ACE phase 1 and how the University would maintain and secure the high standard that has been achieved by the international accreditation bearing in mind that FUNAAB is the first public University to be so accreditated.
